Win For Canterbury

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

Win For Canterbury

Canterbury avenged its half-point defeat last season in no uncertain terms when it won the annual triangular athletic meeting against Otago and Southland at Rugby Park on Saturday.

Otago, winner of the contest last season, took an early lead and rt seemed that Canterbury might be struggling to retain its position as the top South Island athletic province. With five events gone Otago led with 25 points, followed by Canterbury with 20 and Southland with none.

However, Canterbury athletes began to assert their authority shortly afterwards and the team raced away to an unbeatable lead. Canterbury finished with 255 points, compared with Otago's 128 and Southland’s 61. Even more pleasing than the margin from Canterbury’s point of view was that all three sections, senior men, junior men and women, scored more points than their opponents. Last season only the women finished ahead on points. Detailed points were:— Canterbury: Senior men, 87; junior men, 90; women, 78. Total, 255. Otago: Senior men, 70;

Junior men, 41; women, IT. Total, 128. Southland: Senior men, 20; junior men, 38; women, 3. Total, 61. OVERWHELMING Although their score was not as great as either the senior or junior men, the Canterbury women probably made the greatest contribution to the victory because of the overwhelming manner in which- they squashed all opposition. Between them, Otago and Southland scored only 20 points. High on the list of points scorers was the Commonwealth Games representative, Mrs M. A. Stephen (Canterbury). She won both the half-mile and quarter-mile but bad her Closest competition for some time over the shorter distance.

Mrs S. Potts (Otago) ran at her shoulder for much of the race, dropping back only over the last 100 yards. Mrs Stephen’s time was 55.65ec: Mrs Potts was half a second slower. Two other Canterbury women were the sprinter. Miss L. Ilurrell. and the New Zealand high jump champion. Miss L. Curtis.

Mess Hurrell officially won both the 100 and 220 yards with an impressive show of form but she was not first across the line in the 100 yards. Competing as a reserve in an unofficial capacity, the Geraldine sprinter, Miss J. Rose, crossed the line inches ahead of Miss Hurrell to record one of the minor upsets of the day. Her time was not given.

Over the furtong. Miss Burrell was completely in command of the situation, winning as sihe liked. A young under-17 competitor, Miss L. Johns, showed much promise to take second place for Canterbury. WON BOTH JUMPS Miss Curtis won the long jump as well as the high jump. A large proportion of Southland’s points came from its walkers. They dominated the senior and junior 10 kilometre road walks. AM major placings, with the exception of third position in the junior event, taken by the Canterbury walker, I. Clarke, were filled by Southland competitors. The senior event was won In impressive style by the national champion, T. Mayhew, in 48min 20.4 sec. He led from start to finish, although he had a few anxious moments at the edght-kiHonietre mark when he got very cold and had an attack of cramp. Fortunately it quickly passed. Second into the park was the winner of the junior event. R. Elder. His time was 52min 37s ec.

The Canterbury pole vault champion and record-holder, C. F. Stricke, emerged victorious in his specialist event after an enthralling struggle with the Otago competitor, G. Townsend. Stricke’s winning vault was 13ft, Bin below his record height, but a very satisfactory performance nevertheless. Townsend was eliminated at 12ft ffin.