CROCKER ACCEPTS Fastest Four Will Meet

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30941, 23 December 1965, Page 15

CROCKER ACCEPTS Fastest Four Will Meet

The outstanding Auckland sprinter. C. Crocker, is a definite starter in the feature 100 and 220 yard events at the Butler Bros, sponsored track and field meeting, to be held at Rugby Park on January 4.

It means that the four fastest runners in New Zealand will meet for the first time since last year’s national championships.

The “flying quartet” are Crocker, C. J. Maguire (Otago), A. G. Steel and D. W. Mackenzie (both Canterbury). Crocker telephoned the secretary of the Canterbury Athletic Centre (Mr I. D. Teague) ■yesterday and readily accept,ed an invitation to run as a ■replacement for the injured . Australian champion. R. Lay The centre agreed to fly Crocker to and from Christchurch. Equalled Record Only a fortnight ago, the Auckland sprinter equalled the national open 100 yards record of 9.ssec with a windassisted run at Jellicoe Park. This makes him the fastest man in New Zealand over 100 yards so far this season. He has also recorded some excellent times, several under 22sec for the furlong. Later next month, Crocker and his wife will leave New Zealand to take up teaching appointments in New Guinea. Under the impression that there will be no training facilities there, he had trained to

reach his peak performances in December and January. He expects to be away for about two years and has reconciled himself to a temporary retirement. May Change Mind He has already notified the New Zealand athletic selectors that he will not be available for selection for the Jamaican Empire Games next year. However, he may yet be persuaded to change his mind. Australia at present has plans for the establishment of a high altitude training camp in New Guinea, to be used for training and acclimatising Australian athletes for the 1968 Mex-ico Olympic Games.

The camp is expected to be ready for its first batch of athletes in January and if some agreement could be reached between the Ne- ’ Zealand and Australian Athletic Associations for Crocker to use some of the facilities the problem might be solved Record Possible Maguire this season has equalled the New Zealand resident record of 9.6 sec, while Steel, the reigning national champion, and Mackenzie have both recorded 9.7 sec. A national record for either the 100 or 220 yards on the grass at Rugby Park must be regarded as a distinct possibility with such intense competition.