Canterbury's Strong Teams For N.Z. Harrier Titles

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28660, 9 August 1958, Page 5

Canterbury's Strong Teams For N.Z. Harrier Titles

QANTERBURY has excellent prospects of winning both the senior and junior individual titles at the national harrier championships at Invercargill on August 16. With several of the country’s best senior distance runners, including Murray Halberg and Neville Scott, still overseas, Kerry Williams’s chances of retaining the title appear fairly firm and although the course is lacking in hills, Williams will have ample compensation in the high number of obstacles—more than 50—each of which will mean valuable yards to him.

The prospects of the juniors look particularly bright in the race for the individual and also for the teams’ titles. The present national champion, J. Herrick (Timaru Anglican) and J. Williams, are very likely to finish first and second. Herrick won the Canterbury title last Saturday, but the Invercargill course will favour John Williams, who showed superior ability over the fences.

The junior team is, altogether, a strong one and has excellent chances of repeating its successes of the previous two years at nationals. Four of the team, Herrick, Williams. *W. Kennedy, and J. Sinclair, were members of the provincial team * last year and their experience and known ability in national company should do much to giVe the remaining four members confidence.

Although Canterbury ha& lost its last year’s champion, J. K. McDonald, it has made an undoubted gain by the return to the province of Kerry Williams. His presence should do muc to bring

the. others to their best in an effort to record Canterbury’s third win in the senior teams’ section since the race was first held in 1903. As in the junior team, four of last year’s runners have again gained selection. Second in last year’s junior race, Dixey should be an acquisition to the senior team. Another newcomer, D. M. Taylor, has-been a consistent place-getter through the season, and J. D. Macdonald, is a first-class middle distance runner on the track. Omissions Two runners must be considered unfortunate not to have been included in the teams. They are G. T. Wilson (senior) and J. Power (junior) and their omission raises a doubt on the standards the selectors have used for assessing the runners. Wilson appears to have been sacrificed • because he was not very prominent in earlier races. However, he showed good ability at the right end of the season and his sixth place was surely good enough to have brought inclusion in an eight-man team, particularly as some of those finishing behind him, including the man who displaced him from the team, had already competed a| national championships without distinction.

Power had shown consistent form all season, but because he was unable to contest the Canterbury titles he has had to give way to those who showed ability on championship day. He has one* consolation; he will be junior again year.