Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-21
Swimmers Lead
U. 5. Surge in
Pan Am Scorinq
Wanda WernerW
3 Other D. c. Girls
Goin Todoy's Finals
BY the Associated Press

MEXICO CITY, Mar. 21.-The
Pan American Games swung
into the homestretch today with
the United States in front in the
swimming and diving program
and the winner in tennis for
one of its sweeter victories in
these pre-Olympic year engage
ments.
Two gold medals were coll
lected by the United States
swimmers yesterday, both in up
set victories. Fourteen-year-old
Wanda Werner Of Bethesda,
Md, won the women's 200
meter freestyle in 1925, and
slender Jimmy McLane, former
Yale University star, won the
1,500-meter mems freestyle in a
thrilling race with the favored
Oscar Kramer of Argentina.
Miss Werner, of the Walter
Reed Swim Club, Washington,
D. c., won her race by two
fifths of second over LiliaIa
Gonzales of Argentina. who in
turn was only a fraction ahead
of Gilda Amanda of Mexico.
Susan (Dougie) Gray of Wash
ington, D. c., was fourth.
McLane's Time Creditable.
McLane's time in the 1900
meter race was 20:04. creditable
for this high altitude, and the
outcome was mostly matter of
25-year-old Jimmy, of two-time
Olympic fame. outsmarting the
Argentine and coming through
with winning kick in the final
100 meters.
In tennis. Art Larsen of the
United States scored his first
major victory in nine years of
play in Mexico when he out
Unanswered 6-foot-4 Enrique
Morea of Argentina for the Pan
Am singles championship, So,
60. 6-1, Ga.
Morea boasts. a big game. but
he was a frustrated young man
against the nimble Larsen.
On the basis of unofficial re-
turns yesterday the United
States increased its overall
games total to 1924 points. Ar
gentna, with its BIT, and Mex
leo. 221h2. were the next in line.
The United States scored 201l2
points yesterday, largest single
day total of the games.
Mexican Wins Diving
Joaquin Capilla of Mexico won
the 3-meter diving champion
ship. Capilla. the big favorite
Of the tremendous crowd that
must have numbered 10000 or
more, and also good enough to
capture the AAU springboard
and platform crown in the United
States last year. scored 1876
points to retain his Pan Am title.
Capilla's unofficial winning 10
points were outscored by the
Yankee threesome of Arthur
Coffee of Miami, Fla, Bob Clot-
worthy, formerly of Ohio State,
and young Gary Tobian of Los
Angeles, who finished two-three-
four for IL points.
Hector Dominguez Nimo of
Argentina bettered his own Pan
Am record in the 200-meter
breaststroke-a weak event for
the United States-with a VIM
ming time of 2:46.9. The best
for the United States was sixth
by Ronald johnson of the Army.
The unofficial points in swim
ming and diving after four
events: United States 81, Argen-
tina %. Mexico 81, Brazil and
Cuba 5 each. Colombia 4, Cam
ada and Chile 2.
The four-man medley relay
and qualifying heats in the 100
meter backstroke for women
were on the slate late today.
Qualifying heats for the wom-
ems 200-meter butterfly were
held yesterday. and all. three of
the United States representatives
advanced to the finals. They were
Shelley Mann, Betty Mullen and
Mary Jane Sears, all of the
(See PAN AMERICAN, ABB