1938: Swimming

For the first time in the history of competitive swimming, both the senior indoor and outdoor team championships of the Amateur Athletic Union were won by aquatic stars representing the same university. The Ohio State team, in its home pool in Columbus, Ohio, scored 43 points to win over the University of Michigan, with 19½ points in the indoor annual fixture. Outdoors in the pool of the Lakeside Club, Louisville, Ky., Ohio State scored 30 points to defeat the Detroit Athletic Club with 25 points.

The Princeton team swam to a new championship record at the indoor championships, reducing the 300-yard medley relay to 2 min. 54.2 sec. This was one of many high lights during the two-day competitions. Outdoors, Adolf Kelfer established a new American 300-meter medley record of 4 min. 2 sec., one of three titles won during the meet. Ralph Flanagan, winner of many national titles and records in the past, scored three victories, besides setting noteworthy performances for 550, 1,430, 1,540 and 1,650 yards.

A team of nine American swimmers, picked from the winners and outstanding performers during the two title meets, toured Europe during the summer, competing in thirteen meets and exhibitions in Germany and Hungary. The Americans did their best in a dual meet in Berlin, defeating an All-Europe team, 38 to 36 points. The United States relay team of Hirose, Jaretz, Wolf and Fick clipped the world record for the 400-meter relay from 4 min. 2 sec. to 3 min. 59.2 sec., and later the first three named and Flanagan swam the 800-meter relay in 9 min. 3.6 sec.

In the five-mile long distance swim, held at Rocky Glen Park, near Scranton, Pa., Steve Wozniak, of the Y. M. C. A. of Buffalo, won the individual title. He covered the course in 1 hr. 46 min. 48 sec. The Scranton 'Y' won the team title, placing Taylor, second; Phillips, third; and Herzog, sixth, making eleven points in all. Among women, Katherine Rawls Thompson won national titles at 440 and 880 yards, one-mile, and the 300-meter medley swim.