ATHLETICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 310, 29 December 1900, Page 4 (Supplement)

ATHLETICS.

Another championship meeting hns come 'and gone, and this, time Guitarbury hold the banner. Criticism of the meeting is somewhat disarmed until we nave fuller particulars at our disposal; but from what we can gather • from the Press Association wire, the meeting does not seem to have been very startling. Canterbury, as was anticipated, carried off the banner, and by a very largo majority, for the- winners' score was 92 points, against Dunedin's 23, the latter province.being second. Auckland did fairly well to score 21 points, but Wellington seems to have failed completely, and could only score J! points.

]\ ro records were broken, but the standard was equalled by E. T. Harper in the 440 yards hurdles. Roseingrave beat the standard in the 120 yards hurdles, and equalled it in the longjump. Taking1 it all round the times for the meeting were nothing'- very wonderful.

Aueklanders must have felt a good deal of disappointment when it was known that neither Sutherland or Thomson" had scored. Sutherland in the mile was beaten by Pentecost, who cut out the distance in 4iniu. 43secs., and wron easily. Now Sutherland can do better time than this in Iris best form. He did 4min. 42secs. on the Domain before lie left, and was not pressed at tlie finish, and put up .another good performance at Wellington on the way down. The half-mile was out out in 2mdn. 3secs., and it is doubtful whether Sutherland could at any time equal this. Hugh Thomson's non-success in the 440 yards was also a surprise, seeing that the winner's time was T>3 l-ssecs. In his best form Thomson should equal this or do a shade better. Campbell justified his inclusion by winning the 120 yds hurdles (though Roseingrave was really first), and running third in the longer stick event. Dickey pulled off the mile walk, but took me "stitch" in the three-mile event, and appears to have dropped out. It was evident that had Auckland been able to send her proper team, hotscore would have been nearer 50 than i 20. Madill must have won the liani mer event, and Laurie the pole jump, the winner's jump in the latter beingonly Oft. lOfin. Then with Smith for the hurdle and sprint events —but what's the use of supposing? Congratulations to Canterbury on their victory, and may Auckland win the banner back next year.

I append the number of firsts, seconds, and thirds gained by the various competitors since the institution of trie championship meeting. It should be mentioned that there was no banner till the second year. The positions are thus shown :—

1900-1901 (at Christchureh). Christchureh 92 Dunedin -23 Auckland • 21 Waitaki C * Welling-ton 3 *lncluding dead heats.

[NOTE —Tip 'till the meeting held in Christohurch in 1895 the points were:— 5 for first. 3 for second, 1 for third: since then 6 points have been scored for'first. ■J As there seems to be doubt fn thofelegranhecf.account,as to many of t*ie third .nln^s p-nined. I have not m-iven the -details of the places gained by the various provinces. ! 'The nttontioi-" of thP secretaries of +lip An^ViiTifi. Wnifrnna, nnd SonthVvrrfl .QiilerlnvWri Societies is rnilpd to--Ihf> rPTis+rntion rulp. viz.. "That nil rnirners cpmnetitiff at any meetingshall oc a member of an affiliated

club, and shall pay an annual registration fee of two shillings and sixpence." ' The 'Victorian A.A..A. will bold a big sports meeting during1 the. visit of £H& Dukfe and Duchess of York. The Amateur Athletic Union, of lhe United States intends going in for the International Union of Athletes, and will do its best to have an athletic meeting held under the auspices of the 1.A..U., at Buffalo, during the Pap.-Amer.ican Exposition, which is to be held there nest year.

"Sporting Life" reports a marvellous "put" of 56ft Sim by Denis Horgan, at Celtic Park, New York, .on October 20, but adds that confirmation is desired, as it is about Bft ahead of the previous record.

At the Michaelmas Quarter Sessions for the City of Lincoln, one Leonard Button, member of the Thames Ironworks Athletic Club, was sentenced to three weeks' imprisonment for impersonating a club-mate in two footraces at the Lincoln athletic sports in August* 1&99, both of which events he won.

One of the most important contests witnessed amongst English athletes during- the season just closed was a three-quarter mile match between A. E. Tysoe, the half-mile champion, and C. Bennett, the world's long- distance champion. The match took place at Belle Vue, Manchester, on October 20, in the presence of 3000 spectators. The day was fine, and the track in good order, so that there was nothing to prevent either competitor from recording his best possible time, yet Bennett's record, 3min lOsee for the distance, accomplished in September, was not beaten. Notwithstanding Bennett's fine achievement over the three-quarter mile course, and the fact that Tysoe had not in recent years proved his , ability to stay the longer distance, there was a general feeling that the half-mile champion would prevail, and so it proved. What promises to be the most notable amateur athletic and cycling carnival ever held in the colony is that to take place on the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 4 next. We may not (says the Sydney "Referee"), and probubfy will not, see such a fine collection of runners, walkers, jumpers, etc., as we have at an Australasian Championship meeting-, but as a set off there will be so many and such a varied collection of items on the programme that the bill of fare will be absolutely unique in the annals oi athletics 'here, if not in Australasia. There will he 72 distinct competitions, and what with heats, etc., it will take from 9 a.m. until 0 p.m. to run them off, and this allowing for several going on at the same time during portions of thu day.

18S9-90 (at Dunedin). Total 1st. 2nd. 3rd. points Canterbury 4 . S 4 4S Dunedin .\....... 3 ' 2 5 26 Southland 2 1 — 13 Wellington 'A 1 ~ Vi S. Canterbury.. 2 — — 10 Auckland — '— 2 2 1S91 (at Auckland). Auckland •. G 3 4 43 Canterbury ..... S 5 2 32 Wellington ..... 3 3. 2 2G Sydney -3 2 2 23 1892 (at Christchureh). Canterbury .... C 12* 3 GS Auckland ....... 3 I 6 27 Hawke's Bay.... 2 — ■ — 10 Wellington 1 1* 1 S Dunedin ....;.... 1 — 3 8 Manawatu 1 .— — 5 1S93 (at Wellington). Canterbury 5 C C 49 Wellington 8* 1 6 48 Dunedin 2 . 6 — 28 Manawatu 1* —' — 4 1894 (at Dunedin). __ \ Wellington .9 3 ■ 1 52 Dr.nedin ..3 7* 2 37 Canterbury 1 4 C 23 Auckland 1 3* 5 IS S. Canterbury... 1 — — 5 1895 (February, at Napier). Auckland 4 3 2 32 Canterbury 3 3 1 2o Wanganui 2 3 2 22 Wellington 2 3 2 21 Hawke's Bay.... 13. 3 17 Otago 2 - - 10 Manawatu i1 ~" x " 1895 (December, at Christchureh). Canterbury 4 S 5 53 Dunedin 5 2 2 3S Auckland 4 1. 2 .29 Wellington 1 2 2 14 Wanganui 1* 1 — . 1h Nelson 1* — - *J West Coast — — 1 1 1897 (February, at Auckland^. Auckland 11* 11* 67 105 Wanganui 4 4 1 37 Wellington 1 — 2 8 Hawke's Bay... — — 2 2 189S (at Wanganui). Auckland 7 9 5 74 Wanganui 4 — 15 29 Canterbury 3 2 2 20 Wellington 1 3 2 16 Nelson — 1 ~" 3 New South Wales ——'11 1899 (at Dunedin). Otago C 5 5 . 5G Auckland ......... 6- 3 0 45 Canterbury l " j> -0 S. Canterbury... 13 2 1< Hawke's Bay... 110 9 Wellinston .;... 0 V 1 1 1900 (at Wellington). Auckland S3- 57 Canterbury 3 5* 3 . 35 Wellington 2 4 4 ! 2S Otago 1 2 2 - 14 Hawke's Bay... 1-2* 2 J3 Wanganni — — 1 1