ATHLETICS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 309, 30 December 1922, Page 16

ATHLETICS.

Merchant. Kirksoy, and Krogness will arrive in Wellington on December 30. If they reach port in the morning the Mayor will be asked to accord tbein a civic rcevption at noon. On Now Year's Day they will be taken to Paraparaumu, but whether to compete or jugt for tbe outing will be left to them to decide. The next day they will, if they so desire, be giver an opportunity of witnessing the test cricket match. The rest of the week they will spend getting ready for their first real appearance in action—at the Athletic Park on January 6. The re-arrangement of the itinerary was made with a view of meeting Masterton and South Island wishes. The Wairarapa people wanted a meeting apart from tbe Anniversary Day fixture. The only date that was possible to give them was February 21, which happens to be people's day at the Masterton Show. If the athletic meetings during the first half of January are financial successes it is almost a certainty that E. W. Carr. the Australasian hundred and furlong champion, will be invited to make the trip across the Tasman for special invitation scratch races at the second Auckland and Wellington nieetiugs, and possibly the intervening day at Masterton. There can be no doubt about bis quality, and New South Wales' opinion would be in favour of his chances against even .Paddock himself on grass tracks. Kirksey, Traccy, Davidson and he would certainly draw a gate of anything up to 15,000 on the Park, and probably the same number at Auckland, and a triangular battle between Taylor. Tracey. and <.arr over the quarter should produce as good a contest at the Taylor-Johnston struggle. The big meeting of the year in New South Wales is the Dunn Shield contest. The results of the first day's events of this year's gathering are now to hand and show that there has been no falling from the high level of previous years. E. W. Carr was the star performer. As was only to be expected, he won the 100 yds very easily—both heat and final in 106ec.«. In the quarter he was oppose,! by (among others) the Australasian champion, W. (H. Hutton. The final was a sensational race. "Argus," in the "Referee.' gives the following intcre-tin? description of the race: — "Carr and Hutton led alternativeiv until the half dfistanco. when Carr clapped on the pace and drew out. Then McXamara appeared on the scene. Running with fine judgment, he passed Hutton and drew right up to Carr enter ing the straight. Fifty yards from home he had bis chest in front of the champion, but Carr battled it out grimly, although well nigh beat, and fell over" the line— tbe official verdict was 15 inches. It was a grand and thrilling finish and both runners must be warmly complimentedThe time, 50 ."5-Ssec, was excellent for the track—on the Sydney Cricket Ground or at Pratten Park oOsce. would have surely been beaten." Krogness, who was runner-up to Bar! Thompson in the American hurdles championship, and who has been selected as third man in the athletic team for New Zealand, did 120 T3 rds over the] hurdle? in 15 l-5s at -Harvard. He is i also a good high and broad jumper.