Champions in Fine Plumage

It is a wistful and faded Hollywood trompe-l'oeil that a librarian or a schoolmarm is some beautiful doll, only the hero doesn't know about it because she wears window-glass glasses, puts her hair up in a mousy bun and buttons all the buttons. In the seventh reel, however, she whips off the glasses, shakes the hair out, leaves a top button carelessly unbuttoned, and the hero does a double-take. Golly, he marvels, she isn't Marjorie Main after all, she's Gina Lollobrigida! There is also an old canard that girl athletes are nice kids though nothing to look at. But, as Milton Greene documents on the following pages, and as anyone with 20-20 vision knew all along, they can be very lovely to look at, indeed, whether in working clothes or formals.

First, examine the girls at left. They are, in descending order: Trish Galvin, one of America's most promising horsewomen; Carin Cone, a national backstroke champion; Mrs. Carola Mandel, a former national skeet champion; Carol Heiss, world figure skating champion; Nancy Heiss, who finished sixth in the 1958 world championships; and Karen Hantze, national girls' doubles champion. Now, turn the page to see them as a Hollywood hero might along about reel seven. Golly!

Trish Galvin holds her gray, three-day mare Brac Na Ri, which she rode in the Wofford Cup at Colorado Springs.

Carin Cone, of Ridgewood, N.J., swims to another American record. She has held 12 national backstroke titles.

Carola Mandel of Chicago demonstrates the form which helped her score a record average in registered targets.

Carol and Nancy Heiss execute a difficult stag jump, and Karen Hantze (below) follows through grimly after serve.

PATRICIA GALVIN
Horsewoman Trish, 19, sits demurely in a Jacques Fath gown on the family ranch at Santa Ynez, Calif.

CARIN CONE
The radiant, buoyant swimming champion is now a University of Houston freshman

CAROLA MANDEL
Elegant in a Lanvin gown, the world renowned sheet shot poses with her rare Rottweiler

CAROL AND NANCY HEISS
In gay party dresses are skating champion Carol (right), 18, and her sister Nancy, 17

KAREN HANTZE
Tennis champion Karen, 16, muses gently beneath pepper tree in San Diego backyard

FIVE PHOTOS

FIVE PHOTOS

MILTON H. GREENE