New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-24
Nerich Fights Hard for Halt
Mile Championship, but Is
Forced to Quit.
GOOD TIME AGAINST TIDE
Behrens Takes High Diving
Title from Mullen and Lee
at A. A. q. Meeting at
Travers Island.

as Bud retained his title by capturing
the SSO-yard swim for the championship
Of the Metropolitan district Of the Ama-
teur Athletic Union at Travers Island
yesterday.
Since the retirement Of C. NJ Daniels.
II has been perennial task for Goodwin
to capture the half-mile. and his victory
yesterday was perhaps the most conspic-
uous Of the series which he has to his
credit With tide conditions that were
not OF the best, and with puffy wind
quartering the course and kicking up
quite a turmoil at intervals. the water
In the short course between Travers and
Glen islands was none too good. There
fore, Goodwin's time Of 1900 3-5 was re-
markably good. Last year he Won in
1924, so his performance yesterday was
far superior to his previous one The
record is 1918 %. and is held by
Daniels.
Kurt Behrens. the City Athletic Clubs
fancy diver, who at one time was the
German champion, captured the high
diving competition. which carried with
il the Metropolitan district champion
ship. Behrens has put on a lot of weight
in the last year and he did not perform
UP to standard. What he did, however
was good enough to give him first place
over F. A. Mullen and r. r. Lee, both
of the New York Athletic Club. The
diving all around was disappointment
All three went through the four pre-
scribed dives fairly we'll, but fell down
in the six voluntary performances.
Goodwin's victory in the half-mile
swim. although anticipated. turned out
TO be a great deal easier than expected
After the quarter-mile mark. Goodwin
had 20 make his own pace and was not
pushed at all. so that his time was slow
er than it probably would otherwise have
been. Nicholas Nerich gave Goodwin A
hot fight for the first two furlongs. but
the perpetual champion made the going
too stiff for Nerich TO follow farther and
he cult a the halfway turn.
For the first half the race was a won
derful struggle between Goodwin and
Nerich. The field was so far out OF II
after fifty yards had been covered that
the race was thereafter a tussle between
the champion and Nerich. The two got
of to a splendid start and tore through
the first leg OF the course shoulder TO
shoulder on the turn Nerich seemed TO
pull out a foot or more on the veteran.
but Goodwin never faltered and plugged
on steadily using his powerful crawl
stroke. BY the time the pair had COM
pleted the first furlong they were neck
and neck again.
II was AT this point that Nerich's re-
serve first began to fail him. and he
dropped back a yard in about ten after
making the turn. He hung on with grim
determination. but Goodwin tore along
with never diminishing speed and took
the 33O-yard turn two yards ahead OF
Nerich. Through the next 100 yards
Nerich made vain effort 10 catch the
champion but il used UP all his surplus.
and after making the turn at the quarter
mile mark he was unable 10 continue.
Goodwin's time for this part Of the race
was s :04 is.
With Nerich out Goodwin let UP IN his
pace. and practically loafed the rest Of the
way. The way was also left open for a
good fight for second place. Tobias OF the
City A. c.. and his clubmate, John Eddy.
the Brooklyn schoolboy. were some sixty
feet back OF Goodwin, and were not more
than five feet apart. with Tobias showing
the way. Eddy's friends called on him to
sprint, and probably because he did not
realize that half the Journey remained he
set out 10 overtake Tobias. He pulled up
couple OF feet. and then Tobias in
creased his speed a bit. The schoolboy
made a greater effort, and practically
burned himself up. for he began TO 90
back farther and farther, Tobias beating
him TO the float by thirty feet.
J. c. wheatley. who SWAIN unattached,
was the sensation Of the afternoon In ths
non-championship races Wheatley won
both the junior 1o0-yard swim and the
2cO-yard handicap In the former he took
the lead at the crack OF the pistol. and
though pushed hard all the way by z. II.
Volmer, OF the New York A. c.. he won
with about a yard 10 spare Clarencs
Ash. Of the Mercury Foot Club. was third.
Wheatley's swimming in the 2o0-yard
race was more brilliant than in the dash.
In his heat he was scratch man, and won
by making up fourteen seconds on H.
Knecht. OF the West Side Y. NJ. c. A,
who was second His actual time was
2:2s 20 In the final he had TO give Rex
Cropsey. an unattached competitor. nine
teen seconds. and by a powerful squirt In
the last dozen yards he was able TO make
up the handicap. winning by half yard
Wheatley's time In this race was 2:2s &c,
which was exceptionally fast under tho
conditions. Cropsey was second and
knecht third.
Only three competitors appeared for tho
high diving championship. Behrens won
because OF his superiority In the volun-
tary dives In the regulation perform
ances he fell below both Mullen and Leo
and seemed hopelessly outclassed. espe-
cially as Mullen was going through with
the form of champion. Behrens. how
ever. braced in the final dives and won
by margin OF six points. Mullen had the
misfortune to make two poor dives IN
succession, while Lee failed badly at the
end. Experience counted heavily in favor
Of the former German champion.
The summaries follow:
9Oo-yard swim (handicap)-won by J. C.
Wheatley. unattached 90 seconds); Rex
Cropsey, unattached (29 seconds), second:
II. Knecht. West Side Y. NJ. c. A. GA sec
onds). third. Time, 2:26 20.
SSO-yard swim-Won by L. j. Goodwin.
New York A c.: H. Tobias. City A c..
second; j. Eddy, tr., City A. c.. third
Time. 1900 80
I0O-yard swim Ounior)-won by J. c.
Wheatley, unattached; e. H vollmer,
York A G.. third Time. 1:04 rs.
High divine--Won by K. Behrens, City
A. c., with li.2 points. +. A. Mullen. New
York A. C.. second, with lS91 points; w: