AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 192, 14 August 1936, Page 13

AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

THE CLUB CHAMPIONS. CROSS-COUNTRY RACE PROSPECTS. Atliol Harding once again won the ! Technical Club's championship, and this makes the third season he has been the : green-and-gold club's best performer. An ' Auckland provincial team man, Harding has been always a good runner, but lias yet to reach the top flight. This will come perhaps this year, ae he is an athlete ; who is gradually "building up" and needs the strength to assist 'his undoubted natural ability. He has a very bright future. Jack Nicholson again deserves praise on his ability to produce form when it is most needed. j "Smiler Bradley" is coming along . rapidly, as mentioned before in this column, but it looks as if next winter will , see him back in the form that gained him inclusion in the provincial side for j Wanganui three seasons back. ] Jim Niel was a foregone conclusion, and ; if it was not a church club one might say he was a "great bet" for the Presbyterian . Club's championship. , Brown, who was second, impressed in i the 10-mans' team championship, and although yet quite young, it looks as if he 1 will be a comer for big events in the future. i Lynndale leaves no stone unturned to J develop racing ability, and last Saturday's ' time trial was quite a novel and interest- . ing event. It was over a distance of five miles, each runner being dispatched at : intervals of 30 seconds, the champion going away first and being' followed by other runners in graded order of merit. 111 this way, unless there are big upsets of ; form, each runner has to run the full distance almost entirely on his own, and so has to not only set his own pace, but judge liis time and distance. This naturally tends to develop judgment and initiative, as too often men simply adjust their pace to that of their co-markers, and so are "lost" when they find themselves dropped, or have to go on to the front alone. J. Perrett, Bill McCombie and Jack Dolan all broke the record for this race, held by R. Crompton, who, with W. Briggs, was away training with the provincial nominees. Conditions were perhaps better this year than hitherto, but the three men who placed so highly indicate fitness and general high standard. G. Rogers came back to something like lie was two years back and was rewarded with the sealed handicap. Three newcomers who are showing great style are H. Bennett, B. Richardson and G. Bell. They are nearly ready now to become team men. Saturday's big race at Ellerslie is in the thoughte of all now, and never before could one count on such an interesting and fast one.. Ansel Browne is unable to journey in from Opotiki, but Mackenzie will be almost certain to be down from Whangarei. j "Mac" is the dark horse this year, and if ■ fit is hard to keep out of a high place. i Perrett won the Hamilton Club's chain- i pionship nicely, and his running will be 1 also closely watched by city performers. Savidan, of course, we will dismiss from the calculations. It is the placings of men like, Crompton, Hill, Briggs, Niel, Birtwistle, Harding and company who will be arousing the greatest interest. Perhaps one might find the runners placing (as they say in horse racing) as follows: Savidan, Birtwistle, Briggs, Niel, Crompton and Hill. Next placings may be Harding, Haszard and Mackenzie or Littler. The latter has a chance of coming up to fourth if fit. Anything may happen in such a race, but these pickings are only made on form, and it will be interesting to see just how far out they are. Auckland Club should win the club championship, as, with Roberts to back Savidan, Hill and Birtwistle, they look very formidable indeed. The three last men have every chance of getting into the first six. Everything depends on the running of Roberts. This ex-Hamilton man saved them at the Onehunga to Auckland road race, and perhaps he can do it again. If Auckland's fourth man lags then it looks as if Lynndale, the present holders of the title, will be the winners again. Crompson, Briggs, Perrett are their best men, and everything depends 011 the running of T. Collins or T. Henshall and McCombie as to how they fare. The other clubs this year all have good runners, but it is hard to see them fielding four good enough to seriously threaten the two already mentioned. Technical, with Harding, Nicholson, Bradley and McCarthy, appear the next best racing combination. Presbyterian, with Niel, Brown and Holden. lack a good fourth man. Next year, perhaps? Calliope do not seem to be able to make the grade, although their racing strength is better than most. ] Papatoetoel with Mackenzie, Littler, Valder and French, are good, but it is doubtful if they will be all fit. If they were they would be as good as any outside of Auckland. University, with Has- . zard and Stephenson as leaders, are unfortunate in not possessing some other "near 1 stars." However, their team is the best for years, and one could look forward to them placing fourth. A snorting gesture was made by club delegates when the junior championships were under discussion. It was realised that some clubs at present would find difficulty in fielding a team of four really, good men, but nevertheless in the interests of encouraging the junior membership, all agreed that teams comprise six, with four to count, This was broadminded and in the eventual interest of the harrier sport. The race is on September 19. BEACH HAVEN CLUB. Last Saturday two races were decided by the Beach Haven Club on the Birkdaie circuit. Owing to an increased junior membership a special eight-mile race was staged for their benefit. This event resulted in a win for Len Burgess, a rider in his first race. Off the 1.30 mark, he made a good pace to finish 4s in front of E. Collins (scr), who was fastest in 24.46. R. Fagan (scratch) was second fastest and finished third. The senior event was over a distance of 20 miles. For the winner a trophy was donated by Mr. Kohn, of Auckland, and competition was very keen as a result. L. Cooper, off the limit, found the going too hard and retired after three laps. The - lead was shared after 16 miles by Jim Marris, the ultimate winner, Leon and Russell Elia, J. Culpan and D. J. Patten, the last-named having dropped his co- . marker on scratch, Andy Elia, and gone

ahead on his own. On entering the straight, Marris led out with a brilliant sprint which showed that his training had not been neglected, and forged ahead to gain the decision by a split second from J. Culpan, who was a wheel in front of E. Elia. Patten was next, followed by R. Elia, who is the first club member to use variable gears, which he is not yet able to use to the best advantage. The winner's time was 59.14, while Patten's time was 57.20, the fastest of the day, and also a new course record, being 2.29 faster than J. Culpan's record establisfied two seasons -ago. The first three men home also lowered the old record, which shows that the standard of riding is improving rapidly. Next Saturday the seniors will race over the out and home course to Albany. A junior out and home event will be run if enough starters appear. LYNNDALE CLUB. On Saturday last the Lynndale amateur cyclists held two races—lß-mile senior raca for the Hughes Cup and nine-mile junior race. In the junior race the scratch boys went right through for Bert Baldwin to go on his winning way. This rider has made a big success this year, having been placed many times and having had four fastest times and four second fastest. Haddon Hawke, from scratch, was second, but Haddon has not developed a sprint yet, though he is a fine stayer over a distance. Dan Calder was third, his third similar placing this season. He is due to win before the season is over. Les Whyte was fourth, from scratch. He had a spill in the last lap, but remounted to finish 300 yards behind the winner, and his co-marker. Les is a first-class rider. In the senior event Stan Alderson ana Walter Willis, off lm, were riding a great race together up to the third lap, when Walter's chain came off. This left Stan to go on and catch Arthur Silcock and pace it out with him, but Stan left Silcock over the last mile to go on and win on his own. and to take the Hughes Cup and fastest time. This was Stan's first race for some weeks and evidently his spell made a new rider of him. . Walter Willis was very unfortunate in losing his chain, as he would have been there with Stan at the finish. The scratch men, G. Hughes and C. Gooder, were outclassed from the start. Entries for the club harbour race on August 22 close next Saturday, when an out and home senior race of 13/4 miles and a one-lap 4%-mile junior race wi 1 be held. The harbour race this year will start at 1.45 p.m. and will finish, as usual, at New Lynn. The record-for this race, lh 56m 445, is held by C. R. Gooder. CROSS-COUNTRY TITLES. PROVINCIAL & N.Z. CHAMPIONSHIPS.. The Auckland cross-country provincial championship, over a course of 04 will be decided at Ellerslie racecourse on Saturday. The individual title-holder is J. \V. Savidan. After the event the team to represent Auckland at the Dominion meeting will be selected. . The New Zealand championship ill Ue held over the same course on August -tf, when the programme also Includes sprint and field events. It is anticipated that Savidan will win the big Dominion race for the seventh successive year. THE AUCKLAND CLUB. WINTER COMPETITIONS. The winter competitions of tlie Auckland Amateur Athletic and Cycle Club, will be continued to-morrow afternoon, commencing at 2.30 o'clock, nail will be held at Ellerslie racecourse in conjunction with tne Auckland Centre's cross-country championship meeting, instead of at the Outer Domain. There will be a sprint race, shot putting, discus throwing, and javelin throwing events, and members of other cluos are invited to take part. Handicaps lor the field events will be decided on the ground. Adjustments : — . 75 Yards Handicap.—First heat: H. Phillips, scr: W. G. Thompson, 2yds; F. S. Mills, 31yds; E. Bissctt, 4yds; S. A. Hanson, C. P. Clegg, 4Jyds; I. M. Thomson, syds; F. Savidan, oyds; J. A. Mason, H. R. Smith, W. R. L. Christie, K. H. Greager, Syds; N. McCarthy, 10yds; N. Clark, 11yds ; F. L. Adams, 13yds. Second heat: P. E. Castle, Iyd; W. E. Buckley, 2?. yds ; B. P. Coleman, 4yds; C. H. Taylor. 41yds; V. R. Amoretti, ojyds; A. E. Sutton, jun., (syds; F. D. Sharp. AY. A. Hanlon. N. Barton, 7?. yds: D. Sharkey, D. J. Stewart, Syds; J. W. Turnbuil, Siyds; O. O. Mills, 10yds; N. V. Douglas, 12yds; H. McNiel, 13yds. Third heat: D. Baird, ljyds; C. C. Reilly, Syds; R. H. Pow, 41yds; J. F. Watson, uyds; K. French, 7yds; R. Leitch, S. A. Prevett, 7Jyds; J. F. Smith, D. Simpson, R. G. Hill, Syds; L. X. Ross, E. Estall, oyds'; J. H. Smith, B. H. Birtwistle, R. McMalior, 10yds; D. R. Mitchell, H. Hustler, 11yds; N. S. Beaucliamp, 12iyds; A. Clark, loyds. Fourth lieat ; J. B. Prendergast, 3yds; C. P. Clegg, H. Hudson, 47.yds; J. Dunn, syds; V. R. Jones, sJyds; F. Jones, 81yds; L. A. S. Taylor, 9yds; J. P. Power, A. Gyde, 9iyds: A. D. Copeland, 101 yds; S. L. Bradley, ll.vds: A. Butler. J. W. Savidan, lljyds; S. B. Allan, 12yds; 11. F. Holland, 16yds.