Canty seeking 19th win

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31902, 1 February 1969, Page 11

Canty seeking 19th win

CANTERBURY can be confident of retaining the Dorrie Leslie Cup in the athletics meeting with Wellington at the Evans Bay all weather track today. Bolstered by strong junior and women’s sections, the men’s section, although outpaced in the sprint events, should have sufficient talent to win at least seven of the senior events.

Wellington has its strength in the sprinting ability of L. D’Arcy and P. Kear. and in the guile of its administrators. They altered the programme for the first time in several years to accommodate this sprinting strength and eliminated events in which Canterbury had sure winners. Much of the success of the senior team will depend on the form of K. Simpson, who has been selected in the long jump, 220 yard hurdles and 100 yards. Simpson has been in excellent form in the first two events and should win both at Wellington. His ability to pick up a minor placing in the short sprint should also be of benefit to Canterbury.

Although Canterbury has lost two of its team from the 880 yards, B. Robinson should still win from the former Canterbury athlete, P. Marks. At least five Canterbury athletes have this season run the distance in Imin 56sec or less but the performances in Wellington have not been up to that standard.

Canterbury also stands a good chance in the mile, in which the 20-year-old Temuka athlete, J. Sullivan two weeks ago, will be competing with A. Watson. Sullivan thrives on competition

and has been setting faster times each time he has run. more than 200 feet. H. Ruffell should win both the senior and junior shot put and the junior discus. The Canterbury decathlon champion, M. Walker, should also pick up points in minor placings in the field events. His performances this season have been consistent and he appears to be reaching his best form. In the javelin, Canterbury has two athletes, D. C. Leary and M. Stewart, who are capable of throwing Canterbury will have a struggle in the three miles, where K. J. Hamilton will run against the New Zealand cross-country representative, B. Rose. Hamilton is in his best season and his doggedness may be persistent enough to wear down Rose. Hamilton will be ably assisted by R. Robinson, who has not found his best form this season but has never been far from the leaders in the distance races. His run in the Canterbury six mile title was disappointing but he should perform better over the shorter distance. He has run several fast two miles to prove he has both the speed and the stamina. The withdrawal of R. Sharpe unfortunately means certain victory in the steeplechase to Wellington’s G. Thornley, who won last season in 9min Bsec, three seconds less than the Canterbury record. The Canterbury junior sprinters, J. Bailey, D. Ber-

ry and S. Cowles should improve on their best times at Rugby Park on the smooth fast surface at the Evans Bay track and they are fast enough to fill the first three places in the 100 yards, and 220 yards. Although they have a full programme in the day both Bailey and Cowles should also take first and second place in 440 yards now that the Wellington sprinter P. Kear has joined the senior ranks.

The junior's strength extends to the 880 yards and mile events. A. Gilmour, the national junior 880 yard champion, will compete in the shorter race and G. Rollo, who recently ran a mile in 4min 13sec should win the mile. Ruffell and I. Dalzell should between them share the spoils of the shot, discus and javelin. The women, as always, will provide the points that will carry Canterbury to another win—its nineteenth in succession since 1955. Even Miss Haworth may not have things her own way in the sprints for she just beat Miss B. Poulsen in the 100 metres in the R. H. North contest. The 13-year-old girl, Lesley Trimble, will face her sternest test in top competition but she should benefit from the experience in the 100yds. She will have to use starting blocks for the first time at Evans Bay for it is impossible to get a fast start off the all-weather track without blocks. Canterbury may have no competitor for the 440 yards because Miss L. Fisher has withdrawn from the team, however one of the other athletes may be asked to compete in that event and without Miss Haworth competing, a Canterbury athlete of the calibre of Misses L. Johns, or Mrs A. Horsnell could win the event. In several of the women’s events, the long jump, shot put, discus and 100 metres hurdles, Canterbury should fill the first three places.