Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-02-22
STAR Event Of CARNIVAL SWIM
TOURNAMENT GOES TO MISS BECKER
Coast Mermaid Finishes Ahead of Miss Stacker After Both
Stop by Mistake UnntentonaI Foul Claimed by Some,
Others Deny n-Gracefu Diving by San Francisco Girl and
Gift BoweS Pleasing Feature

A crowd Of several thousand per-
sons, filling the bleachers and every
available foot Of standing space, wit
messed the Carnival swimming meet
ing clouds and imminent threat OF
rain. II was an enthusiastic audience,
too. even though the br.lIiance OF the
competition was some what dimmed
by the absence of the Healani Club s
fast water speeders AMI the fact that
the main event the 5e-yard race be-
tween Miss Ruth Stacker and Miss
Dorothy Becker, the Coast champion
mermaid, was marred by the local
girls unintent.onal error.
Getting away to a fairly even start
these two champions began the after
poon's thriller in highly approved
style, and the spectators promptly
went Wild with excitement. But be-
fore the 40-yard mark had been reach
ed It became evident tae race would
not end WELL The tSo at the start
we're fully ten yards Hnart, Miss Ber-
nicia Lane, another Honolulu girl,
having been plRced between them.
Both quickly outdistanccd her, howey-
er, and drew together. ach swimming
out Of her prescribed iane. Near the
40-yard line they met. Miss Stacker
slightly in the lead. Whether a foul
actually occurred AMI on whom 1t
should be blamed the inspectors OF
the course were long time deciding.
The girls continued en-, however, and
at the 40-yard line Miss Stacker stop
ped, thinking she had finished. Shel
turned around and Logan treadingl
water. Miss Becker also hesitated /,
when she reached the line, but before
she had stopped COMPLETELY she evil
IDENTIFY realized the error and suddenly
sprinted forward ma6ly, covering the
final ten vars and fin shing almost
before the local girl could get started
again.
Mics Stacker Assumes Blame.
The inspectors ami judges afteri
several lengthy conferences, decided
to ignore the foul, II there was any,
ana award the places IA the order the
girls finished. Displaying fine type
Of true sportsmanship Mss Stacker
later insisted on ass,r- ing all blame
for the foul, declarins she alone was 4
responsible and that Miss Lucille Leg
foe the fourth entrant who finished /
third, should receive the award Of !,
second place.
Chief inspector c. +. Wayne is en-i
deavofing today TO arrange to have
this race swum again s1me time during
the week, though the Drizes and Off
cial awards likely win be given as
mentioned above. An attempt was
made to have the girls reswim 1t Sat
urday, but. az Miss Becker was sched-
uled TO participate IN TIE fancy diving
event her friends rejected. Miss
Stacker was entirely fcquiescent, de-
spite the fact she hal to swim the
race later. That she re-
tanned ample strength for another
speed test was Demonstrated by her
in the long egent. when she
went the whole distance. ending with
q magnificent squirt end beating her
sole opponent; Miss Legros. by nearly
a lap. She swan tho entire course
strongly, finishing in Z minutes, 8 3-5
seconds. As these were the first wo-
mems races ever swura under the aus /,
pices of the Amateur Athletic Union,
Miss Stackeris time IN the 440-yardsl
win become an A. A. U. record and
one which other mermaids probably
win find difficulty in lowering.
Time Is Slow 1.
The time IN the 50syard race, S5 1-5 !.
seconds, was not fast for women and,
while It may become an A. A. u. rec
crd It will be shattered soon. Miss
Stacker expects to meet Miss Becker
in another regularly scheduled meet
at the Sutro Baths, in San Francisco,
next July and, with any kind of luck
at all one or the other should cut that
time down by about five seconds. !
All the remainder. CT the Saturday Z
events were done in slow time, not