High Jump Champion At Rugby Park

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32210, 31 January 1970, Page 13

High Jump Champion At Rugby Park

'Die New Zealand high jump champion, W. Speirs (Otago), will be competing by invitation in the annual track and field contest between Canterbury and Wellington at Rugby Park today.

Speirs will contest the men’s high jump event but will not be eligible for points.

He won the national championship at Hamilton last season for the fourth time, with a record 6ft Bin. He later represented New Zealand at the Pacific Conference Games in Japan.

Two other pronunent Otago athletes will also take part in the meeting by Invitation —Miss S. A. Baster, who was runner-up to Mrs P. Kenny (Waikato) in the New Zealand women's high jump championship last season, and Miss J. Collins, the Otago women’s sprint champion. Miss Baster, formerly of Auckland, and Mrs Kenny were the only two New Zealand athletes to dear sft 6in last season. Only a few weeks ago Miss Baster jumped sft 2in. She was a New Zealand representative in the Pacific Conference Games. I Canterbury Weakened Injuries have considerably weakened Canterbury's chances of retaining the Dome Leslie Cup. New Zealand’s leading woman ailrounder, Miss B. Poulsen, has withdrawn from the shot because of a recurring leg injury, and her brother, M. Poulsen, has been forced out of the 100 and 200 metres by a muscle injury.

The Canterbury half-mile champion, T. McGillivray, who was to contest the 1500 metres, has also withdrawn because of a leg injury, and M. Mene has decided to restrict his activities to the shot because of a similar injury. He was originally entered for the long and triple jumps. No replacement has been made for Miss Poulsen, but her brother, M. Poulsen, has been replaced by the High School Old Boys sprinter, C. Cawley, in the 200 metres.

The New Zealand junior halfmile champion, A. Gilmour, has been switched from the senior 800 metres to the senior 1500 metres, and M. Beable (University) has been brought into the team as a replaced for Mene in the long and triple jumps. D. Patchett has been switched from the junior 3000 metres steeplechase to the junior 5000 metres. M. Dillon (Christchurch) has been added to the team and will run in the junior steeplechase.