ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 740, 12 February 1910, Page 9

ATHLETICS.

. (Br Slcnccnr.) , FIXTURES, February IC.—W.A.A.C. Evening Meeting. ■ February. .19.—Civil Service A.A.A. meet- '■> »!«• . ' - February 25.— N.Z. Championships (Auck- ■ land). ~ . . ■ March S.—W.A.A.C. Autumn Carnival. March 12;— Victoria. College Sports (Athletic, Park).;, Petone A.A.C. Meeting (Petono). .: March 19.-C.Y.M.A.A.C. Jfeeting. . ■ Despite the old 'saw, everything does not come to those who wait—not always.. 1 artieularly. does this hit the executive of a function which, after public interest has been keyed' up, 'has to' be "unavoidably postponed." .Everything certainly does not come to those who wait in these cases. - The Wellington Centfo • officials got through tho week's wait after the postponement of . the. Provincial. Championship -meeting with a /'certain, degree of foreboding. This foreboding was-in-creased when •a - message was received from W. G. Harding, the crack ■ lialf- . miler, to the effect that lie regretted that ■Jr c ? not get down again from Napier. Much interest had .been felt, in Harding's appearance, more /especially , as -it' was known that .he would be required to give us of his best • to. retain his' laurels' lrom J..F. Wilson, but the centre 'officials' very wiiely..considered that it would bo n , P 0 0 , 1; policy to keep "the man in'the street , in ignorance of his defection. Consequently, although disappointment was jolt ftncl expressed,- it r whs generally known upon the day that ono of the star .draws' was absent, and, -as it,turned out, , this was'the. only flaw of the: dav. . Despite tlio competition for' public patronage, in-the way of tho galloway : meeting. at -Miramar,. the Star Boating Club's swimming .'sports, and -a matinee .at '".the ,L pera; ■ inconsiderable opposi-' tioii, the ' public ;turncd out well.;' The actual,..gate receipts, amounted to ,£ll2, iv Inch . should leave : enough- balance; to credit to allow, of the dispatch to Aiick- . a °»' a teiun °f full strength.'!. ;, •,'0» Monday-last "Mercury", received a 1 fe^ cr .,: from ; \ G• • Harding, j. regarding, hia absence.,- He-explained that it was .owing to indisposition that he was forced to abandon the .trip. When in tbwn pn the week- previous - lie .'was already suffering from • a cold, which (no doubt owing to the wet spell' while lie .was' iieie. and on the train going home),becarne much , worse, and settled .on his chest,, eilectually puttmg" nim out 'of action In addition to his projected run attack on fh 'made an ■linvHs Tf « e — v . Ze ? lall d. figures _for ilOjds. at the Caledonian.. mcetin," in ',Napier on Wednesday next. .' This' attempt ho now says he must abandon, aiid Wghl through!" aU . Unforlui!i, te affair However; Harding-has a" very " 'Biiorte manlike proposition to make. He conbi U nln 'I • SayiDS - ','? ho 0011416 will"- now bo placed in a:peculiar, position .when soecting team., [Written before last ' Saturday's': meeting.j ! tHn nml flf ay ' 'V 'W.onjio Auckland' tl e P fleets Wilson as well tlio._mattei would be simplified, and I would in some measure make'amends for breaking-faith with the public. ' Wilson and I: would then settle .the vexed- ques-' su°ggestioi, '; nor c " i : ct ' y - ® la .t is iny ■lathing, could be : fairer than this; but it is fortunately likely that tliero will be no, need -to. tako advantage'of Hardin?,.if 1 f lt , h »>'Bh- no doubt" the spiiit /that prompted:lt; will bo apprecim nhJhV i' 2 t f eutl ' G -! jnost i ! 1 ' !" en included in tuo, oracial selection. •; . ihere .is.an anornative; ; : ,to FardinßV proposition, however,, that .is -/worthy -ol'. all coiisideratiou;': If he ban maiiago the' eavo it. would-'bo 'an- excellent r idea ?, fdr him to meet Wilson ,at the Civil Pervic'o meeting next Saturday"-; Tho 'CiS. ! .ties would n6 doubt be .onlv too glad' to ■jiut on an lnvitatioii .half-mile,: consist- ' °'iV- Say ' ; '^ u, B;.' Wilson; aml'llefxei. Ilus. would produce/a Homeric'coliSl^ ;Pro 'couW ! lteverting.to, Saturday's meeting: As is; usual with championships, .the' -.fields ' in .these events /were, small,, and, -truth to .tell;-/' tlie comjie ition ,was not particularly-good! ni'li'-iv ?ontost , s ." themselves' f ' , lon |' ™iher;-'.tha'ji;' ; races;" Init' i •tlio standard of exhibition .was.so highthat, there- wero -ho , complaiufe', on;. this score, ihat . tho standard, was . high is TO.n° -11CE i y -fif ti'nes forded, and the public showed its. appreciation of tho fact by. a .display of mucli 'enthusiasm,"aud bv staying, on.m a body'right'to the eud ; of a long prograniuie. ~ A giaiico at .jiome of tho times' s? r uctiv° : ~-100 -yarJs, 'lOsecV,-' tJ2O Yards' lriin^w , 'i'» •?®^%' s ?- iMin. . one milo run, 4min. .9 ,4-psec. j one ..milewalk;,Cmih. 39. tssec; It; willbo seen thafitis no'..wonder that ; the interest was sustained./ Moreover, th ; ere..,was just tho necessary, element ot 'w?E 1M w r 'S lq ? a j.7''this" being' instanced' 1 in the walks. l»i,'mi '-"■'oht'Particular star, of a; scintil- I lanugrTOnstellation was. no doubt '.Wood- , ge;;. Of his .100 . yards there" is .littlo to. be-saul.. It was a slashing performance, but 110 great surprise to'th'osd who knew how .he .was running. ~ The conditions were lueal ior tho champion—no opposition from his bugbear, a head wind, and JI. hrm springy turf. :,Tho present- occasion is itho fourth ' upon vhich'; ho has ! been credited; with "evens" W. this' l track,-which, it must, Ije. remembered, drops from 12,t0 .18 inches, from start'to iuush, and gives the runner all the. benefit oi tuo shgiitest southerly. •• Woodger s- 220' yai-ds': run is ; 'apuzzle/" ihe downhill'grade that would'"assigt- in luii.£ven-hme run ; in the 100 yards,.'would' ot/necessity .be against him in . the longer sprint. Jlc.won as be lilted, • and! though : apparently/"all out" up to tho, 200 yards mark, lie appeared to take a'pull' at that' a . nd actually, looked round ,fof Hubpard. Yet lie ; was clocked to do ■«2 2-ssecs.-l-ssec. better than H J . Webster's New. Zealand record.: Of the timing there can be • little - donbt..' : ! Messrs. Polloel-,. iucker, and Ludwig are all'c:;pert "clockiP 1 ' S V'Jiile two of the, watches agreed, the other mado the rim a shade faster. "After, the,race the committee' endeavoured to get a survey or , to re-measure . the track, but one was not available, so a . steel tape was put over the distance run) which was found to/be 13 inches over. Against | this, again is Hubbiird's performance;'At the; very .outMde, he'' was • not. a; second' behind Woodger, and;, sound performer, as ho! undoubtedly .-'is,,-lie, lias never yet got his 220 running down to' 23 -2-ssec. It is unfortunate .indeed ;that• no. surveyor' could be obtained to check'the distance.' The weight of evidence, and the'evidence of • one's senses,' seem to . be' against the time, ajnd yet, fin .the faco of. tho. three watches, and the i'cineasural track, where is , the' error? ','lf thero is. none, then Woodger stands as tho best amateur' 220 yards runner the Dominion-has yet seen'.' J. 'P. ; Wilson and T. Heffer . would seem to'qualify in a'dead heat for second placp oh tho;honours-list. Both-are young runners, aiid; their performances on Saturday place them right in<the front rank; and, if. tho.' opposition -is strong enough' to extend . them 'in Auckland, they, should do something oven l more sensational still; '• "Jimmy" Wilton lias never run . better than ho did in'his'quarter. The little New/ Zealand; champion.'kept ■' liis" head well,' and; left' his big run until exactly the right moment—just as Wilson 'began to tiro after: the sprint that got him out in front; and'was unable to respond to I "Jimmy's" .-challenge.: Wilson ran very creditably, aud; had it not boon !for his severe half-mile earlier in the day, would have been'much closer/up. As it was,, he tiral.in the straight; And'no wonder. : Tho 3-mile run was a performance' rupro of ,the sound than, the brilliant order. •Harry-Thompson showed less, of the ill effects of liis" Marathon preparation, ' and ran with , much of his old-timo freeness, but it is,/still .apparent, that .the; road work., has 'shortened, liis stride considerably. Prank Wilton.did his share of thepacing, and stuck to" his job with characteristic doggedness; until the final' liuttor of the ; last lap,. when his lack of sprinting power let him .down;. -,/

- /Tho! walks, as .previously , stated; provided- .a surprise. 1 It was common - talk' among tho runners that Peter M'Coll, who has, been training. Casliuian on the -Kelbiirno Park iiiado 'i'io secret of his: belief that his protege would beat Fitzgerald,' but tlio. knowing ones generally ("Meiv cury." among them) considered. M'Coll-un-duly optimislic-ruuless, of course, ,Pitzg'erald got! "pulled, oil'." However, M'Coll was right." /Cashman carried too miuiy gun's for the New Zealand champion, and, what is: eveii nioro .satisfactory,,, quite saiisliad .the experts with, 'his gait, l-'ilz-" gerald, although qnito satisfied iliiit Cashlium was the bolter man on the day, iiiil not do himself justico, and'intends chal-

lending his conqueror to a "trial for his place in .tho' team. '.If. this- match comes oil' it • would create a (leal of interest, and "would Jjo worth going a long: way to see. ■ -

Milch interest :centred in "Dorry" Leslie's appearance in the ■ mile.' , " Although short of pace, his style was easily tho most.pleasing on.'the 'track,',-and his retirement .at:"tile half-way; mark was much regretted. - Tho .veteran wilt do much :hotter in tho futiire.' : Oil.Saturday lie was not himself. Owing to illness in his family, '-his l , training " during the last ..week had .suffered badly.' In--fact, ho had goiio baclf in his preparation, and lie really .only'turned oiit to keep faith .with tho.public and the centre. .

: Australasian champion M'Kay was, as usual,much in the public eye.- Indeed, every time one looked up lie was doing something different, and doing. it!, well. His afternoon's work consisted of., liigh jump (sft. sin.), broad jump (19ft. 9inV hop, step; and jump (4ift. 4in—a good performance), shot-putting (36ft! sih.). ,Ho was. beaten for, second place by. inches in the 120 hurdles championship, and he wound, up: by winning the pole vault handicap with a jump of 10ft., unfinished.. ISyenseh put up a good second to Jl'Kay for versatility, but was more successful. He won threo championships, and showed ■great improvement ~in .his :- hurdling... He won , tho high; jump and ...both; liurdle championships, .and cleared 9tt.. witli the pole—a , good .dav.. ■ . . There is no space to deal witli the handicaps and the aspects of- the meeting generally, much ■ as one. would- like to.' A review,- however, nvouia ne incomplete without, firstly, n recognition of: Hubbard's excellent showing,-during the day;, and secondly, 'a few words. of congratulation—to, Miv J. W. Heenan or his handicapping, to Mr. Leslie for his excellent starting, and to Mr. Guise and his. committee for, the success of the- executive section of, the : work. \ ' E. E. .Fisher, who was W. Woodger'a predecessor as holder jof. the 1 New ""Zealand 220 championship, created a pleasant. surprise 'during the week by cablingMr. AV. H.'Pollock to enter him for. the, championship meeting .on'■ February 26. "Ted," who Was seen by the touring New Zealand/team in Sydney last August,, ana intended then going to New G.uinea, .wires. from . Levuka,'. Fiji,!.-biit;; apparently . lib ..manages": hr.find time ,to keep up.Jiis running in -between his-flittings. His reappearance on a New /..Zealand, ' track 1 would.be very welcome.'. '-A, The Canterbury. Centre, seems to be in a parlous; state as regards, its championship, team/. According. to.;the "Press,", the inability of Haskins and. Simpson to' get to Auckland, will result in a team of four men .only being sent.' Seeing! that Canterbury holds the shield ' now, this seoms' an astounding' lack of'enterprise on the ' part of' the. authorities. Last year Canterbury proved only too successfully. from the - Wellington ■viewpoint,that she liiul the men. Surely,if : it is only a question of finance'; the . difficulty could be overcome and. .these men,, .who., won: tho shield . at' Duut fldin, -given, .-.a ■ chance -• to.- .defend..-their -laurels.M The. four- are'.-not mentioned,but they .would, probably' be Opie; Dick*, son, -Muriaj-, and Be .Thiers;; - ■ • ' i "Mercui'.j J ':'.Mkhovrsedg«: with'thanks a draft;, -prbgramnio' of the" 1 newly-formed Manawatu : ;A.A.C'. for, "'their ' meeting on Wednesday,-. March 2.; The bill of fare-is an excellent one—mu'ch>._ too good -:to -be dealt witli -in the, sinall:.space at disposal this week.- It .will',-come up : again, for discussion' next Saturday., /'

■' ; Competitors are reminded that ■ entries close, this evening for the. Civil Service Club's meeting next; Saturday and for the .WXA.C. r. meeting, next. Wednesday.

■ The ■ W.A.AIC. is . holding" - its.'. second evening'meeting, for the season next "Wed-nesday—-entries ' closing 'to-night. " The events,scheduled are. 100.yards, 140: yards, ono mile run," and two inile walk, all being Handicap" events.: , ; r.