SWIMMING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 January 1939, Page 7

SWIMMING

MASTERTON CLUB. NOTES AND COMMENTS. (Contributed.)

With the approach of the club carnival (to be held on February 11), the handicappers are keeping a close watch on form, and as they now have a good idea of most swimmers’ capabilities, there is certain to be keen racing and close finishes to sustain the interest.

A little realised service performed by club members during their leisure time, and not perhaps fully appreciated by the public, is that of acting as honorary custodians. After seven o’clock every evening, except Fridays and Saturdays, and from one o’clock until six o’clock on Sunday afternoon, there is always a club member at the baths to watch the interests of bath-users and there is no doubt that the service performed is a useful one for which the club members concerned are to be commended. One of the most consistent of the club’s officers in attendance at meetings and the baths is Mr F. Stains and his active interest in swimming over a long period of years says much for his public spiritedness and enthusiasm.

All swimmers who happened to hear “Uncle Scrim’s” Sunday night talk this week will have been glad to hear him make reference to the “Learn to Swim” campaign. His well-worded appeal to parents to see that their children took advantage of the facilities provided at baths by honorary instructors should bear good fruit when the campaign is actually in progress.

“Learn to Swim” Week in Masterton will be held in conjunction with the special “Keep Fit” Week from February 20 to 25, and the club intends to make a big effort to surpass its figures of last year when the number of people taught to swim was the second highest total'in New Zealand.

Dates for carnivals are now coming to hand and of those arranged for the near future those of Eketahuna on Saturday afternoon, Greytown Monday evening, and Masterton on Saturday, February 11, will be of most interest to local swimmers. Entries for these three carnivals close with Mr F. Morton on Tuesday and Thursday (both Eketahuna and Masterton) so that intending competitors should not delay in entering themselves if they intend competing. In local diving it is pleasing to see the progress being made by the juniors and this is particularly so in the case of Freddie Sexton and Norma Stains. The former has conquered the tendency to keep his head down, and, in consequence, now has a much better appearance on the board —a fact which carries weight with the judges. Most of the juniors now look, better by reason of the correct stance with the arms up and the body properly erect.

Ted Braggins, who has now graduated from the junior ranks, scored a close win in the men’s dive. Bob Barnes made a reappearance in this event and showed that he still “knows a thing or two” by finishing only a point behind the winner. When are our divers going to master some new dives? Surely a somersault is not beyond them and it always increases the interest in the events to see something different attempted.

As forecasted in this column a week or two ago, D. Cairns has been reduced in the handicaps and has justified his new mark by. good races since. A comparative newcomer in P. O’Neill shapes well and has the necessary urge to excel and more should be heard of him in future.

Bob Major is a consistent competitor in junior boys’ events, and he shows good judgment in his races too. Always the scratch man, he does not waste effort early in a race but waits for the longer handicap boys to come back to him when he puts in the sprint which usually carries him into a place. Lloyd Maguire is putting up some very good times in backstroke events and his effort of 58 4-ssecs for 75 yards last Tuesday stamps him as being above the average at this unusual branch of the sport. Sandy Cardno, his closest rival, is rapidly improving, too, and will soon be doing better times. Recently the club became indebted to Mr A. W. G. Hollings for a very fine cup which he has presented as a trophy to be competed for by junior divers. This is a very encouraging gesture on the part of Mr Hollings, and it is certain that all members will join with the juniors in expressing thanks for his practical assistance. So far the terms of the competition for the cup have not been definitely fixed. but in all probability the cup will be known as the A. W. G. Hollings Junior Diving Challenge Cup and will be put up for annual competition, the winner to receive a similarly engraved miniature with perhaps the added proviso that the cup may be won outright by two successive wins in the event.