ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 478, 10 April 1909, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

• (Bt Mebotot.); FIXTURES. Easter Monday.—lntor-Univorsity Sports Meeting'(Basin Reserve). The local athletic season will be brought te a close by the ktor-'Varsity Bports meeting on Monday. Intending supporters will see some excellent running, particularly from members of tho Canterbury Collego team, prominent among whom aro R. Opio, L. A. Dougall, H. M'Whirtcr, and G. S. M'Ken- ■ sa'e, who wero members of tho Canterbury team that wrested tho shield from Wellington in Dunedin last month. The Otago team also includes Now Zealand championship aspirants in toe persons of L. A. M'Brido and F. Rands. The latter is a clergyman, and jumped into second place at the championships with a leap of 20ft. 9in. Opie, of 'Canterbury, may bo expected to perform exceptionally well. It will be remembered that ho ran second to Woodgor it tho big Dunedin mooting in the 100 yards; ihA 220 yards ovonts, and sincb then ho has teen putting up times which, if correct, places him high' up in tho. ..championship /dass, an<} show him to bo one of tho fastest Sprinters wo havo yet produced. Some of ijnose performances make interesting reading. For examplo, at Ashburton, on March jjo, Opie won tho 220 yards and quarter-mile provincial championships of Canterbury in 23 l-ssec. and 51 4-ssec., respectively—sterl:ing performancee both. Again, last .Saturday, ho placed to his credit a run of performances that is almost startling. The occasion was the Canterbury College sports and ohampionslups. Opie annoxed the 100 'yards championship, 'ran second in tho 100: yards handicap, won his heat in the 220 yards handicap, and won the 440 yards championship. This, under ordinary circumstances, would be a good day's work, but the, times recorded make tho performance an ; • exceptional one indeed. In the 100 yards championship ho is reported to have won his heat by 20 yards in 10 l-ssec, and the final; in 10 dead. In tho 100 yards open handicap ho .again is credited with a win in his heat in lOsec. dead, and a very close second in the final, again in evens. In tho 220 handicap event he won tho first heat in 22sec. '<this, however, must be a misprint for 23sec.). His time for his win in the quarter was 53 2-ssec., won easily. This needs no further comment. ', ■On the above showing the threo sprint events must go to Canterbury, and tho half and mile look like going in the same direction through the agency of L. A. M'Dougall JThis runner won the half-mile coDege championship in 2min. 5 2-ssec, and tho mile; handicap from scratch by thirty yards in! 4min. 50 l-ssec. This latter performance ' will require all T. Rigg's best efforts to beat, as it would appear that Dougall could havo bettered his run considerably had he been pushed. Rigg, however, should win tho throe-mile run, a distance at which ho has yet to show his best, and when he does show ft, it will be something pretty good. By the way, in this connection the question has been often asked of late as to why Rigg was not considered in tho selection of tho recent Wellington championship team. The -writer ■nas'been informed that, contrary to goneral opinion, Rigg was approached as to making the trip, but' did not wish to be considered in the selection. Owing to lack of information re the Auckland'team, "Mercury" can givo no-'details ; a-s to ite probable •showing, but the follow-i i ing particulars from a southern exchange : anent the Otago representatives will be of interest. The full personnel of the team engaged in the athletic ©vents is: 100 Yards.—L. H. M'Brido, J. M. Hyde. 220 Yards.—L. H. M'Bride, L. J. Potter. 440 Yards.—H. M'Chesney, P. Davie. ' Half-Mile.—L. J. Potter, P. Davio. Ono Mile.—O. C. Mazengarb, R. Edie. Three Miles.—O. C. Mazengarb, R. Edie. .120 Yards Hurdles.—F. Rands, W. ; Thomas. . , ; 440 Yards Hurdles.—L.. H. M'Bride, W. .\ flhomas. • ' i 1 One Mile Walk.—A. Hamilton,'J. Wilson. ; Broad Jump.—F. Rands, J. M, Hyde. ■ High Jump.—A. W. Brookfield, C. Baigent. Throwing the Hammer. —J. Wilson, H. , (Hamilton. Putting the Shot.—H. Hamilton, C. Bai- . gent. i College Relay.—M'Bride, Potter, Davie, : 'M'Chesney. . ■ '~, Football Relay.—M'Bride, Potter, Hyde, - ' The above team is undoubtedly a strong ' one, and should give a good account of itself. ] Mi« following are a few particulars of some of ' the competitors:—M'Bride is an Otago representative, and should experience no difficulty in running second to R. Opio, tho Canterbury crack. M'Chesney won the 440 yards ■ • last year, and is said to bo in much better • (form now, whilo Potter, another "star," will bo well seconded by P. Davie, who was preivonted from competing last year by meeting with an accident a fow days previously. For . tha distance races, Maaengarb is tho chief' | representative, and although ho has not been i running a year yet, is in good condition, and ' capable of putting up a strong fight against '. the best that either Wellington or Canterbury can produce. It is in the ! field ovents, however, that Otago will scoro very heavily. The long jump is almost a certain gift to .'Bands,' and Brookfield, who was champion in 1907, looks well for the high jump, wil- , eon should win the hammer, with H. Hamilton, last year's champion, second; whilo tho : latter competitor will 20 very near to a win in the weight. In tho mile walk, A. Hamilton should be close behind Twyneham,. the Canterbury College champion. ' The Canterbury team is:— 100 Yards.—R. Opio, F. W. Schramm. i 220 Yards.—R. Opio, F. W. Schramm. 440 Yards—R Opio, G. S. M'Keuzie. 880 Yards—L. A. Dougall,' P. MacCallum. Mile Flat—L. A. Dougall, G. S.. Collyns. Three Miles.—L. A. Dougall, G. S. Collyns. 120 Yards Hurdles.—G. S. M'Kenzie, R. Lonsdale. 440 Yards Hurdles.—G. S. M'Kenzie, P. : MacCallum. Putting the Weight.—G. S.. Collyns, 0. M. ' Hope. Throwing the Hammer. —G. S. Collyns, A. J. Wiglcy. High Jump:—R. Lonsdale,' L. S. Jennings. ; Long Jump.—G. S. M'Kenzie, R. Opie. Mile Walk.—R. Twyneham, E. J. AVilson. 1 Relay Race.—G. S. M'Kenzie, R. Opie, It. Twyneham, P. MacCallum. Guy Haskins must bo getting into conidition again. On Saturday last in Christchurch, ho established fresh figures for the Dominion for 1000 yards. He covered the distance in 2min. 24 l-ssec., which beats the previous Now Zealand record for the distance of 22miii. .2-sscc.,.>put_«p by Deny Wood as far back as 1890. No information is yet to hand as to whether tho conditions governing records wero conformed with, but it is probable that tho figures will go up.for' confirmation. Although all tho accounts in connection with the recent New 'Zealand championship meeting have not yet been settled, it is estimated by thoso :n authority that something like £70 or £80 profit will result. In; view of tho threatening aspectc of tho weather on the day of th-i mooting .this must he viewed as extremely satisfactory. Says "Amateur" in tho "Otago Witness":; Ono little matter that escaped me in my review of the championship mooting last week was the question of uniforms for tho Otago representatives. Contrasted with tho distinguished appearance of the Wellington and; Canterbury representatives, the Otago men' were nwtloy and indistinguishable. The light blue of Wellington and the black and red of Canterbury mado the representatives of these provinces easily distinguishable to tho spectators, but it was with the greatest difficulty imaginable that the Otago repre-' ~ sentativos could be so singled out. This gives eauso to .suggest that at future championship meetings "the Otago representatives

wear tho recognised uniform of tho province. Tuesday's Marathon was, from tho public and athletic standpoint, n very successful venture, and gives indication that a similar race,'controlled by tho properly constituted authorities, would be taken up with enthusiasm. Only if Wellington is to go through' its "Marathonitis" craze, let the attack bo controlled" and managed by those who have been' chosen to govern athletic affairs in tho city. It can do a sport no good to exploit it for business reasons, no matter how desorving tho institution benefiting, live raco itself has-been thoroughly covorod in tho daily columns, go.'a'.detailed description is unnecessary here'. ' Tho winner, H. T. Thompson ran a lino forceful race, and, in so doing, put tho hall-mark on a very successful season's" wbrE7 worthily opened by winning tha„.initial.,'iaco of tho year, tho W.A.A.C. . cross,-*ourttry handicap. Tho showing of 'Mulc'ahby,' Wellington's roprescntativo in tho Auckland Marathon last month, was disappointing, but is somewhat accounted for.'.by the fact that, since his run iii'Auckland,'the','fo.id-raco champion has had only one run. -Muicahey informed tho writer that the 'course' on Tuesday was far suparior..to,..the'"Auckland course, both as regards the. surf ace of tho roads and tho gcueral conformation of tho country. Tho moat pleasing feature of tho contest was the excellent physical condition exhibited by 'all'tho' ooiitestahts. .1 Of 21 starters, 20 finished, and any signs of distress or undue exhaustion, although tho pace was solid, and tho distanco, just under 13 miles, a trying one,,was too short to allow of any v/ftysidof'.resting; Tho three placed men, Thompson) Fitzgerald, and Turner (the last; two,- ..By tho way, being walkers), were particularly fit at the end, the winner,' especially, .finishing strong and well. • Corigratulations;'to Fitzgerald on winning '"thb" sealed' handicap, and to Turner, his' fellow-walker,'' on'a good, all-round performance). „.._...,, ... ~