Canterbury Will Miss Kerry Williams

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28800, 22 January 1959, Page 5

Canterbury Will Miss Kerry Williams

Winning the Ashburton centennial mile race and then adding the Canterbury mile record to his list of athletic accomplishments on January 10, was a fitting birthday reward for Kerry Williams, who turned 26 the next day. Williams now holds the Canterbury mile and two mile records, and he intends to add the three mile to these, thus equalling Jim Daly’s record of holding all three records at the one" time. Both are also former holders of the provincial six-mile record.

The gaining of the mile record by Williams was the fulfilment of a seven-year ambition. Williams was a competitor in the race in

5 which Daly set a mile record of f 4min 13.8 sec in 1952, and after . the race Williams promised him- ’ self he worJd one day hold that ’ record also. It must have been a bitter pill for Williams, when, as an Otago athlete—therefore in- , eligible to hold a Canterbury ; record—he ran a 4min llsec mile . at Rugby Park. . > If Williams is to achieve his 5 ambition of adding the three mile r to his Canterbury records he Bas little time left, for at the end of

this month he will transfer to Nelson, in the Wellington centre, to begin his duties as physical education instructor- at Nelson College.

Last Chance Neither of the two remaining Saturdays appears suitable,, for on Saturday is the Pat Boot shield contest, which does not normally include a three mile race, and the week after is the Canterbury v. Wellington match at Wellington. The only remaining chance is the possibility of providing a three miles on the programme of the suggested evening meeting on January 27. Williams’ athletic carrer began at 13 when at Timaru Boys’ High School he was "pushed" into a cross-country run. He set a junior mile record for the school of smin 4sec, which still stands, and after winning the school’s intermediate cross-country title he faded out from athletics. At the age of 17, without any training he was entered by the Air Force in the three mile event at the Scottish Centennial Games at Lancaster Park. He won the event in 15min llsec off 120 yards. In the next season, 1950-51,' he won both the Canterbury and New Zealand junior one and two mile titles. During the winter he took the national junior harrier title and in January 1952, just a few days before turning senior, set a national junior two mile record of 9min 36.8 sec.

Senior Races Williams was not overawed by his transfer to senior competition and in his first season he attempted to win the national senior harrier title by running his opponents off their feet At the national championships 'at Dunedin in 1953 he won the New Zealand title in 14min 23sec, then the second fastest championship performance.

In later years Williams had to have his cartilages removed and this interference with his training again affected his performances at the national level, ruining his chance for selection for the Empire Games in 1954. Recovered from his operations, Williams found the rugged Rosewill (Timaru) course to his liking and won his first national harrier title there in 1955 and has retained >it since. In January 1957 he showed his versatility by setting a New Zealand 15-mile track record of Ihr 22min 21sec at Dunedin. > £6OOO | second to Gentry in With the Rome Olympics in 1960 as his goal now he will concentrate on the steeplechase. Some guide as to the selection qualifications for this was given recently when the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association approved a standard for New Zealand record purposes of Bmin 55sec. Already this season at Auckland he has run the event in 9min lOsec and with a season and a half still to go for Olympic selection, this time, although a difficult one, should not be beyond his capabilities. At present a physical education officer in the Army and formerly in the Air Force, Williams said after his run at Ashburton, that running would be a secondary consideration for him, however, until he had established himtelf at his new job.