AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 229, 26 September 1936, Page 25

AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

, WINTER SEASON OVER. [ TRACK TRAINING CONSIDERED "FLYERS" OX FOOTBALL FIELD. The Presbyterian Club has an advantage in its internal racing arrangements in that , it can divide up its members into the ] various church groups to which they belong. Such an idea is an excellent way of finishing up their season. Other non-1 church clubs might carry out the same kind of race by dividing their men into suburbs. Lynndale has a great advantage over ] other clubs in that it possesses its own 1 running track. Xo other club outride, of Ellerslie, Papatoetoe and Otahuhu, which | are hirers of municipal grounds, have the same advantage. As far as is known the New Lynn boys stand alone in Xew Zealand in this respect. They s . make great advantage of this asset too, and right throughout the season very regular meetings are held. Many an aspirant for provincial and Dominion honours has had reason to bless the Lynndale Club for the opportunity he or she has obtained from regular competition. The Grammar- Club last-year filled a great need for its city athletes in that it had use of the school grounds. This brings us to the question of the Domain. For years now this has been the recognised ground for most athletes to train. In fact it has historic memories for all. Cricket has, naturally, real practice rights, but it is difficult for the average athlete to concentrate on his training on "cricket nights." As he trains round the track the ever constant fear of receiving a dangerous smack oil the ankle from a hard-hit ball is disconcerting. It is hard to keep one's mind on the actual job of training. The Outer Domain is used by many on these nights, but the distances are hard to gauge there, and judgment of distance is a great fundamental. Wellington athletes who have all Athletic Park to train on every day of the week are certainly very fortunate. The track this season at the Domain is in fair order. When one considers how during the winter it is a muddy quagmire it is wonderful how it respowls to treatment in the spring. It would be a lot faster, however, if it was kept like a lawn all the year round. The Domain is the Domain, however, and not much can be done about it. A few years back the Wednesday night weekly meetings on this ground not only attracted a big public following, but were keenly supported by the athletes themselves. To-day they seem to have slipped a little, which is a pity, as they serve a most useful purpose besides an educational and publicity means of making direct contact with the public. And it is the public to whom we have to look to pay expenses, send teams away, and generally carry on amateur sport. The Hamilton Ciuo must be congratulated upon conducting a road race from Cambridge to Hamilton. This road is, perhaps, the most picturesque and best-known in the Waikato. If the race becomes an annual one it should be a great help to bring long-distance racing before the Waikato people, who have so far not shown over-keenness for athletics. Cambridge is a sports-minded town, and 6houlil well support the race. As in other countries in the world the big road races from town to town, if advertised and featured enough, soon become recognised events amongst sporting-minded people. The Hamilton Club's race may be the beginning of big things. Quite a number of prominent Waikato summer athletes are among the best footballers in the province. "Slip" Griffiths, who was reinstated some years ago, and was thought by Waikato supporters to be more than a rival to Alan Elliot, is now one of the best Rugby wingers around. He has scored some sensational tries this year. Against Elliot, however, lie did not show up well, as the Olympian was right up to his international form at the time. Young Charlie Gunman, the champion sprinter of the district today, is also a representative footballer who has earned a great name for himself. In bigger football it is interesting to note that in this year's All Blacks the two wingers are great track men. George Hart, of Canterbury, once liekl the Dominion 100 yds title. Watt, of Otago, was runner-up in the quartermile title, and is the present New Zealand University champion. "Tickey" Whye, the well-known Otahuhu track man, is one of the .best League football forwards to-day. Lewis, who was the King's College sprint champion, and developed into a good open company sprinter, was a prominent University senior back this season until he went to England. Brown is another sprinter who has made a football name for himself. Pat Caughey is better than the average hurdler if he decided to tuke up the "sticks" seriously. Many a football enthusiast who looked at Elliot's splendid physique on the track used to picture him as a "world beater" winger in big Rugby. The great sprinter, 1 however, wisely stuck to the track, and was rewarded with two trips overseas, on each occasion .wearing the silver fern as a Xew Zealand representative. TECHNICAL OLD BOYS' CLUB. Mr. A. Warren presided over the eleventh annual meeting of the Technical College Old Boys' Athletic Club, at which there was a record attendance. Officers elected: Patron, Mr. G. G. Chambers; president, Mr. A. Warren; secretary and handicappcr, Mr. A. Moon; treasurer, Mr. W. J. Murray; captain, air. T. M. Wilson; vice-captain, Mr. A. G. Harding; harrier captain, Mr. A. G. Bradley; vice-captain, Mr. J. Mortimer; committee, Messrs. Warren, Moon, Murray, Wilson, Harding, Bradley, Mortimer, White, Briefly and Ohms; delegates to the Auckland Centre, X.Z.A.A.A., Messrs. Moon, Warren and Wilson. ■ It was resolved to make a donation to the "Gordon Candy" fund, which is being sponsored by the Auckland Rugby. Union. Arrangements are to' be made with the Hamilton Club for the annual "home and home" interelub fixture, and also to hold evening meetings at the Domain. A committee was appointed, consisting of Messrs. Warren, Moon. Murray, Bradley, jVlcDonuld, jMortinier, Steedman, Robertson and Ohms, to take steps to improve the social side of the club bfc. It was resolved that_ the Auckland Centre be approached with the view to improvement in the standard and uniformity of walking competitions in Auckland. TWO WORLD RECORD-BREAKERS. ■ STOCKHOLM, September 24. Two runners, Gunnar Hoeckerat, of Finland, and Henry Johnsson, of Sweden, both broke' the world record for two miles to-day. Hoeckerat's time was 8.07 --J and Johnsson's 8.57 4-5. OLD GRAMMARIANS' CLUB. ■ The annual meeting of the Old Grammarians' Amateur Athletic Club m 1 be held' in the school tucksliop on Monday night. RAMARAMA SPORTS CLUB. V credit balance of £ 64, with a profit fo £19 .on last sports, was reported at the annual meeting of tlie Rainarama Sport* Club. Officers elected: Patron, Mr. J. N. Jlassev • president. Jlr. Brooks; vice-presi-ilents. Messrs. F. JI. Jlullions. D. A. Bingley. W. J. D. Sharp, and H. Hamilton ; secretary and treasurer. Jlr. J. D. Dufty: auditors. Jlrssrs. Sharp and Jlullions; executive, Jlessrs. R. Flanagan. Townsend, J. Barnett. N. Stewart. W. Bremner. H. Brooks, G. Gaskell, W. Rowley, E. Fielding, J. I*. Donahoe, T. Jlaekay, J. Garbolino, J. Barrett, jun„ and J. Appleby.