RECORDS KEEP FALLING TO JUNIOR HURDLING STAR

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 35, 10 February 1945, Page 4 (Supplement)

RECORDS KEEP FALLING TO JUNIOR HURDLING STAR

By MELANION Whenever a new star appears in the sporting world comparisons are inevitable. In athletic circles at the moment one of the chief topics is—how good is Arthur Eustace? At the moment the local athletic firmament contains several stars of lustre and quite a few which, while perhaps a little dimmer, are increasing in their brilliance. Interest for the past few weeks has been focused on the dashing young hurdler, Eustace. His rise to the forefront has been phenomenal. Until last month he had not competed in an open hurdle event, though followers of athletics remembered him for a good win at the inter-secondary school sports last April, when he recorded 15 4-ss.

APPEARING at the Auckland ■*"* Club's open meeting on January 20, he brought the crowd to its feet by clipping 2-5s off the official New Zealand 120 yds junior hurdles record, held jointly by J. V. Devcich, R. C. Halliday and H. W. Collinson. Conditions were not favourable. The track was heavy and the wind dead into the runners. A week later, with the track good and no wind, Eustace gave further proof of his ability in recording 15s. It was hurdling of the highest standard. Came the provincial championships last Saturday. Conditions were far from ideal, as a strong wind was blowing dead behind the runners up the track. Accordingly, the authorities turned the race round. so the competitors had to face a wind, which, behind them, was judged sufficiently ■"Strong to assist. Eustace won his heat in 15 3-ss—l-5s better than the old record—and he merely jogged the last 20 yards. From the gun in the final the youngster had the crowd on its feet to acclaim him at the finish as the greatest junior hurdler the country has seen—lss dead, again, and this against a stiff wind! No champion has ever merited the honour so well.

Comparison With Seniors

How do these performances of 15s compare with the senior times? It is difficult to draw a true comparison. For a start the junior obstacles are 3ft high, against the senior 3ft 6in. That extra six inches means a lot— to some it often appears more like 6ft at the end of a hard-run race.

Figures and times can be very confusing, but let us study the position from what has happened in New Zealand. The junior record is 15s — or will be when the N.Z.A.A.A recognises the " figures— and the senior best is the same. It stands to the credit of that best of all New Zealand hurdlers in the past 20 years, Frank Sharpley (now a prisoner of war in Germany), and Syd. Stenner, of New South Wales. J. V. Devcich, the Tauranga athlete who created the New Zealand junior hurdle record some years ago when junior competition was officially recognised, established 15 4-ss. This was subsequently equalled by R. Halliday, of Christchurch. and 11. W. Collinson, at the Auckland junior championships at Hamilton last summer.

On entering senior ranks Devcich won four senior provincial titles, his best being 16 l-5s in 1942. Admittedly, pevcich may never have been fully extended, but neither was Eustace last Saturday. From this comparison of Devcich's times it might appear that the extra time -clear that extra 6in 10 time«£|akes 2-ss. Thus Eustace— wheaSffe enters senior ranks next suiTuSeiSr-may be capable of 15 2-5s even "without improvement, which can be naturally expected. And 15 2-5s would have won the New Zealand senior title on all but five of the 49 occasions on which it has been held. Two Mile Surprise Outsiders have often won big horse races by simply going to the front early and staying there. The same thing happened in the two ■ mile junior race. L. A. King, of Lynndale, upset all the considered opinions of the critics by strolling away with the title. With two such proven stayers as N. Stanyer (Lynndale)—provincial cross-country champion and winner of the mile earlier m the day—and M. Langlands (Matamata) —winner of the Waikato title and second to Alan Bennett last year—in the field it was only natural that most people favoured one of this pair to win. Tactics helped young King to win. By the-time a quarter of a mile had been covered he had opened up a gap of some 30yds from the rest of the field. From then on he kept that distance between himself and the leaders of the rest of the field. If they slackened their pace, so did he, if they speeded up he retaliated. With the bell, both Stanyer and Langlands moved up on King, and at the furlong post it appeared that they would catch up. It was then that the leader unwound a sprint that carried him away to increase his original 'end to about 50vds at the finish. King's time was good and he deserves credit for a fine win over more experienced runners. A New. Champion The great surprise in the women's field events was the win or B. Singe (Ellfrsiie) in the discus. Only 16 vears of age, this finely-built young athlete has made but few appearances in open competition in the last two seasons. In the discus she has shown improvement on every occasion, but few thought that she would better 85ft at the championships. With her first throw she threw 95ft lOin, and, as it happened, this won

her the title. As can be expected of a young athlete, Miss Singe was not quite as consistent as older com peiitors, but of her six throws, three were 93ft llin or better. The win should do this young athlete a great deal of good and give her the con fidence so essential to a top-flisht athlete. The 100 ft, coveted by "all New Zealand women discus throwers, may well be achieved first by this young athlete.

The women's discus was interest ing in that while she lost the title. Mrs. Poultney (Hamilton) nevertheless threw consistently; four of her six throws were over 90ft. Better known as a promising sprinter, Miss Shirley Mead (BJllerslie) surprised by placing third with 92ft lliin. Miss Mead improved nearly every throw she took, starting with 79ft 2in, and her sixth was 92ft lliin. A word of praise must go to the one-time champion and New Zealand record-holder, Miss Dulcie Mullins. Beaten into fourth place, she threw some 10ft below her best, but she had the great satisfaction of seeing two of her pupils in Miss Singe

and Miss Mead finish first and third. These two athletes owe much to the help given by the former champion and their success was a reward for her tuition.

Lack of Judgment

In a meeting of great interest many things stood out. There was the junior mile, in which both the winner, N. Stanyer (Lynndale), and the second, W. Downey (Onehunga) showed surprising lack of judgment in timing their sprints at the finish; the clear-cut victory of J. Mahoney (Auckland) in the 880 yds, a race in which he showed judgment, speed and stamina; the hard luck of B. King (Onehunga), who placed second in the junior half for the third year in succession; the splendid jumping into the wind of Miss Kath. Elshaw (Mt. Albert) in the high, which she won for the fifth year in succession, with a new provincial record; the broad jump of Miss Zelda Corbett (Kiwi) of 17ft liin, which makes her the best broad jumper Auckland has produced, with the exception of .Miss Edna Munro; Barbara Lipscombe winning the shot for the sixth timr in a row. 4