MISS PETERSON, GREEN CHOSEN Two youngsters athletes of year

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33158, 23 February 1973, Page 20

MISS PETERSON, GREEN CHOSEN Two youngsters athletes of year

t By

R. O. DEW)

Two young track runners who appear likely to win places in the New Zealand under-23 team to tour Australia later this season, Miss B. Peterson (Technical > and D. J. Green (Toe H), have been chosen as Canterbury’s female and male athletes of the year.

The awards, sponsored by Coca Cola, were announced last evening during the inaugural Canterbury athletic supporters’ dinner.

Miss Peterson, who is> a 15-year-old schoolgirl, is undoubtedly one of the finest sprinting prospects in the country, and is a contender for major honours at the New Zealand senior track championships in Wellington which begin in seven days. In recent weeks she has won both the Canterbury senior 100 and 200 metres championships. Her winning time of 24.25ec in the 200 metres event bettered the standard for the under 23 team and also broke the 16-year-old provincial record for the distance held by the former Olympic representative. Miss M. A. Chamberlain (now Mrs Stephen). This time also equalled the selection stand-, ard for the Pacific Conference Games, to be held in Canada' later this year. Miss Peterson comes from ta sprinting background. Hermother, as Miss S. Hardman,' represented New Zealand as a sprinter in the 1950 Empire Games in Auckland. She won the New Zealand 75 yards championship five times between 1949 and 1953. the : New Zealand 100 yards championship five times between, 1948 and 1953, and the New Zealand long jump title in 1946. 800 metres Although aged only 18, t Green has this season made' his mark in senior competition. He defeated A. Gilmour to win the Canterbury senior. 800 metres championship for, the first time and in recent weeks has broken both the New Zealand junior 800 and 1500 metres records. His 1500 metres record has since been lowered further by the talented Wellington runner. E. Benton. However, the 800 metres is Green’s main distance and in this he hopes to represent New Zealand in the 1974 . Commonwealth Games. His best time of Imin 50sec is half a second better than the -tandard for the under 23 , ; New Zealand team’s tour of Australia. Next week he will take on the leading senior 800 metres runners in the country in his 1 first attempt to win the New ; Zealand senior championship. He is the holder of both the

junior 800 and 1500 metres titles. Miss Peterson and Green were presented with their awards by the manager of the Southern Bottling Company (Mr R. Barber). The

guest speaker at the dinner was the former Olympic decathlon champion, W. Toomey, of America. The athlete of the year awards for both sexes were chosen by a panel comprising the provincial selectors I (Messrs D. W. Mackenzie, W. Jowett and V. Briedis), the publicity officer for the Canterbury Athletic Centre (Mr K. J. Ryall) and representatives of the two Christchurch newspapers.