40 years of swimming world: May

Swimming World and Junior Swimmer, May 1999 by Whitten, Phillip

For 40 years, Swimming World has been the "Bible" of competitive swimming, chronicling the triumphs and foibles of the sport its lead ing personalities, its technical advances and its most controversial issues, Eaeh month during 1999-our 4th year o publicationSwimming World looks heck at some of the personalities and issues making news in the past.

May 1960

In the fifth issue of Junior Swimmer, Rose Mary Dawson posed a provocative question: "Is Intercollegiate Swimming for Girls America's Answer to Aussie Dominance?" Dawson concluded: "Colleges must...include competitive intercollegiate swimming for girls....In the spring of 1961, she promised, 'I shall ask permission to organize the first women's intercollegiate swimming championships in Ann Arbor."'

Years ahead of her time, Dawson noted that "most of our national women's swim champions are 17 or younger, yet tests prove that a woman does not reach the ideal age for maximum physical strength until her late 20s." Today's women athletes owe much to this foresighted visionary.

Swimming World's "Age Group Swimmer of the Month" was 5-foot, 99-pound Donna de Varona, age 12. Said her coach at the Berkeley Y, Tatto Yamashito, "Never have I seen a girl with more determination."

The "Coach of the Month" was Mister A.-Bob Alexander-of the North Jersey Swim Association. Mr. A., who began coaching in 1923, had already tutored more than 9,000 swimmers. Among his products were Jed Graef, Dick McDonough, Jack Geoghegan and Jane Katz. Yours truly was privileged to swim under thLs great coach one summer.

University of So. California reprised its NCAA title by winning the men's AAU nationals in New Haven.

Jeff Farrell set national records in the 100 (48.2) and 220 yard freestyle (2:00.2). Mike Troy had two of his own in the butterfly events: 53.1 and 2:12.4.

Seven national marks were set at the women's AAU nationals in Bartlesville, Okla., where Santa Clara took the team title. Chris von Saltza had two: 56.3 and 2:38.4 in the 100 and 250 yard free. Susan Rogers stroked 1:12.8 and 3:14.6 for the same distances breaststroke.

National age group marks seemed to tumble everywhere: in L.A., Bobby Bennett snared three 15-16 boys marks. Carolyn Wood took the 13-14 girls 100 yard fly to 1:04.9 and Gina Ambrose swam the 100 meter back in 1:17.6, an 11-12 record by four seconds.

In Japan, Satoko Tanaka set a world record in the women's 200 meter back, 2:34.8.

35 Years Ago: May 1964

It was nationals time again, and our cover featured four national champions: Sharon Stouder (100 yard free, 54.2), Donna deVarona (400 IM, 4:42.9), Cathy Ferguson (200 back, 2:12.3) and Cynthia Goyette (250 breast, 3:09.1). Santa Clara won the team title at the women's AAU nationals. Sharon Finneran broke her own American record in the 1650, 18:31.7.

At the men's nationals, Dick Roth, Don Schollander and Roy Saari were the standouts. Roth, a high school junior, cruised to wins in record time in the 200 (1:58.2) and 400 IM (4:13.2). Schollander also notched two American marks: 200 (1:42.6) and 500 free (4:44.5), while Saari cracked 17 minutes in the 1650 (16:49.3).

Allen Richardson, Punahou School, smashed his own national prep mark in the 100 breast at the Hawaii State High School Champs: 1:01.7. Dr. Richardson is now chairman of the FINA Medical Commission and a leader in the fight against performance-enhancing drugs.

In California, Pokey Watson, who later married Richardson, and Harry Diaz were tearing up the 13-14 competition, while the top 10-and-under girl was Arden Hills' Sue Pedersen who set an NAG record in the 200 yard IM, 2:33.6.

30 Years Ago: May 1969

Gary Hall, a 17year-old high school senior from Garden Grove, Calif., graced the , cover. At the AAU nationals, Hall smashed the American records in the 200 back (1:52.00) and 400 IM (4:00.85), winning the latter event by 20 yards. Hall later became the first man to swim the medley under four minutes. Another high school swimmer, Brian Job, set American records in the 100 (58.11) and 200 breast (2:06.10). Fred Haywood broke the 100 back mark (52.26), while Princeton's Ross Wales took the 100 fly (50.54). Wales' coach, Bob Lotworthy, wrote an article questioning the value of the warm-up, reporting that Wales swam as fast without a warm-up or with merely a hot shower.

Seven women's marks fell at nationals. Susie Atwood led the way with American records in the 100 (58.80) and 200 yard back (2:07.51). In college conference meets, Indiana won its ninth straight Big 10 title. USC won the Pac-8 championship ahead of UCLA. Stanford's John Ferris set three Pac-8 records.

In an oddity that probably has never been matched, nine 11-12 girls tied for first place at 28.0 in the 50 yard free at a meet in California. Among them: Shirley Babashoff. In Georgia, Scott Spann set a NAG mark in the 10and-under 50 fly, 28.8.

Overseas, the USSR's Nicolai Pankin lowered his own global standards in the breaststrokes: 1:05.8 and 2:25.5.

25 Years Ago: May 1974

American records were as common as ants at a picnic at the AAU nationals in Dallas, with 15 women's and seven men's marks falling by the wayside.