New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-05
BOY ASW|MM|NGM MARVEL
A Bright Future Predicted fol
Norman lemCke.
EQUALLED WORLDS MARX
Record After Record Has Beer
Washed Out by Commerce
Lad in Pool.


Norman Lemcke, the eighteen.year.o,A
swimmer of the High School of Con-
merce, is regarded by capable fudge. A
aquatics as the coming champion "A
America and possibly the world With,
the next few years. Already Lemcke =
looked upon as candidate for a plscI
on the team Of swimmers that will rspr.l
sent the United States in the Olymn.1
games in Berlin in 1916, and not without
cause.
Starting, as he did, two years ago an
the swimming team Of the High School A
Commerce with only fair ability, LemckaI
| by dint of hard work and perseverance,
has acquired burst of speed that marh1
him as the greatest scholastic swimmer
New York has had in many years. Record
after record has been washed out In tha
wake OF his powerful crawl stroke. cham
pion after champion has trailed him intd
the last touch, until Lemcke now stands
peerless in the schools.
His greatest feat was accomplishsd
only last week, when, in practice race
he swan fifty yards in the natator1um d
the College of the City Of New York m
"A As seconds, equaling the worlds record
established by II. J. Hebner, the swimme<
of the Chicago Athletic Association. Uo1
mel Mackenzie. coach OF the swimmina
( team of the College of the City OF New
York; Dick ONeil and Rod Mccormick
coaches of the Bath Beach SWIMMING
| Club. timed Lemcke over the course with
| stop watches.
One week previous 10 this Lemcke won
the championship Of greater New York
| in the ffty-yard swim, swimming a heat
| semi-fnal and final all better than q sesi
onds in the City College tank, which RAD
only one turn for the half century. Id
swan the final heat in % As seconds and
the sem-fnal in 26 % seconds.
Lemcke. however, is equally speedy al
any distance up to $50 yards. RecsnuH
/ he made the hitherto indicated jack
Eddy. of Poly Prep. take his wash in the
! l0-yard swim when Commerce and Poly
met in dual meet. In this race Lernckd
beat the Brooklyn lad by two yards in
! 60 2-5 seconds. and after allowing EDDY
two yards In the relay race earned q
| dead heat for his team by closing up I'M
the last forty yards. Last year Lemcks
was beaten in the lO0-yard swim for tbs
| championship of the Public Schools Ath>
letic League after two gruelling heats od
the relay team. Frerichs, OF Commercial
beat him out in So seconds.
Defeats have had only one effect on
Lemcke. They rouse him to work harder
all t,f -
day at practice A welcome visitor I'd
the natatoriurls OF City College and Coz
lumbia University. Lemcke has frequent
opportunities to put his speed to severe
test. Fred Culman. the captain OF CO..
lumoia's swimming team. has siveu
Lemcke many exciting brushes. with
doubtful success. On one occasion
Lemcke beat Culman I'm Is seconds Cat
over the fifty yards. and has led him TO
the finish several times in slower time
Twenty-six seconds in the Columbia tank,
which is considered by many as SLOW
is regarded as about equal to three-fifths
OF a second better in other pools.
Lemcke has not had the advantages Of
real coaching. His success is the result
OF his own efforts and close observation
OF men who were better than he at the
time. He first attracted attention two
years ago, when he won first place for
the Commerce team In dual meet.
swimming the half century In 30 sec<
onds. The tank at Commerce. however.
Is only fourteen yards In length, and !r
was thought at the time that when 10
swan in pools OF greater length he would
be fortunate to do better than IS seconds.
Re gave his judges, not forgetting hid
competitors, something 10 think about
when he won race in the City Collesd
pool in 0:29 As.
Last year he scored 90 points for the
school. a greater total than any other
man ever scored before In any branch OK
athletics. Starting with the dual meets
In November UP TO the championships %
the Public Schools Athletic League. u
February. Lemcke swept all before himf
and was not beaten half dozen time
all season and was never shut out OF q
final Five times in that space OF TIM
he broke the record Of the Public School,
Athletic League for nifty yards. swim
ming his races in from q 10 Is IS secondA
Lemcks Is a senior and will be grsd'
uated from Commerce next month. he
is as good a scholar a. he is an athlete
and has never "funked" In q subject -
his four years at the school. He intsnds
entering some college. but up to date 10
undecided upon which one to go to. Hs
has recently become a member OF ne
City Athletic Club, and will represent
that organization I'm open competition.