AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 224, 21 September 1934, Page 13

AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

CROSS-COUNTRY TITLE.

NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIP REVIEWED. OTAGO'S RECORD PERFORMANCE. The big event in Diinedin drew a big but only average standard field, and the absence of the Auckland' stars, Savidan. Cooper and Atton, made the is&uo a very even one. W. A. I'ulj.'ir, who won the honoured title of Dominion .champion fur .1034, is perhaps the most versatile man the Dominion has ever had in this position. Billy Savidan "nad to default the title through inability to attend, and the betting seemed to be even on Barnes, Pullar and Weller. However, Pullar was up against a. Jimiiiic Barnes who has perhaps displayed his most erratic form of any season, and managed to stave off his strong challenge) and win. It is amazing to think that Pullar is also the present 440 yards hurdling chain 1 - pion of New Zealand, and a joint holder 01 the Dominion record for this event. One somehow associated the quarter-mile hurdler as more, of the 440 yards flat type of athlete, and tends to think that the long distance of GV4 miles is beyond him. Pullar is an exceptional athlete, but when you consider the groat amount of sheer endurance a man must poswess to run the quarter hurdles in record time in these days, and also realise the advantage he would have in clearing obstacles/ you can follow his showing better. But for all that he is to be congratulated on such an outstanding performance. Jimmie Barnes was going much better at the finish than before, but he was always handy. He allowed the winner to obtain a break of JOO yards at one stage, which ir> practically fatal in a championship, but' cut that down to 20 yards at the: finish. Ho is a good runner, and has perhaps been higher placed in more championships than any other distance man outside of Savidan. T. Allen was third, and this fine little Otago boy was the baby of their team last season, but has fulfilled promise in no uncertain manner. Mr. Percy Breen, the well-known Otago selector and official, considers Allen one of the best men Otago has produced in years. T. Y. Pearson, who was fourth, has been a well-placed runner all the year, but is comparatively unknown up North. He was about 100 yards behind Barnes. .Jack Voider, of Auckland, was the first outsider to break into the home team's hitherto unbroken lino of placed men. and he earned his place well. As predicted, he was the most fancied man for a place, and his run proves that he is right up to standard. Next season will see him even further advanced. W. A. Stewart, etill another Otago man, was just behind Valdcr. and was there to back up his team all the way. It is the first time perhaps in history, that a man running into sixth place at a Dominion championship should find his points unneeded. The Canterbury second string man, G. H. Watson, was first man in for his province on Saturday, when he secured seventh position. Watson is a fine type of runner and should be a great asset to Canterbury in the next year or so. C. H. Matthews, also of the same province, is the sensational young miler who could run the 1760 yards in 4.30 1-5 whilst still at the Christchurch Technical College. He has been steadily nursed along, and looks as though at last he is breaking into "big time" events. A. L. Stevens has been giving way to several runners in club races in Wellington, but when it came to the actual big championship he responded nobly. His experience and match temperament served him well, and he turned the tables on men who had led him home only two weeks previously. Charlie Weller slumped from second to tenth position in two national meetings, but one must make allowances for his youthfulnese. Provided he takes things steadily from now on he should be right back in top or near first position again, as he is a fine little performer. For the teams' championship, it was simply Otago, Otago all the way. The province scored the minimum number of 10 points possible_ by filling all of the,first four places, and is to be congratulated on a really outstanding performance. Canterbury was next, which is the best showing made for many years by them. The Wellington team was well back with 44 points', and Auckland still further back. Our men certainly were well behind, but, being nearly all young and having th« handicap of a very long journey on top of them, one can find excuse for their efforts. The experience gained will be a great asset to all, and after all the sport is well worth a defeat or two, which will soon be forgotten and made up for next meeting. : Auckland ie pleased to congratulate Otago : and Canterbury on their fine showings.