ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 122, 15 February 1908, Page 9

ATHLETICS.

(Br Meroury.)

COMING EVENTS. .. Feb. £G. —P.N.A.A.C. evening meeting. Feb. 29 and Mar. 2. —Australasian' Championships (Hobart). March 'i.—W.A.A.C. ovening meeting. March 11. —P.N.A.A.C. evening meeting." March 14 or 21.—Hibernian Society's meeting (Basin Reserve).

The Wellington'members of the Now Zealand team sailed for Lyttelton en route for the big meeting at Hobart on' Thursday, amid the good wishes of a crowd of local enthusiasts who attended in goodly numbers to wish thorn bon voyage and good* luck in tlieir various encounters. .v

It is now well known how Fisher, like the sportsman ho is, decided to go . with the .team olf his own bat, and how Kerr and his fellow club men of the ""W.A.A.C. elected to dovoto tho credit balance of tho Kerr'subscription fund towards helping on the cause: It is now very satisfactory to hear that this lias stimulated the good folk of Nelson to go and do likewise towards their fellow townsman, H. T. Cook, tho champion hurdler, whowas thus ablo to join tho team, and also loft on Thursday. .. ' ■• . :

just as the boat was leaving, Mr. Davis, tho treasurer of the-. Wellington Centre, was able to announce that Sharpe, tho three-mile champion, had also been selected. It appears that W. H. Pollock, who is in Christchurch; laid Sharps's claims before the Council and did his spdeial pleading with such enthusiasm as to carry his point. Tho.news'was received with cheers, and 'Sharps, who was present, departed hastily to pack his bag to catch the llotomahana.

Harry Henderson is taking _ his trainer, "Jim" Wilson, so ilie local contingent is quite a largo party. The N.Z. team,"which now'consists of Trembath (Gore), Otbell, Murray, Stubborficld (Canterbury), and Henderson, Fisher, Cook, Kerr, M'Kay, and Sharpo (Wellington) is numerically the strongest that has been sent to represent tho Dominion,' and in my opinion the team that beats it will win..

Tho Hutt Valley Club meeting and tho season's centro championships , are now a thing of the past. The gathering may bo summed up as successful. . The blemishes on the arrangements may bo set down partly to tho fact that the programme was too big and unwieldy,for one afternoon's sport, and partly to tho inexperience of tho club, officials in managing a mooting. "

Tho sprint championship events were robbed of a certain amount of interest by tho fact that tho top-notchcrs in theso distances: were all. very much under tho weather as regards fitness. Henderson was suffering to .such an extent from stiffness and. soreness as a consequence of the hardness' ;of tho ground during his recent winding-up operations, that ho was unable to. start, Fisher had been, a;martyr to ne.uralgia. for'tome' days, a fact that was palpable from the swelling, in his face, and Pollock was the victim of a heavy cold. Burge, too, was soro and stalo, and though able to .win .the mils was quite uhable to reproduce his previous week's form in tho half. The consequence was that sri.ino of the championships wont to very . unexpected' quarters.'

As anticipated, Harry Kerr,had,no difficulty in satisfying the judges as t'o 'his' stylo, in tho two walks,-. and consequently his times, 7min. Bsoc. and 14'niiii! 34scc., pall for >no commont. ' . '

Dawsoli, who ran very well all'-day.man-aged to repeat his performauco -of. .April': 7,. 1906, in winning the '220 yds.'' championship, and, strangely enough, tho time on this occasion, 24 ,l-ssec.,: was the same, as was registered then, another case of history repeating* itself. . The best' iforformauco of:.tho. day was Sharpe's win of tho three-mile-run. -No time was taken, as tho watch-holders wer.o engaged in timing a wood-chopping contest; but .as fatas could be judged tho pace was very hot,. especially in the last mile, at the outset ;of which Sharpe's 'chance looked 1 very small. Tho missing of tho timing was ono of those blomishes already referred to, and it was particularly hard luck in this instance, 'as Sharpo started^out,.with.tho intention of doing standard time, and was naturally disappointed at the result of this muddle. 1 $

Wo aro at last beginnning to get a-'good idea of the probable representatives of the ; various States arid- the-Dominion at the Australasian championship meeting at Hobart on February 29 and March 2. Tho latest information on the subject is as follows . Tasmania. , ' " . : ! ,- The Tasmanian team will be in all probability as follows:— ~ '■ Sprints: F. Fairthorne, A. G. Watkins, iC. J. Sear!, .and' Edwards. \ • ' Middle distahc'fe':'C;' 'J. Searl; ~f' - '- ,v - -■■■ " Long distances:' A.denies,.denies, S. Schofield, A. Schofield and R. N. Morgan. . , .' Walks: Rose (two),,F. Ford, with Barker and Conacher as emergencies. • . ■ Hurdles: T. Rockliff, C. : ;J; Colchester, : : E: Edwards:' Running high'jump:: -R.-Seagbr'arid'C.' Elliott.- '- ■ ■'■ Running broad jump: C. J. Searl and F. .Fairthbrne. No selections have yet been made in the field games and ! pple-va\ilting departments. New South. ,W, ales. ■ V The.pergonnbL-of to represent tho Mother,-State, .although not wholly chosen, is clearly:.; indicated,:• Those selected to date comprise . ... : \ 100, 220, 440,, 880, yards, running broad jump, arid. 440 yds. hurdles: Nigel Barker. Hammer and shot: W. O'Reilly. 120 yds. hurdles, 440 yds. hurdles, and running broad jump: Colin Stewarts > For middle and long distance- running events the following will'compete .in-"test" events before a' selection R. 6. Waddy, G|, C. Retford, J. ; - M. Lynch, Andrew Wood, arid G. Weyhian.GyiP. ; Afnold, champion' miler of tho great ,public schools, will also, bo allowed to join; in. -' It has been decided that'tho trials shall take place on tho 13th inst., at the-Sports Ground.

For long, sprints and middle distances C. W. Rob. and J: F. G. Fitzhardingc are available; and for tho walks'H. ;!. Smith and others, including ,C. AVeyman and A. Lewis. . ;

H. St. Vincent Welch and A. H. Scott will compete;ih' a running' liigli-'juinp'F'-'tost"— probably oil 'thol3thinst; r It is . also probablo that T./Arthur will;, engage in a series of trials, before'a local committee,' at Inverell on tho same tlay. ■■■■ :

Other New South Wales athletes who havo submitted their,- names comprise T. R. Grey, H. J. Mulholland, G. P. Parke, Milton Westwood, and W. M. Colley. Tho selection in tho caso of a distance run 7 ner and a high jumper .will be-made immediately after the "tests" are concluded. Victoria. • The Victorian- selectors are busily, at work. I expect to find tho Victorian team somewhat as follows: . ' ■ . ■•-. -. Sprints.—R. Abercrombio Vml J. H. Prout, of the East Melbourne- Harriers. Middlo distances.—N. F. Burrowes (East Melbourne Harriers) and C. A. Hardy. Long distances—Geo. Blake .(Melbourne Harriers), J. A. Stillwell (Essendon Harriers), and W. V. Aitken (Colnirg Harriers). AValks.—W. V., Aitken (Coburg Harriers) or A. C. Ryan (East Melbourne Harriers). Running high jump.—H. 'S. Trangmar (C E G S ) Hurdles: J. L. Davis (M.H. and H.). Running broad jump: J. H. Prout (E.M. H.),' and J. L. Davis (M.H. and H.).; I have no idea who tho. field game oxponont or polo vaulter will be, and, romomber, Victoria always lias a- chiinco in'the polo vault. Queensland. The team from tho big northern State will seemingly bo a Brisbano team actually, just as tho New South Wales team is a Sydney ono. It promises to bo mado up soi)ie\viiat as follows Sprints.—H. J. Fay (Western Suburbs A.A.C.) and B. K. Berry (North Brisbano Harriers). ' ; • Long distances.—A. J. Luton (Toowong Harriers). ' "■ : ; Field games, pole vaults, hurdles,-! and jumps.—T. Frawloy (W.S.A.A.C.). T. Malier (W.S.A.A.C.), and . J. Kcaniev (W.S.A.A.C.) between them.

13. K. Berry, 100 yds. champion of Queenslaud, will mako the trip to Hobart in company with W. M. Colley, of tho Marrickvillo Harriers (Sydney).—"Sydney Referee."-