Great javelin throw opens season

Press, 22 October 1984, Page 17

Great javelin throw opens season

By

ROD DEW

A superb javelin throw of 78.82 m by the reigning national champion, John StapyltonSmith (Technical), launched the 1984-85 Fresh-up inter-club Canterbury track and field season in most approprite fashion at Queen Elizabeth II Park on Saturday. Stapylton-Smith, less than two metres inside his personal best, achieved the distance on his first attempt, a quite remarkable effort in blustery, north-westerly conditions which made throwing very difficult. The conditions beat him on each of his remaining five throws. He was regularly over 70m, but on each occassion stepped across the line delilberately to foul the throw. “For an opening day, that was good,” he said afterwards. “I have no doubts now that something will happen this season.” His initial effort was appreciated by the selectors, Messrs Valdy Briedis, Bob Grieve and Bruce Milne. They chose him as the first recipient of the season of the New Zealand Permanent Building Society “Athlete of the Week” award. Stapylton-Smith will be back at Queen Elizabeth II Park next Saturday in an attempt to build further on the progress he has made. On November 3 he will travel to Auckland for a national training squad clinic, and hopes that he will be able to take part in some form of competition while he is there. His nest performance last summer was 80.34 m, and he has definite plans to improve on this in the months ahead. There were no challenges from javelin rivals on Saturday, although there was an entertaining contest for the .runner-up position. This finally went to Allan Denton (Toe H) with a distance of 54.62 m. The decathlon specialist, John Hunt (South Canterbury), was third with 54.04 m and the national sprint champion, Joe Leota (Old Boys), fourth with 49.98 m. Leota demonstrated outstanding early season form in the sprints, winning the 100 m in Ills and the 60m in 6.95. Both times he was hardpressed by Hunt, who ran 11.2 s and 7s, respectively. These times were particularly impressive considering the head wind, fluctuating between 4m and 7m a second, the sprinters had to contend with. Bev Peterson (Technical) also made a good start to the season, winning the women’s 60m in a smart 7.7 s from Lynette Kay (Technical). Miss Kay recorded 7.9 s and went on to run a solo 600 m in an excellent Imin 37.85.

Vai Young (Technical) was another to start the season on a high note, casting aside the years with a winning effort of 43.26 m. Jan Maxwell (Technical), nee Bishop, also threw well but had to be content with second place and a distance of 42.42 m. Elizabeth Ryan (Technical), one of the province’s finest young shot and discus prospects, was ?third with 37.30 m. Mrs Maxwell won the shot event with 14.03 m and Miss Ryan achieved 12.43 m, which gave her second place. The opening of the season was not quite such a success for the Commonwealth Games pole vault representative, Kieran McKee (Toe H). He injured a foot while wanning up and could take no part m the actual competition. The extent of the injury was not immediately apparent, although it will probably be a fortnight before McKee can make a second start to the season. , In spite of this, the family name was kept to the fore by his brothers. Derek and Stephen. Derek McKee won the senior vault with a worthy 4.40 m, and Stephen McKee cleared 4.0 m for second. A surprise appearance from another Brisbane Commonwealth Games representative, Terry Lomax, addeti considerable stature to the senior.

high jump. Although now living in Auckland, Lomax made the most of a brief visit to Christchurch by turning out for his old club, High School Old Boys, and winning the event with a splendid leap of 2.08 m. The season has not yet opened in Auckland, so Lomax is already a step or two ahead of his northern rivals. He is aiming for the national championships this season, although there can be no doubt that he has a strong chance of selection for the Pacific Conference Games in the United States in June next year. On the evidence of his performance on Saturday, he should be anticipating an excellent season. The runner-up was Andrew Wells (Toe H) with a good height of 2.05 m. Lomax, who has a teaching position in Auckland, has high hopes of returning to Christchurch before very long. Karen Forbes (Old Boys) and Lyn Aben (Technical) became involved in a rather closer tussle for major honours in the women’s high jump. The win eventually went to Miss Forbes with 1.63 m. Miss Aben z

cleared the same height only to lose on a countback. It was a good start to the season for both athletes. The largest field of the day was in the men’s 3000 m. Andrew Stark (Christchurch), who had a rather mixed middle-distance season last summer, used his greater basic speed to gain a solid win in Bmin 30s. Don Greig (New Brighton), better known for his marathon exploits, was a relatively close second in Bmin 30.75. The race quite clearly, was little more ‘’ than a serious training run for both men, who have very different targets this season. The New Zealand junior 400 m champion and recordholder, Darren Dale (New Brighton), comfortably won the senior 600 m in Imin 23.2 s from another 400 m specialist, Tony Gill (Toe H). Earlier, Dale received the R. H. Harbison Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the junior “Athlete of the Year.” The senior award, the E. Mayes Memorial Trophy, was presented to the Los Angeles Olympic

marathon representative, Mary O’Connor (University), who leaves shortly for the New York international marathon. A keen rivalry between two Technical athletes, the very experienced Mene Mene and a younger rival, Chris Barrett, seems certain to enliven the men’s field events this season. On Saturday, Barrett scored a solid win in the discus, throwing 45.10 m. Mene could not improve on 41.46 m and had to accept second place. However, the roles were reversed in the shot. Mene achieved the winning performance, 14.26 m. Barrett, always a threat, recorded a best of 14.18 m. Wayne Paul (Papanui Redwood), holder of the national senior 400 m hurdles crown, had nobody to race against over the hurdles but could have had no complaints with his excellent time of 53.85. His chief rival in the 400 m hurdles, Murray Cumberpath (Old Boys), contented himself with a comfortbale win in his section of the 300 m flat in 35.85. The fastest time in this event went to another Old Boys representative, G. Gilbert, with 35.15.