ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 140, 7 March 1908, Page 9

ATHLETICS.

. . / (By Mehcuht.)

.••COMING.EVENTS. March: 11.—Y.M.C.A. Evening Meeting. . March' 14. —Hibernian Society's Meeting. March 17.—-Combined Banks' Meeting. . July.—Olympic Games (London). All supporters of athletics in New Zealand must feel proud of tho brilliant performance put mp by tho Dominion's'team- in Hobart, and in Wellington tho results must have,beon Tci'd with a sense of 7 the livoliest •gratification quite over . and'- - above tlie natural patriotic'elation' at tho success of.'tlie wear-' ers'of tho silver ; fern. Tho train, of'events that followed so thick and fast .upon: tho original selection of the team : and which makes so lurid a chapter .'.'in, tho .history of amateur, athletics -in .Wellington- is. still. too fresh;in tho 'public ; memoi'y to need re--capitulation, still tho sequcneo bf happenings starting . :with_ • tho - memorablo ■ scene' at thesmoke''c6ncert on . tho night "that ; the' official; tearii l \vas "announced,'-' tho .fighting- Stand made by. tho local centro that resulted ;in' M'Kay being added to tho,list, the agitation that'.'led, to the inclusion of Kerr,. the cruiting, of (Fisher, .tho sending , of, Cook by the Nelson' people; air culminating in tho tangled, skein surrounding, the. despatch of. Sharpej' -make so engrossing .a-, subject. that one'is loth "to.dismiss;.it- summarily. On.ono point thero can bo ( n6 ; 'ddubt,and;tliat is-that the.' Wellington,; public. and . the. Wellington Centr'o:>.havo. ample' causo fqr.self-congratula-tiori-; on.' the,,splendid ...showing ,n:adp by',the. local members of. tlie. team, iand'no doubt something will bo:doiie to'express this feeling on the'return of our representatives!

Tho one fly in tho honey from a local view point was Harry Henderson's, failure to make a" showing-in the 100 yards event. On hearing tlio result I ivas strongly, of opinion that for soino reason or other lie 'could not have started,' but since then I havo seen, a lettor dated, the day before tho meeting .in which' ho said'ho'Was moving well and expectcd to scoro; on tho morrow. ' Ho was drawn to start in the sanio heat as Barker and Fay, who filled first and third places in tho final, so apparently ho was unable to foot.it with tho. company. Tho meagro details to'hand do| not'permit of any descriptive'detail of the various events, but one cannot let the two performances that put the others in the shado pass unnoticod. I refer, of courso, to tho two records—Murray's in tho 440 yards hurdles, and M'Kay's polo jump. It was generally expected that tho former wduld havo to put his best leg foremost' to beat Davis, the Victorian, arid in doing so ho surpassed all-expectations. ■ Tho time registered equals Davis's present Australasian record, and-also with it beats tho previous world's best (put up by George Smith in 1904) by tho fine margin of l-10sec. , Tho following- aro - the ■ winners of this event:— . . ■ 1893—D. -Matson'.-X-NlZ.),' 61 1-osec. 1896— W. H. Martin (N.Z.), 64scc. 1897—A. H. Holder (IN:Z.), 62sec. ■' 1899— G. W. Smith . (N.Z.), 61sec. 1901— G. W. Smith (N.Z.), 59sec.' 1904— G. W. Smith (N.Z.), 58isec. 1905—Brown (Vic.), -61sec. 1908 —H. St. A. Murray (N.Z.), 58 2-ssec. M'Kay's splendid effort with the pole beats the existing Australasian rccord held by'the Maori vaulter Hori Eruera by Jinch. Good as M'Kay's jump'was it .was very necessary, as from the account, Frawley of Queens-, 'land, followed him over tho bar jump , for jump until both had cleared .11 feet. Then lift. lin. was put up to givo tho men a chance at the record. Frawley failed but M'Kay cleared it at tho second attempt. ■ Records and previous winners are appended:— World's amateur record, 13ft. 2Jin. Australasian amateur record, lift. Ojin. by Hori Eruera, at Auckland, February 13, 1897; world's professional record, lift. ,lliu., by J. Horn, at Horsham, Victoria, October 26, 1892; standard, 10ft. Tho following aro the winners of this ovoiit:— ' ' 1893-J. V. Glecson (Vic.V 9ft. 105 in. 1896— H. L. Kingsley (N.Z.), 9ft. Gin. 1897—Hori Eruera (N.Z.), 10ft. Gin. 1899— J. OVPaa (N.Z.), 10ft. 6in. (In an ■ r exhibition vault To Caa'cleared 10ft. . 11-iiii.). 1901—C. C. Laurio (N.Z.), 10ft. 1904—0. C. Laurio (N.Z.), 10ft. 3in. 1905—Adams (N.S.W.), 9ft. 4in. 1908—L. M'Kay (N.Z,), lift.- lin. . : A Clemes," tho winner of tho milo championship is the Rhodes scholar selected this year from Tasmania. A matter that is beginning to loom largo is the question whether the Dominion is to be represented 'in the athletic section of tho Olympic Games in London in July. Colin Gilray, last year's Rhodes scholar how at Oxford, is reported as being available if-required, and another atbleto of note under discussion in this direction is Guy P.

Haskins of Christclnircli, who is at present at tlio University of Pennsylvania. Haskins s services would bo invaluablo if they could be obtained, as his performances show. During the season ho has been credited with linin. 57sec. for tlio half-mile ; and he also broke a long standing U.S. University record by covering a inilo in 4min. 20sec. or thereabouts. Dr. Newman has raised tlio question hero by expressing his desire that Kerr should bo sent for the walks. Tho point is quito worthy of full consideration, and tho matter should be pushed along with all speed, as if anything is to bo done it will have to bo dono quickly. Australia's likely representatives aro given by "Prodigal" in this week's "Reforeo" as follows: —

Australian representatives either on their way to London or to bo sent: —

Charles Swain, of tho Toowong Harriers, Brisbano (Q.)—800 and 1500 metres running. F. W. Springfield, of Brisbane, long-dis-tance swimming. F. Bcaurepaire, of Melbourne,' swimming events. Georgo Blako, of the Melbourno Harriers (Vie.), long-distanco running, including. "Marathon" race. . llhodes scholars and others whoss services ara available:— Dr. Harvey Sutton (Vic.), now at Now College, Oxford, for 800 and 1500 metres running races. " , R. L. Robinson. (S.A.), now at Magdalen College, Oxford, for field games. • A. denies (Tas.), who loaves for Oxford in May next, .for "Marathon" race. _ L. F. Pomeroy (Vic.), who is visiting London shortly, for walks. . Other possible representatives:— _ ' - N.S.W. Paigby Union's team,' to visit' England next autumn! for Olympic International Rugby match. _ ', \V.. V. Aitken, Coburg Harriers (Vic.), for long-distanco runs and "Marathon" race. ; Individual riflemen for the : Bisley meeting, who may be visiting England this year.' Harold Smyrk . (N.S.W.), for .diving contests.

Norman Brookes (Vic.), lawn' tennis champion. ' In addition to the abovo, it is possible that the coming-Australasian track championships at Hobart may bring to light someone with a chance against '"tho world's best." So far as New Zealand is concerned, it is to bo presumed that C. M. Gilray (Otago), the latest of tho Dominion's Rhodes scholars at Oxford, would be available, whilst every effort should be mado to get Guy Haskins (now at the University, of Pennsylvania) to represent, New Zealand instead of the United States of America.