POINT OF FACT
? When and where was the first national AAU indoor swimming championship held?
•The first meet, incorporating nine swimming events, two diving events and water polo, took place in 1926 at the Chicago Athletic Association's 20-yard pool (championships in individual events had been held at scattered locations since 1901).
? Who won the most events in the 1926 meet?
•Walter Laufer of the Cincinnati Central YMCA took the 100-yard freestyle, the 150-yard backstroke and the 300-yard individual medley. Arne Borg, representing the Illinois Athletic Club, won two events—the 220- and 500-yard freestyles—and Al White of Stanford won both the high- and low-board diving events.
? There were 14 swimming events (plus two diving events and no water polo) in last year's AAU indoor championships in New Haven, Conn. How many AAU records were set?
•New AAU records were set in all 14 events.
? Who has won the most individual AAU swimming championships?
•Johnny Weissmuller, the movies' onetime Tarzan, took 20 titles while swimming for the Illinois Athletic Club. Three were in the 50-yard freestyle, six in the 100, five in the 220, five in the 500 and one in the 150-yard backstroke. C. M. Daniels of the New York Athletic Club ranks second with 16 titles—three of them in the 50-yard freestyle, four in the 100, four in the 220, one in the 440, three in the 500 and one in the 880.
? What swimmer took the most championships in one event?
•Michael McDermott, swimming for the Chicago Central YMCA, the Chicago AA and the Illinois AC, won the 200-yard breaststroke nine times in a row between 1910 and 1918. Although his victories were not consecutive, Adolph Kiefer won the 150-yard backstroke nine times under five different affiliations.
? Who has won the most diving titles?
•Al White of Stanford (1922-26) and Al Patnik of Ohio State (1937-40) both took eight high- and low-board championships. The runners-up are Richard Degener of Michigan (1932-36) and Miller Anderson of Ohio State (1942-48), each with seven victories.