New-York tribune., 1919-12-28
Miss Bleibtrev
Star Mermaid
OF Past Season
Norman Ross, of Illinois A
A. Sets Pace for the NJ,
Swimmers; l3 New Marx. i.

No sport enjoyed bigger boom L..
ing 1919 than swimming. EVER ,..
ney throughout the country establ;.,',
records for entries and in the npns.-
Of new marks set in sectional
pionships and national title Conn.,.
tions. But the greatest achievemer. =.
the American swimmers was the 1.
feat of Miss Fanny Durack and NJ.
Nina Wylie, the two Australian s,...
at the outset OF their proposed toBr =,
this country, which compelled the ys;.
tors to cancel the remaining seventes,
exhibitions on their schedule.
Norman Ross of the Illinois Ath)es.
Club and Miss Ethelda Bieibtrey u.
Brooklyn mermaid, were the stars =.
the year. Both contributed new swr
ming records, Of which a total OF TIM.
teen was made for the year. ten a.
them by the mermaids.
In addition to his remarkable sa,..
in this country, Ross also took OAR
in the swimming races at the Jn,e,
Allied championships in France And
was never defeated in i've competition
His closest call came in the long.ds
tance swim in the Seine River. when h.
won by only few yards from Bacigs.
lupo, an entrant from Italy.
Shock for Australians
What Miss Bleibtrey considers he-
most satisfactory effort Of the year was
her triumph over the two Australian
stars in the 440yard national cham.
pionship swim, which was held in the
Manhattan Beach lagoon. In this com.
petition Miss Bleibtrey was clocked in
6 minutes 80 1-5 seconds. new mark
for the event. Miss Charlotte Bowie,
also Of Brooklyn. finished second to
Miss Bleibtrey, while Miss Durack and
Miss Wylie, the visiting girls, had to
be content with third and fourth
places.
Miss Boyle also earned high rank
ing during the year. She retained sew
eral of her championships and also
established two new American records.
One of the records was at 800 wards,
which she covered in 4 minutes %
seconds, and the other when she in
creased her plunge for distance record
to Ga feet. Miss Bieibtrey and Miss
Boyle, with the aid Of Miss Alice Lord
and Miss Leslie Bunyan, set a new
American relay record at 440 yards Of
minutes SO seconds
On the Pacific Coast Miss Frances
Cowells, who has never succeeded in
defeating either Miss Boyle or Miss
door pools. at 100, 220 and 500 yards;
oil ! IL
Miss Cowells was also credited with
lished in indoor pools during 1918, but
the applications for which did nor
reach the committee in time for ap-
proval at its meeting last year.
OF the three new american records
made by men swimmers ewo went tc
Ross and the other to Fred. Schwsdt
Of the Detroit Y. NJ. c. A.
Eighty Feet for Plunge
Ross scored both his successes or
the same night in the Los Angeles
(CalD Athletic Club pool, where hi
covered 440 yards in 5 minutes IA g.;
seconds and 500 yards in minute.
% As seconds. Schwedt set UP the
new mark Of so feet in retaining HI:
plunge for distance honors in the
Pittsburgh A. A. natatorum.
In the senior national championship
(outdoors). William Ii. Wallen. H.
linois A. c.. retained his tide at the
half mile and mile, while t. T. Bolden
Great Lakes, furnished a surprise in
winning the long distance American
championship of ten miles over the
Rivington. N. j., course. Fred Spon-
berg, New York A c.. won the high
dive from a strong field Of contestants.
Winners of high honors in indoor
competitions were McGillivray. who
swan 80 yards in pa seconds. and 100
yards in So 20 seconds; Leo Glebel,
New York A. c.. who captured the 500
ward championship, and George II.
Taylor. Chicago A. A. who took the
2OO-yard breast stroke laurels in z
minutes "A % seconds.