SUCCESSFUL

NZ Truth, Issue 1145, 10 November 1927, Page 14

SUCCESSFUL

Athletes Meet In

Auckland

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Auckland Rep.) Under ideal conditions the Auckland Provincial Athletic Championships were held on the Domain last Saturday, though the attendance could have been better. THE entries for the foot and cycle * events, however, were certainly gratifying, and the competition m all branches was exceedingly keen. Auckland will be enabled to send to the national meeting a team that will certainly do it credit. It /-was a great pity that the sprint were marred by indifferent starting. The importance of successfully getting out of the "holes" cannot be over-estimated. On Saturday the handling" of the pistol was certainly not all that could be desired. ' . For the 100 yds title there was a great tussle, which ended m A. J. Elliott keeping the honor, after a race m which judgment played a substantial part. L. C. Williams was Elliott's most Important opposition, and he troubled the holder most of the way, getting out of the holes smartly. Elliott used his turn of speed with great discretion, keeping his men well m hand till the last few yards, when he streaked to breast the tape two feet ahead of Williams m 10 3/5 sees. There was a repetition of the features of the 100 yds m the 220, which Elliott again retained, resisting the challenge of Williams and McCoy, and winning by a foot m 22 3/5 sees.

Impressive Display

The first surprise of the day was m the 120 yds hurdles, which was wrested from J. W. Shirley by B. M. Murray. - . The winner gave a very impressive display. His jumping . was neat, and clean, while his pace between the sticks won him his greatest advantage. The time was 17 sees. dead. In the 880 yds championship, Gu , Kells, the cross-country crack and holder, was convincingly defeated by a young but very promising middle distance runner m J. S. Watt. . Watt. has this season made his debut m serious athletics, and at the Labor Day sports picked up a couple of handicap events from none too generous marks. ■ - There were seven starters m the 440 title, and for the whole of the distance the verdict was m doubt. J. L. McCoy scored a well-merited and popular win by a yard, though hard pressed by D. P.. Deere and F. Nesdale all the way. ' ' . The time of 52 3/5 sees, is not McCoy's best, and it is doubtful if it would have got him the title from Garlick. Nevertheless, the performance after his heavy afternoon's work was certainly good. The mile event was an easy thing for J. W. Savidan, who ran a lonely .course all the way — a rather pathetic figure, m fact, un-. paced and unaccompanied. There were four starters, but the holder got right away from them at the start and ran strongly all the way. Savidan's time was, 4 mm. 37 sees., which is' certainly not a .criterion of his capabilities under pressure. The cycling championship was more or less a one-man show, and that man was M.'.P. Byrnes, who was really never seriously extended.