Auckland Athletes Dominated Senior Athletic Titles

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29152, 12 March 1960, Page 5

Auckland Athletes Dominated Senior Athletic Titles

PERFORMANCES had little ■* bearing on selection for the Olympic Games at the national senior athletic championships at Invercargill last week. The track on the first day was quite holding after recent rain, and athletes, mainly from Auckland, expressed their disappointment with the conditions.' New Zealand’s champion miler, M. Halberg, even said that if anyone broke a record it would be worth a gold medal at the Olympics. Sprinter

G. Davey, of Auckland, came dosest to breaking a record with his fl.fisec for the 100 yards, which equalled the national and all comers' time. But outstanding as if was in the conditions it would hardly have earned a place in international company. The extraordinary thing about the race was the excellent times of the other two place-getters, J. Taylor (Auckland) and B. Smith (Wellington), both of whom broke lOsec. One could not help feeling that of the three Taylor Showed the most promise. He was only .2sec slower than Davey and in the 220 yards he was a clear winner by two yards from his team mate. Taylor was stul s junior at Invercargill, as he turned 19 yesterday. R. G. Ball was Canterbury’s Outstanding competitor, with a Win in the javelin and a second Jlace in the discus. The New Zealand record holder and title-

holder, M. Hahn (Auckland) was unable to attend the championships and in his absence Ball hurled his new wooden javelin over 200 feet time and again. He did not break any records, but he threw the javelin further than anyone before at a national meeting. Spectators could not help but notice the domination by Auckland athletes, and when any other province won the competitors were given a special cheer. Auckland was to be admired for its

confident approach to the championships, however, for talent alone does not mean success.

In the long jump, opponents could have learned by the example of D. Norris (Auckland), who had to equal or better 23ft 6jin on his last jump to win the event. He did this without too much fuss even though he had to postpone his run-up several times because of officials and small boys wandering across his approach. His temperament as well as his outstanding ability won him the event.

P. Cates lost his quarter-mile hurdles title for Canterbury, but his third place was still a meritorious achievement in this gruelling event It was just not Cates’s day, however, as he was also beaten into second place in the 220 yards low hurdles, by the formidable A. Lawless (Otago). Below Form

Canterbury did quite well overall, and with a little more luck would have secured more minor placings. The provincial sprint champion, L. Jones, did not find his best form and his usually strong finishes seemed less energetic. P. J. Morrissey also ran below his best, and was just beaten for third place in the 440 yards. G. Hack was jostled and jabbed considerably in the half-mile, and although it is doubtful if he would have beaten the winner, P. Snell (Auckland), there was the evidence of his recent times to suggest that he would have run a better race, but for the attentions of M. Earwaker (Southland).