Young Athletes Excel

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28257, 20 April 1957, Page 5

Young Athletes Excel

Pupils of Auckland secondary schools were in fine athletic form last week, for at the inter-second-ary sports, held at Eden Park, 16 new records were established—an achievement unequalled in the 30year history of the meeting. Several of the performances at the meeting were not only of provincial standard, but of national class. The brilliant Otahuhu College athlete, M. Cossey. who won the national discus title with a throw of 136 ft 2£in last month, made a throw of 143 ft 6in —7ft 3in better than his own national record. His new inter-sec-ondary schools’ shot put record of 48ft 3in would also have gained him a New Zealand title.

One of the outstanding runs at the meeting was that of the King's College mile competitor, G. S. M. Caughey, a son of the former All Black, T. H. C. Caughey. His run in 4min 29.25ec left all of the other competitors well behind. But for a slow time over the first quarter-mile, it is possible that he would have bettered M. G. Halberg’s record of 4min 27sec.

An intermediate competitor, G. Clayton (Northcote College), won the high jump with 6ft, which is particularly creditable, compared with the sft 9in jumped by M. Smith (Wellington) at the national junior meeting. P. G. Snell, of Mount Albert Grammar School, broke a 10-year-old record established by the former Empire Games representative, N. T. O. Wilson. Snell’s time was lmin 59.65ec. Auckland’s athletic future would appear bright with such brilliant young stars already eclipsing national records.