The New York herald., 1922-01-22
Miss Ethel Baker Latest
Swimming Sensation
New York Lassie Stirs Aquatic
Circles With Yer
satility.

| The New York Women's Swimming
Association. aptly named Americas
nursery for champion mermaids. has
developed another aquatic child marvel
in Ethel Baker a winsome lassic Of 70.
Small. even for her age. this remarkable
youngster lately has displayed all around
waterpanship which stamps her the
greatest swimmer and fancy diver OF
her years the world has known.
Recently at single meet Ethel gave
an amazing exhibition OF skill stamina
and versatility. She first won a 220
yard scratch swim for women In the
striking time Of Q min. IL sec. Next
she covered SO yards with back stroke
in Al 1-5 sec. Then she figured In
scratch fancy diving contest In which
she came within and Z points of the
scores returned by her noted team
mates, Miss Aileen Riggin and Miss
Helen Wainwright, respective holders of
the Olympic and national indoor spring
board championships.
Little Miss Bakers time for the fur
long not only Is the fastest ever shown
by girl still shy Of her teens but it
beat the marks made by the winners
of most Of the sectional senior champion
ships for women last year. 1t furnishes
| evidence that the local water sprite can
outswim at 220 yards the full grown
leaders OF all but very few A. A. U.
districts.
100 Yards in 1s16 Too.
And Ethel has other claims TO dis
tincton. A few weeks ago in a race for
members of her own club she thrashed
100 yards at the astonishing speed OF
! m. Is sec. Also she Is a crack breast
stroke swimmer. expert in plunging for
distance and able to demonstrate modern
methods OF life saving-rescue and resus-
citation-with practical efficiency. There
is not In fact. any branch of waterman
ship which she has failed to master
thoroughly.
Like nearly all the girls of the
Women's S. A. Ethel uses the six beat
double trudgeon crawl action for both
free style and back stroke swimming.
Unusually strong and endurant, consid-
ering her diminutive proportions, she
seems to lack only weight and size to
place her among the stars of national
rating, SO great things may be expected
of her as she attains her growth with
maturing years.
One of the most interesting features
of recent developments in swimming for
women has been the swift progress made
by Americas fair devotees Of the breast
! stroke. This style natation formerly
found small favor among our mermaids,
and until 1918, when the Misses Ruth
and Eleanor Smith of Columbus. Ohio.
began to display unusual proficiency
girls and women of this country trailed
far behind their rivals OF other nations.
But wonderful strides have been made
since. and there is every indication now
tina. our feminine breast stroke expon-
ents will attain international leadership
before 1922 passes Into history.
Many Rivals Developing.
While the Columbus lassies still rate
at the top on record performances. for
Miss Ruth holds the national women's
standard for 100 yards at I'm. 20 LBS
and Miss Eleanor that for 200 yards at
3m. 10 3-5s.. there is virtual assurance
, that they will have to beat these marks
in order to defend successfully their
laurels. As the recognized worlds rec
ord for the shorter distance Is I'm. 2Ss.
. (not listed by the International Federa-
tion) and the registered time for the
longer 3m 6s the chances OF seeing
. these figures go by the board seem ex-
, cellent.
Dorothy Andre, a Detroit high school
: girl. did the Century" officially in
1925 1-5 In competition, and the only
reason the feat cannot be awarded rec
, ord brackets is that it was accomplished
in 55 foot pool. The A. A. u. rules
call for tanks of not less than so feet
for iconoclastic achievements. On the
other hand Miss Andre has been I'M
proving so rapidly and consistently that
she is likely to do even better in reg
ulation bath by the time the champion
ship events come UP for decision.
|, | hpofbar Iikelv candid ate for hOnOrg iS
Miss Edna O'Connell OF the Illinois A.
G. of Chicago, a little maid In her teens.
In racing she has equaled the American
, standard for 100 yards, and at practice
, she has gone two full seconds under II
lately. Also credited with covering the
classic course around record time are
Miss Frances Taylor of the Pittsburgh
A. A.. present holder of the national In
, door championship Miss Lois Barry OF
| the Milwaukee A. c.. Miss. Marie Hille-
gas OF the Philadelphia Turngemeinde,
! Miss Claire Juskow of the New York
women's s. A.. Miss Ruby Butler OF
the Y. w. c. A. OF Greensburg. Pa. (:
Miss Isabelle Kelley of Northern High
! School, Detroit, and others.
Record Sure to Go.
Judging from the fact that Miss Flea
nor Smith had not attained the speed
she has shown OF late at the time she
, hung up the record for 200 yards In 1919
1t seems probable that several of the
: foregoing stars can lower the mark now
! II given the opportunity. Indeed there
is little doubt It would have been bet
tered ere this had not the championship
distance been changed from zoo to 100
yards the following year. Special races
will be held this season to enable the
leaders TO try for a new mark.
Prospects are particularly bright be-
cause of the number of title candidates
in the field. With so many brilliant per-
, formers available the important fixtures
, undoubtedly will be featured by very
, close competition. so the leading con-
/, testants will be forced to put forth their
, best efforts In view OF the times actu-
, ally made already in racing or at prac-
tice It seems almost a foregone conclu-