ATHLETICS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 127, 11 March 1939, Page 2

ATHLETICS.

NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIPS. BOOT BEATEN IN THE MILE. HASTINGS, March ID. The weather was overcast but fine for the opening of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Championships, at MeLeaii Park, this afternoon. A fall of rain in the early morning made the track a trifle slow, but generally conditions were good. Chief interest was in: the mile race, when V. P. Boot (Canterbury) met W. A. Pullar (Wellington). Pullar, finished one second ahead of Boot, in 4min 20see. Previously bettered by both men, the time was four seconds better than the New Zealand standard time, and a .record, for the track. After the gun in the mile,. Dare (Auckland) took the lead -early, closely followed by S. J. Wade. They maintained the lead to the three-quarter mile, when Pullar, who was some distance back began to crack on the pace, closely accompanied by. Boot. The crowd was wildly excited as they cleared the field and raced for the tape. It appeared that Boot misjudged the final spurt or else Pullar had an extra trifle of speed when the Wellington man staved off a challenge to win in one of the most spectacular finishes seen on the ground. The finals resulted: Pole. Vault—F. S. Barraclough (West Coast, Notth Island), lift 1, L. Grey (Hawke's Bay) lift 2, L. Wooles (Canterbury) 10ft 3in 3. Barraclough won on the count back. One Mile —W. A. Pullar (Welington) 1, V. P. Boot (Canterbury) 2, S. J. Wade (Auckland) 3. Time, 4.20. Throwing the Discus—J. D. Morgan (West Coast). 129 ft 4in 1, J. Dalgleish (Otago), 128 ft 2in 2, A. Redmond (Canterbury), 122 ft lg-in 3. Three Miles Walk—R. J. Watson (Otago) 1, D. Hingston (Hawke’s BayPoverty Bay) 2, N. McCarthy (Wellington) 3. Time, 22min 45sec . Broad Jump—B. W. Wilkins (Canterbury), 22ft lOin 1, E. Phillips (Wellington), 21ft 6Jin 2, B. T. Robertson (Auckland), 20ft 7Jin 3.