Three wins for Robertson

Press, 14 March 1983, Page 36

Three wins for Robertson

PA Hamilton The Auckland sprinter, Kim Robertson, won a treble at the national track and field championships for the fifth time in Hamilton yesterday.

However, to get the 100m-200m-400m here, she had to come from behind the determined Waikato junior, Carlene Dillimore, in the final 100 metres to get the last leg

— the 400 metres. Robertson made her usual quick beginning, but relaxed down the back straight, allowing Dillimore to dash past to a small lead. However, Robertson had her measure

early in the run home and won’ handily. Dillimore’s time for second (54.035) was a national junior record. Earlier, Robertson dashed in ahead of Bev Peterson and

Angela Pule, both of Canterbury, to add the 100 m to the 200 m title she won on Saturday. John Walker gave the small crowd all they could ask for when he won his heat and the final of the 1500 m in

tradesmanlike manner. Before the championships Walker’s appearance was in doubt because of Fresh Up’s involvement with the Auckland team.

Competing in the all-white, old-style strip, Walker sat on the shoulder of Canterbury’s Michael Gilchrist who carted the field through 400 m in 575, the 800 m in Imin 58.95.

Tony Rogers (Waikato) swept to the lead with 500 m left, with Walker close by and Andrew Stark (Canterbury) moving into third. Though Rogers tried valiantly, Walker was too classy

and the former world-record-holder won by 15m in 3min 38.175.

Peter Pearless led all the way to take his first national 800 m title. The tall Aucklander kicked clear on the bend and won handsomely from Peter Mcßedmond, with the Canterbury pair, Peter Williams and Mike Molloy, dead-heating for third. Murray Cheater (Waikato) continued h'is habit of reserving his best efforts for championships when he won his ninth hammer throw title.

Only third in current rankings behind Bernie Harland (Canterbury) and Wellington’s Warwick Nicoll, Cheater’s 54.50 m was enough to give him the title yet again.

The Aucklander, Willie Fong, streaked away to an expected win in the 110 m hurdles. Fong, who represented Samoa at the Brisbane Commonwealth Games, has done his schooling at Auckland Grammar.

Terry Lomax (Canterbury) and Paul Wilson (Waikato) filled the minor placings about five metres back. The Commonwealth Games javelin gold medallist, Mike O’Rourke was surprisingly beaten by his Auckland teammate, David Hookway. O’Rourke held the lead with an early throw of 76.53 m, but Hookaway snatched the gold with his final effort of 77.52 m. O’Rourke was unable to find the form of last month when he broke his national record with 90.58 m in the final night of the Pan Am series in Auckland.

The Auckland sprinter, Gary Henley-Smith, repeated last year’s achievement, winning the 100-200 m double. Henley-Smith began last in both the 200 m on Saturday and the 100 m yesterday and maintained his advantage over his teammate, Shane Downey, who chased him home each time. HenleySmith was rated only fifth in

the 100 m and fourth in the 200 m on the 1982-83 rankings. Waikato’s lan Ferguson, with the fastest time over 100 m this season, could not foot it with the flying Auckland pair over the final 50 metres. Yesterday’s results Page 3