Sportsman’s Notebook VISITING ATHLETES WILL COMPETE AT RUGBY PARK

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28792, 13 January 1959, Page 14

Sportsman’s Notebook VISITING ATHLETES WILL COMPETE AT RUGBY PARK

Two Australians, three Otago athletes and one Wellington athlete will take part in a special invitation meeting at Rugby Park on Saturday. The Australians are B. Waters, of Sydney, who will run in the sprints, and G. Fleming, of Melbourne, who will compete in the mile and halfmile. Waters is one of Australia’s promising sprinters and has a best time of 9.6 sec for the 100 yards. According to reports from Australia Waters has not been beaten in sprints so far this season. Fleming is a very competent middle distance runner and has done better than Imin 52sec for the 880 yards and 4m in lOsec for the mile. The half-mile should be one of the best events of the meeting, with D Beauchamp, of Wellington. and the Canterbury titleholder, G. Hack, providing stiff opposition. Beauchamp is one of New Zealand’s best half-milers and has a best performance this season of Imin 54sec. while Hack has returned Imin 55 3sec. The three Otago athletes will be M. Richards, the national pole vault champion, M. Earwaker, the national half-mile title holder, and the sprinter, H. Sperandio, a Hungarian, who has been in New Zealand for three years. Richards should have the pole vault almost to himself, as his best height of 14ft is more than a foot better than those of his opponents. The former Swiss pole vault and decathlon champion, R. Pfenniger. now a member of the Toe H club, should do well in this event although he has not vaulted competitively for some time. Unofficial Attempt Miss Chamberlain will make an unofficial attempt on the world’s women’s 440 yards record of 55.6sfec, held by Miss H. Hiscox, of Britain. If the conditions are right Miss Chamberlain will have a chance of success, but she will have to judge the race carefully because her effort is almost certain to be a solo one, without the advantage of competitive stimulus. Miss F. Mcßeath, who ran the 880 yards in 2min 13.6 sec last week at Ashburton, will probably run in the under 17 men’s 880 yards. This is the type of competition she needs and it will give her the necessary experience in tactical running. Miss L. Anderson will attempt to break her Canterbury women’s high jump record of sft sin, which she set at Timaru two weeks ago Waters’ main opposition in the sprints will come from the University quartet of 1 Hamilton. D Davison, B. Kerr and R. Burgess, and L. Jones, of Technical. Of the five Jones has the best times, but his form so far this season has been below his usual standard. Canterbury’s promising junior high jumper, J. Chadderton, will try to beat his own record of 6ft Ojin. ’which he set last Saturday. ❖ $ # Interest In South Island Stirling Moss, the well-known racing driver and winner of the New Zealand Grand Prix at Ardmore last Saturday, said after the race that he was very keen to return to New Zealand next year and was particularly keen to see the South Island. Moss’s wife. Katy, was also enthusiastic about seeing the South Island. Whether Moss would compete at Wigram would depend on the financial arrangements reached between, him and the Motor Racing Club. 3: Regatta Cancelled The rowing regatta which was to have been held in Timaru this Saturday has been cancelled, according to advice received by the Canterbury* Rowing Association from the Timaru Rowing Club. The club, which was to have promoted the fixture, says that this date is'not suitable, as its active rowing season has been delayed by the building of the new boatsheds with voluntary labour, and much time has also been spent on the repairing of boats. The club intends to apply for an alternative date during March and feels, as this is the centennial year of the province, that any major regatta should be m-.de an event suitable for the occasion. * * sj: Former All Black A former All Black, Mr John Clinton Stringfellow, who died recently. played 122 first-class matches, which was a New Zealand record for many years. Mr Stringfellow was born at Chertsey;and was educated at the Waitaki Boys’ High School and the Timaru Boys’ High School. He

played for the Grey town Rugby Club and represented Wairarapa for 11 years from 1925 to 1935. Mr Stringfellow was also a prominent exhibitor at dog trials. He won many provincial awards and a North Island short head championship.