Article 074 c.1962
 
Records Set In State
A.A.U. Competition

By R. G. FLETEMEYER

Records in the 400-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle and both medley and freestyle relays were established by the Patton Boys Team last Sunday, March 18. The Patton team not only set new marks, but also swept the scoreboard for the second year in succession. 
The Eleventh Annual State A.A.U. Boys 16 and Under Swimming and Diving Championships were held Sunday at the Wyandotte Memorial Pool. The meet was co-sponsored by the Wyandotte Y Men's Club of the Downriver YMCA and the Wyandotte Recreation Department. 
The Patton boys outstanding performances came in five out of eleven events. Pete Adams, one of Patton's candidates for All-American, swam the 400-yard freestyle in a record time of 4:14.3. Then, in the 200-yard freestyle, John Savinsky broke a record his teammate, Ron Boyd, had set last year of 2:01.8 with a new mark of 1:57.7.
Dennis Manrique, somewhat off pace, won the 100-yard breaststroke with a 1:07.8, but missed the record by only 1.1 seconds. 
After the individual events had been completed, the excitement of the meet reached a climax. Patton held the edge in points going into the last two events, the relays, but the Maple Swim Club had qualified three teams in the Medley Relay. Last year the Maple Medley Relay had beaten Patton only by a judge's decision, the times being equal. 
This year it could have been history repeating itself as the Maple team, led by All-American and record holder Don Spence, pulled ahead by two body lengths at the end of 300 yards. But determination on the part of Patton's freestyler, John Savinsky, the last 100 yards changed hands and the Parks and Recreation team had set a new championship record of 3:59.5, breaking the old record by almost 10 seconds. 
Members of this relay were: Rick Skarbo (backstroke), Dennis Manrique (breaststroke), John Stewart (butterfly) and John Savinsky (freestyle). 
After the 400-yard Freestyle Relay, the Patton Boys team had romped home with the team trophy. In this last event, Patton qualified two out of the six finalists, finishing first and second. 
They also set another record of 3:36.1, breaking a record of 3:41.6 which they had made in the preliminaries. This team consisted of John Powser, Jay Osrowske, Ron Boyd and Pete Adams as anchor man. 
Patton has now won three of the four Age Group A.A.U. Championships in the state of Michigan. 
Team results were as follows: Detroit Parks and Recreation, 93 points; Maple Swim Club, 59 points: Thurston Swim Club, 28 points, and Ecorse Otters, 18 points. 

Over 180 swimmers, representing fifteen swimming clubs participated in the meet.

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