Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-08-12
Photos by Commercial Studio.
TOP, KEMSKE, SWAN DIVE.
LEFT, LEON SYFRIT, sOMER-
SAULT DIVEV.
RIGHT, JOHN SYFRIT, JACK.
KNIFE DIVE.
By Leroy r. Sparks.

The popularity OF swimming has
grown 30 rapidly in the past few years
that an unusually large number of
persons are indulging In the sport. The
development of expert swimmers, mad
divers in school and college and In the
various clubs has gone on at an as
tonishing rate. Boys and girls. men
and women have We'd with each
other in winning trophies in exciting
contests.
The consistency with which nation
Al interscclastic, intercollegiate and
worlds swimming records have bcen
broken during the past two seasons.
has never been heard OF before in any
branch OF sportA
Tho consistency With which nation
al fnterscholAsuc. national intercol-
legiate and worlds swimming records
have been broken during the past two
seasons, has never been heard OF be-
fore in any branch OF sport.
At the national interscholastic
championships, held at the University
OF Pennsylvania last January, and In
which. the Wilmington High School
swimmers made their debut. every ex-
listing scholastic record was broken
with the exception OF the plunge for
distance. Never before were such a
galaxy Of school boy Aquatic stars
gathered at one time. In three DIFF.
ferent events the existing national
records were broken by at least two
boys.
Charles Speer OF Mercersburg Acad-
envy, set a new mark for the 50-yard
swim when he negotiated the distance
in 24.3 seconds. clipping Is on OF the
old record.
"Bnl' Wright, Of Erie High School
former holder of the national crown
for the 80. made a desperate effort &c
retain his title and finished u second
behind Speer-
| In the 220-yard swim Smith OF
Erie High School, forced. James Hal
OF Brooklyn Poly Prep TO establish 6
new national record in order TO retain
his title Hall swan the furlong ir
2:33.x and Smith finished just u
second later.
l. Erie High School established new
| figure for the 2o0-yard relay
race and finished a scant foot ahead OF
the Girard College quartet which SCI
mark in the local pool for the 101-
yard relay that no team has even beer
able TO approach. The Erie team bet
tered the old interscholastic mark by
several seconds, which was a world
record for a school boy swim.
In the collegiate ranks every fre'
style record has been broken durini
the past two seasons. Edwin Binney
Jr., OF Yale, holds the records for thu
40 and 50-yard swims, at ID and 2.
| seconds, respectively. D. L. Jones o
Brown University. won the title TO
the century swim at 55.3 seconds II
the Carnegie pool at New Haven, ant
Angus Sinclair of the U. S. Nava
| Academy set new mark for the %
at Annapolis when he negotiated tn
distance In 2:25 Is. Wood. Val
plunger, established q new intercol
legiate figure for the piange 4or dis
lance at the Penn pool last January.
The Yale quartet composed
Jelliffe, Pratt, Thurston and Binne,
, completed the series Of record break
ing performances In college ranks b
lowering the mark for the 200-yar
relay to 1:3S Is, which is 2:3 second
better than the mark made year ag
Never In the history OF aQuatcs ha
there been such a smashing OF record
in the schools and colleges as ther
was during the past two seasons.
seems as though records must hay
been made that will stand for year
to come in both the scholastic and co
Ilegiate ranks. but since the swimmer
have done the impossible" this yea
:, they are apt to repeat again. next ses
| son.
I Although the work Of the youn
men in the high schools and college
! has been OF the sensational variet
! and has called for full page headline
! on the sporting pages OF the dailie
the work of the Il. is, 16 and T-yeal
1 old youths has been no less tina
phenomenal Practically every e,
1 isting worlds record women's as we
as mems, is held by some youngest,
under Is years Of age and has bee
/ established this summer.
4 The work Of Johnny Weismulle
who is reported to have no fewer tina
"a worlds records TO his credit he
stood far above the work Of any or