ATHLETICS Miss Sloper, Beaten In Discus, Wins Shot Put

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28833, 2 March 1959, Page 17

ATHLETICS Miss Sloper, Beaten In Discus, Wins Shot Put

"The Press** Special Service NAPIER, MARCH 1. The sensation of the second day of the New Zealand junior and women’s athletic championships at Melman Park, Napier, on Saturday was again the brilliant 15-year-old Miss Valerie Morgan, from Waihi, who won the 220 yards as a follow-up to her 100 yards title on Friday. Waikato has produced some fine women sprinters in the past, those of more immediate times being Misses Dome Parker and Joy Crotty, but Miss Morgan’s potential at this stage is greater than any of her Waikato predecessors.

Miss Morgan’s 220yds was even better than her effort in the 100yds on Friday, for she equalled Miss Marise Chamberlain’s resident record of 24.55ec. Miss Chamberlain was second. ■ The championships began dramatically yesterday. In her first throw in the women’s discus, the record-holder, Miss Jennifer Thompson (Waikato) pushed out the plate eight inches further than her previous best with a throw of 159 feet. The titleholder, Miss Valerie Sloper (Canterbury), could record only 145 ft 2Jin in her first throw. These first efforts were the best for Misses Thompson and Sloper. But Miss Thompson was consistently over the 150 ft mark. Miss N. Nicholson (Auckland) did well to finish third with a best throw of 141 ft 9in. However, Miss Sloper avenged this defeat in the shot put in which she had matters all her own way. Although below her best, Miss Sloper’s top performance of 49ft lOJin was still almost 10ft better than Miss Thompson. Lucky Break Canterbury received a lucky break at the first change-over in the secondneat of the junior sprint relay when Auckland's second runner dropped the baton after the first leg had established a good lead. Canterbury’s time was 45sec compared with Wellington’s 44-lsec in the first heat. Wellington weqt on to win the final in 43Jsec. which bettered Canterbury’s record of two years ago by half a second. Canterbury’s last leg. A Steel, put up strong, opposition against Wellington's J. Taylor before the latter won by about two yards. The drama continued in the blue riband of athletics, the mile. R. Wyatt (Wellington) opened up a break of about 20 yards when halfway round the bell lap from the Aucklanders, S. Caughey and K. Mackinlay, and at the final turn still had the advantage of several yards. However, the tall, long-striding Caughey issued a tremendous late challenge only to be nosed out by inches. Caughey’s All Black father, Mr T. H. C. Caughey, almost cut off the judge’s vision as the two runners approached the tape. Canterbury’s J. Power was a good third out of the remainder of the eightman field as he came- from a trailing position at the straight entrance to get within four yards of the winner, Wyatt, who clocked 4mta 20.2 sec. Miss Chamberlain, who finished second in her heat of the 75 yards, found the pace too much in the final, and failed to gain a place, the New Zealand resident record established by Miss Crotty three seasons ago. Miss Lesley Anderson (Canterbury) did well to get within an inch of New Zealand’s record holder. Miss Mary Donaghy, in the high jump. Miss Anderson’s best performance was sft 4ta. Miss Donaghy tried to better her national figures of sft 6Jin, but failed. Miss Mcßeath Wins 886 Yards Miss Fay Mcßeath partially compensated fo* her misfortune in the 440 yards on Friday when she won the first-ever national women’s 880 yards comfortably from another Canterbury competitor. Miss R. Hames, to 2min 17.6 sec. in a day when record* were frequently broken. one of New ZeaInd’s finest Junior hurdlers. R. Jonas, from New Plymouth, was unlucky that his exceptionally fine time of Ifoec over 120 yards could not be recognised because of wind assistance. His trainer. Arthur Eustace, holds the record of 14Jsec set up 14 years ago. . ' The powerfully-built Auckland sprinter, Warwick Weaver, had to produce his very best to nose out Otago’s Winston Perriam on.the fine in th, junior 320 yard, final, bl doing so. Weaver equalled toe eight-year-old record of 214isec held by another Aucklander,’ Graeme McDermott. R. R. Thompson (Wellington) could not reproduce his toeatWtoning finishing effort - yesterday, and finished a couple of yards back third. The Otago shot putter, Robin. Tait,

got to within 10 inches of the record with a fine put of Oft 2tn. Another Otago success came when E. Thomson had a 10-inch advantage over Canterbury’s A. O’Sullivan with a best triple leap of 45ft Ilin. G. Merrilees (Otago) and M. Speden (Southland) staged a fine tussle in the javelin. The record-holder, Speden, was beaten narrowly by Ift Sin, Merrilees best throw being 194 ft 9Jta. The versatile Miss Donaghy surprisingly beat the champion. Miss Beverley Weigel (Auckland), in the broad jump. However, Miss Weigel had recurring trouble from a. poisoned heel. Miss Donaghy’s best was a very good 19ft 9in, compared with Miss Weigel's 19ft 2Jta. Canterbury's Miss Andersonwas third with 17ft BJta.

Payne’s Success Over a period of years Canterbury has produced some fine distance runners. Saturday’s two-mile race unearthed another good exponent, Sid Payne, who won the event by about 25 yards in 9min 36Zsec. Auckland clearly won the H. L. Towers Shield for juniors with 56 points. However, competition for the minor placings was keenly disputed, Wellington gaining 32, Otago 30, and Canterbury 27. Waikato’s small women’s team did well to win the Lumley Shield with 33 J pointe, Auckland finishing second with 271. and Canterbury third with 25. Throughou tthe championships, five records were established and two equalled, and a further two disallowed because of wind assistance. New figures were set up In the junior and women’s discus, the junior 440 and one mile relay, and the junior 100, existing best marks were equalled to the women’s 75 and the junior 220. Results yesterday were:— Abbreviations used in the followtag results are:—Auckland (A.), Waikato (Wk.). West Coast. North Island (W.CNJ.), Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay (H.8.-P.8.), Wellington (W-). Canterbury (C.), Otago (0.),. Southland (S.). JUNIOR EVENTS 100 Yards (New Zealand record, lOsec, G. W. McDermott, Auckland.) Final.—J. W. Taylor (W.) 1. J. Whitehead (W.C.N.1.) 2, R. R. Thompson (W.) 3. Time, 9Jsec (a New Zealand record). 220 Yards (New Zealand record, 21.8 sec, G. W. McDermott, Auckland) Final.—W. Weaver (A.) 1, W. Perriam (O.) 2, R. R. Thompson (W.) 3. Time, 21fisec (equals New Zealand record). 440 Yards (New Zealand record, 49sec, J. Taylor, Wellington) FtaaL—J. W. Taylor (W.) 1, W. Weaver (A.) 2, W. Perriam (O.) 3. Time, 49.75ec. < <OTo>Yasto» (New Zealand record. Imta 54.45ec, M. G. Stephens, Wellington) Final.—G. Philpot (A.) 1, G. Lovell (W.) 2, M. Jones (O.) 3. Time, Imta 56.45ec. Two MUes (New Zealand record. 9min 17fisec, B. E. Stanniford, Otago) Final/—S. Payne (C.) 1, G. Darroch

(A.) 2, K. MacKinlay (A.) 3. Time, . 9min 362 sec. 120 Yards .Hurdles (New Zealand record, 14.2 sec, A. R. ■ P. Eustace. Auckland) Final.—R. Johns (W.CJ4.1.) L D. Mayne (A.) 2. A. Gibbes (A.) 3. Time, 14sec (a New Zealand record). 220 Yards Hurdles (New Zealand record. 24.65ec, B. Fleming. Waikato) Final.—R. Johns (W.CJJJ.) 1, M. Mllham (A.) 2, M. J. Speden (S.) 3. Time, 25sec. Four x 100 Yards Belay (New Zealand record. 43.35ec, Canterbury) Final.—Wellington 1, Canterbury 2, Otago 3. Time, 432 sec (a New Zealand record). 5000 Metres Road Walk G. Turner (W.) 1, A. Lloyd (W.C, NJ.) 2, N. Macskill (W.) 3. Time, 32min 37.45ec. Hop. Step and Jump (New Zealand record, 50ft Din, D. Norris, Auckland) FtaaL—E. Thomson (O.), 45fi Uta, 1; A. O’Sullivan (C.), 45ft lin, 2; R. Atley (A.), 45ft, 3. High Jump (New Zealand record. 6ft M. Jeffries. Auckland) Final.—G. Clayton (A.), sft lota, 1; J. Ridge (W.CN.L). sft lOin. 2; D. von Dhdelszen (C.), sft 9in. 3. Javelin Throw (New Zealand record. 208 ft 4in, M. Speden. Southland) Final.—A. G. Merrilees (O.). 194 ft 9»/ 2 ta. 1; M. J. Speden (S.j. 193 ft o%in, 2; J. Neale (A.), 168 ft iy 2 in. WOMEN’S EVENTS (New Zealand record. B.3sec, M. Jackson, Australia) Final.—N. Singer (W.) 1. M. Donaghy (WJC.) 2. J. Davis (WJC.) 3. Time, B.4sec (equals New Zealand resident record). 220 Yards (New Zealand • record. 24,45ec, M. Mathews-Willard,/ Australia) Final.—V. Morgan (WJC.) 1, M. Chamberlain (C.) 2, Y. Cowan NJ.), 3. Time. 24Jsec (equals New Zealand resident record). 80 Metres Hurdles (New Zealand record. U.lsec. M. Stuart Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay) Final.—A. Mclntosh (A.) 1. P. Meredith (WJC.) 2, B. Simmonds (A.) 3. Time. 11.4mc. 4 x 110 Yards Belay (New Zealand record. 47.45ec. Australian team. Resident* record, 48.2 sec, Auckland team) Final.—Auckland 1, Wellington 2, Waikato 3. Time:, 4C.6sec. \ 880 Yards (No record. New Zealand standard performance, 2mta 15sec) FtaaL—F. Mcßeath (C.) L R. Hames J. Hcaticy (A.) 3. 'time, 2mln High Jump (New Zealand record, sft 6ita, J. M. Donaghy. Waikato) 'Aw. McCorkindale (Wk.) and B. Skokandlch (A.). 4ft lOin (equal) 3.

Jump (New record. ytft TJfein., Y, Final.—M.. Donagiy (Wk.), 19ft 9in, 1; B. Weigel (A.VIMt 2%1n, 2; L. Anderson (C.). 17ft Bftta, 3. Shot Put (New Zealand record, 54ft Oita, V. X. Sloper. Canterbury) Final.—V. Sloper (C.). 49ft 1; J. Thompson (Wk.), 40ft Sin, 2; L. Duncan (C.), 38ft 2in, 3.