Amateur Athletics

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 55, 28 November 1928, Page 9

Amateur Athletics

(By

“SPIKE”)

Wellington Club. The Wellington Club was well represented at the sports meeting held last Wednesday. T. Pickering (20yds.), a well-built lad from Paekakariki. won the quarter from his clubmates, W. Mitchell (20yds.), and C. F. Thompson (12yds.). These three were well clear of the opposition at the finish. The lime was good. 51 3-ssec. C. Jenkins is f ast coming into form, and was a starter in the final of the 100 yards J. Fleming was close up in his heat. Young Tuckwell ran well enough to predict a win for him nt bis next start. A. E. Burd, a Wellington College one mile champion of a few seasons ago, has joined up with the club, and will be a competitor this evening. C. M. Wheeler, from Christchurch, .has also linked up, and from observations should be an acquisition to the club. B. Rydbeck. the New South Wales champion, commences light training this week. R. Cully is a junior of great promise. Jack Emeny, who was a member some fifteen years ago, has again renewed his membership. He is competing to-night, and can be styled as the veteran of the track. W. Bray was the pick of the club’s cyclists last 'Wednesday. He ro'de well in all his events. M. Gane was very unfortunate in striking a puncture, otherwise he would have won the three miles scratch race. . . L. Butler caused a surprise to both competitors and public by his unexpected power in his races. Out of eight cyclists chosen for the “allround cycle championship” five members of the Wellington Club were included —namelv, W. Bray, C. Flett, M. Gane, L. Butler, and D. Toonier. When J. Carswell returns to the track he also should be a certainty for the eight. The ladies’ section of the club unfortunately bieks the enthusiasm shown last year. Only seven girls out of a membership of thirty are. training . regularly. Miss Edwards is receiving coaching from C. Jenkins and should soon show some improvement. Misses Sharp. Blatherwick. Miller, and Lawler, are regular'attendants at the Park. Miss Jean 'Willson is showing the best form amongst the ladies at the present time. Miss Vera Black is a great finisher over 75 yards, and won both heat and final last Wednesday night. P. Munro was a long way below form in the shot event. In contrast. D. Brown excelled himself, and . G. Sutherland made a welcome reappearance. . Sclw.vn Chib. Thp Selwyn Club was well represented hy the cyclist members at the electric liffht snorts meeting last AA’ednesday. Tlie runners were rather a minus quantity owing to the fact that there were a number of junior members waiting for more junior events to be put ou the programme. The •‘lull’s two half-milers. T. Montgomery and AV. B. Ogg, were unable to run. The following are the members who have started training and who have competed this season :— Cyclists.

D. Evans, a new member, who is in good, trim and secured second place at Petone and the Basin. 11. Killiek, a new member, who is riding consistently and will show up shortly. F. E. Killiek is also a new member who is ritling well and shows promise.. .. C. Ericcson is from Wanganui and rode well both at Petono and the Basin. L. Manning is training hard and is riding well, and will make a name.for himself before the season is finished. W. O’Neill, another new member, who shows promise, and rode well both at Petone and Wellington. ,T. Prendergast, a consistent rideg| who will he riding after Christmas. D. MeFedries has done nothing this season. but wouldd make a champion if he stuck to ids training. G. S. Bright is doing good work for the cyclists, and will be out on the track shortly. S. Wright is in training and will be on the track shortly. Runners. L. Montgomery is training hard, and if he keeps ui> his present standard he will

' soon be on the scratch mark in the 880 yards. He is concentrating on this event. W. B. Ogg is also training hard. He will run shortly in 880 yards and will do well in this event. A. Jeroinson, a junior middle-distance runner, who shows excellent promise and is well developed, and In training. B. If. Janies runs consistently and is tiie club’s representative in the 220 yards. He is awaiting B grade events. D B. Kirkwood is a sprinter of promise and is also awaiting B grade events. J. E. Finnegan, a good mile runner, who is in training and will run shortly. B. Makin is a half-mile runner of promise, who is in training, and will take the field shortly. Olympic Club. Members of the Olympic Club were again prominent at the electric light sports meeting held on the Basin Reserve last week, and whilst only Scarfe, Horsfall, Wilson, and Wilkinson gained places in their events, the other club representatives showed great promise. Clementson ran well in his heat of the 100 yards, and perhaps would have secured a place in the final but for the bad habit of looking round. Watts, Weston, and Jeffs were In the 440 yards handicap, but failed to foot it with the place-getters in fast time. Wilson, who had a spell from the track last season, showed that later on in the season he will be a hard proposition. His second in the one mile event was secured only after a great spurt over the last quarter when in a seemingly hopeless position. H. Scarfe was the outstanding ej®ist at the meeting, and his brilliant wins in the one-mile handicap and the tliree-mile scratch race were full of merit. Horsfall also rode -well and seemed unlucky not to get second in the three-mile scratch cycle. p. Waugh has commenced training and from now on the club will be represented in most of the field events. Crane strained a' tendon ’last week and mav be off the track for some time. Haigb, Hutcheson, Smith. Eggers, and .Peters have joined up, and no doubt, with the elub's system -of coaching • and training, they should turn out fairly good. H Wilkins will be hurdling again later on in the season.

I All members are training well for the first field event day, to be staged on December 1, and the club expects to get a I good number of points in this competition. ' Kiwi Club. ; The Kiwi Club did not furnish many I competitors for last Wednesday night’s ! electric light sports meeting at the Basin Iteserve, out two of their finalists succeedI ed in catching the judge's eye. ■ The first event, the 120 yards hurdles, found a very small field of three facing the starter, the winner turning up in the club's representative, Hutchison, who was in receipt of two yards from the second man, Campbell. The only other starter, Sutherland, was not hurdling well, and did not finish. The time was slow, but the winner is capable of improving on his performance considerably. Wickens, who was well to the fore at Petone the previous Saturday, was back on the seven yards mark in the 100 yards. He was given second place to Heibner in a blanket finish, the judges having no little difiiculty in deciding the placings. The final was a great race with little separating the placed men. Wickens was not going too well' at 50 yards, but finished strongly to take second place‘to Heibner again in good time. Veitch, starting from virtual scratch, ran second in his . heat of the-220 yards. In fact, he eased up when assured of a place, and this fact made him look safe for a place in the final. He just failed to get up, however, finishing close up fourth. The time was very fast. Furlong had every • chance jn the 220 yards, but failed to qualify. Hutchison was unsuccessful in the 4'lo yards, .which drew a fair-sized field. The club 1 will be' well represented at to-night’s meeting, the proceeds of which go to the Sports Queen “Atalanta.” Centre's Action Defended. Apropos of ' the criticism made by “Spike” .on tlie decision, of the Wellington Centre to allow no . city clubs to hold sports meetings on their, own account, the chairman (Mr. H; McCormick) writes as follows■ "In your athletic column on Wednesday last, there is a reference to a recent decision' of the Wellington Centro New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association to allow no city clubs to hold sports meetings on their own account. You mentioned two or three arguments against tins decision, but the other side of the question should also be stated in.order that_a.wrong. impression should not get abroad” ' Without attempting to go fully, into the.que.<-. tion. I should like to point out the follow- ' ing facts:— “1. When the motion was voted on at.' the last meeting of the centre not. a single “I voice was- raised .against -it. - "2. The impression might well be gained from reading your column that the decision; .constituted a change in the policy of the” centre, whereas, in point-of fact, it was really a continuation of a. policy which has been carried out (with few excep-/-tions) for some years past, “ . _. "3. The position is that clubs within the centre's district are practically divided into two classes, (a) country clubs, which are allowed to hold their own meetings, and (b) Wellington city clubs, vyhieh participate equally, in 'a series ..of. meetings held during the season. This distinction is drawn in order to-get over,certain difficulties in the case of the city.’clubs which. I have neither space nor time tovpiartieu-t larise here. The Dower ..Hutt-and Clubs mentioned, by you are-border lino? cases, but special considerat'i'oulr apply to them. .... “4. The argument that the centre is using, its funds for the city clubs at the expenso’ of the country clubs has no force whatever, because, as a matter of fact, the centre is not using, and will not distribute, any part of its funds amongst the city, clubs. All that will happen (us in the past) is tliat certain definite meetings will, be held for the city clubs, and the net proceeds (which never at. any time form... part of the centre’s funds) will be distri-' buted amongst the city clubs. As a mat-.? ter of fact, two arguments advanced in your column against the centre’s decision ' are really quite inconsistent. One seeks to show that the city clubs are benefiting at the expense of the country clubs, the other seeks to show that Lower Hutt and I J etone are getting an undue advantage over the city clubs, through being classified as country clubs.”