INTER-PROVINCIAL ATHLETICS Unexpected Hat-trick By Miss Charteris

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31234, 5 December 1966, Page 20

INTER-PROVINCIAL ATHLETICS Unexpected Hat-trick By Miss Charteris

The Commonwealth Games representative, Miss D. M. Charteris (Canterbury), unexpectedly claimed the hat-trick during the triangular athletic meeting between Canterbury, Otago, and Southland at Rugby Park on Saturday.

As well as winning her specialist events, the shot and discus, by handsome margins she produced one of the surprise results of the meeting by beating the New Zealand champion and record-holder in the javelin, Miss S. A. Flynn (Canterbury), by a narrow margin of 1 ft 9 in.

Miss Charteris’s winning throw was 121 ft 7in.

Miss Flynn, who only a week previously had set a new under--17 record of 135 ft Tin, was well below form Her best effort was 119 ft lOln. She holds the New Zealand record at 155 ft Sin.

In the shot. Miss Charteris had a best throw of 47ft 4lin, which won her the competition bv a comfortable margin from her fellow Canterbury competitor, Miss B. Poulsen. In the discuss Miss Charteris was 15ft clear of her nearest challenger with a throw of 160 ft. Another Commonwealth Games representative, R. D. Tait (Otago), also went very close to winning three events. He won his specialist event, the discus throw, with 184 ft lOin, less than 2ft short of his best performance, which was claimed as a New Zealand record earlier this season. He also won the shot with a heave of 52ft Sin. and took second place in the hammer behind another Otago athlete, W. Nicholl. Not At Peak Tait said afterwards that he had not reached his peak, but was hoping to for the New Zealand championships. He said he planned to go to America next year to seek intensive competition in a bid to win selection for the Mexico City Olympics Several nationally ranked

Canterbury athletes were surprisingly beaten in events they were considered certain to win. A young Tongan plumber’s apprentice, S. Pulu (Otago), caused something of a sensation by winning the 100 and 220-yard sprints in 10.2 sec and 22.8 sec respectively. D. W. Mackenzie (Canterbury), who recorded the fastest time ever run by a New Zealander over 100 yards last season finished third in this event behind another Otago sprinter, B. Bulfin. Mackenzie’s early season preparation has been delayed by indisposition. In the 220 yards Canterbury's first-year senior, A. Tweedie, provided Pulu with a strong challenge, but the Tongan’s finish down the straight was too good. Tweedie finished half a yard behind in second place. Bulfin. regarded as Otago’s number one sprinter, was third. Age In Doubt Pulu Is still believed to be a junior, but is not sure whether his eighteenth birthday was on November 7 or is on December 7. However, he was determined to run in senior ranks in spite of this, and has been competing as a senior in Dunedin to get strong competition. He has sent to Tonga for his birth certificate, but regardless of the date of his birthday, he will be a senior for the New Zealand championships in March. The present New Zealand men’s javelin champion, R. G. Ball (Canterbury), suffered one of his rare defeats. Another Canterbury competitor, M. Stew-

art. beat him with an excellent throw of 207 ft 4in. Ball was second with 203 ft 81n, well below his capabilities. The very promising Otago middle distance runner, B. Burns, displayed stamina as well as plenty of basic speed to win a fine 880 yards-mile double. In the mile, which was run first, he displayed a keen knowledge of tactics by allowing B. Dyer (Canterbury) to set the pace for most of the first three laps.

He made sure that the pace was a relatively slow one and then, with the field going down the back straight for the final time, he moved to the front end prepared to coast home. At the apex of the final bend Dyer tried to take Burns by surprise and very nearly succeeded. However, the Otago athlete’s reflexes were just too quick and he was able to accelerate away before Dyer could get in front. The time was a slow 4min 18-lsec. Broke Away The first lap of the half-mile was run in 58sec, with G. F. Hack (Canterbury) well positioned in second place. At the bell. Burns, Hack and a Southland runner, C. Randell, broke away from the rest of the field. In the final run to the tape Burns again proved too strong, winning in the good lime of Imin 54.65ec.

Randell managed to edge out Hack for second place in Imin 55.45ec. Hack’s time for third place was Imin 56.55ec, his fastest since he began his comeback a few weeks ago.

B. R. Jones (Canterbury) was a very comfortable winner in the senior three miles. He led from start to finish and was never under pressure from the rest of the field. His time was 14min 7sec. Another Canterbury representative. K. Hamilton, gained ground on him over the last quarter but had left his run too late to make any real impression on the leader. Jones went through the first mile in imin 35sec and the second in 9min 18sec. The 15-mile road race was brilliantly won by W. K. Kennedy (Canterbury) in Ihr 19min 53sec. He finished well clear of the second man. C. Frethey (Otago), who recorded Ihr 22min. Canterbury’s D. Greig came in 30sec later for third place. Kennedy and Creig went to the front soon after the start and by the five-mile mark, which they reached in 26mtn 21sec, they had opened an llsec gap on Frethey. In turn, Frethey was 15sec ahead of the main bunch. Put On Pressure Soon afterwards Kennedy began to apply the pressure and dropped Greig. He reached’ the 10-mile mark in 54min, 17sec ahead of Greig and 26sec ahead of Frethey. The Otago runner finished strongly over the last few miles to head off Greig for second place. The Canterbury reserve, R. Alcorn, who was competing unofficially and was not eligible for an official placing. beat Greig home as well. The New Zealand 120 yards hurdles champion. M. B. Walls (Canterbury), was much too good for the rest of the field in his event, taking the tape as the second man was just clearing the last flight of hurdles. However, in the 220 yards hurdles, the event in which he held the New Zealand championship in 1965, he was comfortably beaten by his Toe H clubmale, K. Simpson. The winning time was 25sec.