AUSTRAL HONOURS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1321, 27 December 1911, Page 5

AUSTRAL HONOURS.

IN ATHLETICS. DOMINION WELL IN FRONTOPIE IN BEST FORM. THE UNLUCKY VICTORIANS. The seventh Australasian Amateur Athletic Championship Meeting was commenced on the Basin Reserve yesterday afternoon, It is ten years since the only such meeting ever held in New Zealand took place at Auckland, and it will probably 1)9 more than ten years before an, other is held in the Dominion. Recognising that tho event was one of some importance in a sporting way, the public attended in large numbers, the crowd on tho ground being variously estimated at from 5000 to 7000 people. The meeting was controlled very satisfactorily by some ten or twelve hard-working and zealous officials, but there were in the ring a score or more of other people with uncertain duties. So far as it has progressed, the results of the meeting are highly satisfactory to New Zealand. Of seven championships decided New Zealand competitors secured farst place in five, which was at loast two more wins than tho most sanguine ha ever dared to hope for before the event. Inoro was a fairly stiff southerly blow, ing down the ground, and the turf was flcavy after tho recent rain. Tho surfaco ot tho trucks appeared to bo very level and even, Hill won the mile in hollow fashion ironi the only competitor who took tho neid against him, Pugh, a Wellington runner ot very fair quality. But Hill is brilliant, probably one of the tat nijlcrs in tho world to-day, and certainly the best runner over long distances that New Zealand has ever produced. If he continues to improve as he has durim* tho past two years ho will ono day get under 1.20 for the milo distance. It was hoped that ho would do so to-day, but it was a hopeless task to ask of the bravest runner nnnaced, on such a track. Keddell showed to everybody's satisfaction that he is tho cleverest hereabouts at the three-stride hurdles game, for he romped home in his heat, and in the final of the 120 yds., leaving all other competitors far behind. In the milo ljalk Kerr was successful in retaining his championship, but. ho was sorely tried in the event by being shadowed by another competitor whose action was palpably unfair. In the end this othor competitor was disqualified, but it would have surprised nobody if Kerr also had "mixed a little in the endeavour to keep up with the game. Tho competitor in question was as unfair in the first 200 yards as in any other part of tho race, aud ho was allowed to go the. wholo distance. Two of the unexpected wins are credited to Opie, tho 100 yards, and the 440 yards flat. After his good spin in tho 100 last week it appeared that he must have a chance in the short sprint, but there were so many men from Australia with performances of 10 seconds dead that the tipster could not but bo puz--zled. Tho quarter-mile he won alfo, and his only really troublesome rival in the race was auother New Zealander, Harding. In the high jump event the Victorian youths with six feet records failed to reproduce their home form, but one of them, Kelly, cleared the very respectable height of sft. BJiu. He jumps in the fashion of inos.t champions, running straight up to the bar slowly, and jumpins from the left foot to tho left foot. Tho Victorians were extremely unlucky yesterday in that two of their sprin'ora were nut out of action. . Burton sprang a tendon badly, and Ellis was injured at the finish of the 100 yards. EUis's hurt was caused by liis rnnnirift'intp the .crowd at tho finish of the 100 yards', find .-.trikins; hard on a form on which people wp;-o sitting. He must havn struck sharply, .for the blow made a deep cut, mul ho had to be corriH from the Mi. The sports will be continued at 2 p.m. to-day. The main object of the meeting is to decide which shall be the champion State or Dominion Hie Stato or Dominion gaining tho most first places.in the fifteen championship cveuts being entitled to that honour. In the event of a tie for first honours, second places are counted. SUMMARY. Following is a record of how the championship points were counted yesterday :— N.Z. N.S.W. Vic' Q. Tas. 100 Yards .... 1 - - - - High Jump... — — 1 — — Mile Wr.lk ...I - - 120 Hurdles 1 — — — — Putting Shot - - - 1 - Milo Run ... 1 — — — — Those who won championships yesterdny were:— ' R. Opie, N.Z,—IOO Yards and 440 Yards, G. N. Hill, N.2.-one Mile Run. H, E, Kerr, N.Z.-One Mile Walk. G. P. Keddell, N.Z.-120 Hurdles, L. H. Kelly, Vic-High Jump, D, M'Grath, Q,—Putting Shot.