AMATEUR ATHLETICS

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 156, 28 March 1929, Page 8

AMATEUR ATHLETICS

By

“SPIKE"

END OF THE SEASON

REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES

The amateur athletic season will close this week-end with final meetings at Waikanae, Lower Hutt, Napier, and Motucka. There is no doubt that the number of competitors has increased considerably this season, but there is no gainsaying the fact that the standard of performances is on the decline. Next season the Wellington Central should adopt the grading system, and run mostly scratch races. This is the best and only way to improve the standard. The question of increased patronage will also have to be gone into, as practically all the sports meetings held This season show a big decrease in gate takings compared with last year. One sound remedy would be the importation of the best "talent from overseas. The visit of a Canadian team is a possibility, and should this tour eventuate there is no doubt that the sport will receive a great revival. If Randolph Rose dons the spiked shoe again (and it. is rumoured that he will), a match'with W. Savidan over one mile to three miles would be a great draw. When one looks at the performances jjut up during the past season it becomes very apparent that there is a paucity of champions in the district. Take first of all the sprinters. Jenkins stands out over the 100 and 200 distances. Next to him comes R. Walker and M. Fulford (Napier), but both need at least four yards start from the champion. The sprinter most likely to surprise next season is young Welply, of the Wellington Club. Goodson, of the ’Varsity Club, is a good sprinter, and should he make up his mind to take the game seriously, is a champion in the making. Ramson is a great all-round athlete, but he is inclined to dabble in too many events. Stick to hurdling is “Spike’s” advice to Ramson. L. C. Veitch (Kiwi Club), though not far from championship class, has not gone ahead this season to any great extent. Veitch, in the writer's opinion, has been suffering from over massage, which tends to weaken any athlete. J. Fleming (Wellington Club) has never really recovered from the gruelling training he’received early last season. He lacks life in nil his races, but with careful coaching and strict attention to the factors that go to make champions another quarter-mile New Zealand championshin is not beyond him. K Eastwood (’Varsity), a perfect build of an athlete, is not a consistent runner. One day he runs like a world-beater, and the next like a novice, and, ot course, it is impossible to expect to be in the top class as an athlete it one is not prepared to make some sacrifice. With a good firm trainer, Eastwood would soon become a champion. H. Le Grove (Wellington Club), while “Spike” does not think be will ever be an Elliott, shows more promise than the majority of the handicap runners. Young sprinters such as Abrahams (Olympic), Cleinentson (Olympic), and List (Fetone), all have their careers ahead of them, and with careful coaching will make good. C. B. Allan (’Varsity) is now a back number, and I am convinced that we never saw him at bls best. Allan was always a poor judge ot pace, and showed it in the majority of bis races. E. B. Smith (’Varsity) is a good haltmiler with probable pretentions for championship class, but he will have to train systematically. ' , , R. Leech (’Varsity) may be predicted as a winner in tlie highest company next season. He has one serious fault. hen in anv distance race always run on the chalk line, never on the outside of two or three opponents. G. McDonald (Gisborne) has been running for many seasons, and I do not think he will show any further improvement next season, though one must admit that he put up a fine performance when he won the provincial half-mile title. H. McDonald (Palmerston North) is a good miler in the making, and when he gets a little more racing and experience should be a champion later on. G Bayne (Petone) is our best miler at present, but lie is far below championship standard, and will have to Improve a lot to be In the as Rose, Satidan, and Gibbons. C. Campbell (Olympic) is a poor championship runner, and never seems to give of his best. He has put up some very fine performances, but can hardly last much longer. C. Tutty (Olympic) is the only young runner that shows any sign of making a good miler, but lie must Improve bls style His present way of wasting his energy by lifting bis legs behind Instead of striding to the front like a trotter, will have to receive the attention of his coach. F Silver (Scottish Harriers) should concentrate on three miles only, mid should realise that it is impossible to combine walking with running. A New Zealand championship is not beyond him. ' Outside of Lander (Wellington) and Ramson (Varsity), the hurdlers are a very poor lot, nor can I see any promising talent In sight. G. It. White (Hastings) Is only fair Holinwood (Wairarapa) has not taken kindly to the game. If this boy could be induced to take his hurdling seriously, lie is a possibility for New Zealand honours. At the present time the standard in the field events is very high, but Munro, Brown and Sutherland cannot last for ever and where are the men to replace them? Take, for instance, the pole vault. Not once this season has this event been on tlie programmes. Outside Sutherland we have not' one competitor. This state of affairs also occurs in the hammer throw and McHolni cannot carry the burden much longer. Tlie

Wellington Centre should do more to encourage competitors for these two events. F Brady (Wellington Club) is the most promising'high jumper mid the one most Hkelv to improve. IV. H. Roberts (VI .11rara'pa) is another good jumper lie best was not seen of B. Ryilbeck (Wellington Club) and there is no doubt that he is an acquisition to the jumpers and callable of winning the high, long and hop, step and bimn at anv New Zealand championship gathering. Young McKelvie (Olympic) is a youth worthy of encouragement in the high jumping branch. L « «« The long jumpers let us down badly this season, but I think nil are capable of much improvement. Practise is what is needed and a permanent jumping pit should be provided at one of the city grounds. Rydbeck (Wellington). Sutherland fellington) Ramson (Varsity). Barker (Varsity). Mackay (Varsity), Beck (Hastings), and 4Vhite (Hastings), are all capable of doini? over 20 feet. There are many prospective champions among the javelin throwers. Munro and Brown stand out. as shotputters, always doing over 40ft. But whaf fl drop to the next men I V. H. jones CVarsitv) and H. McNutt (Wellington) cannot do more than 34ft. at their best. The discus event is receiving e\ery encouragement, and creditable performances are being put up. . . , While the centre has done its best to encourage walking, one ponders and wonders whether it is worth while. Certainly W Lankev (Dannevirke) is a walker above Hie average, and IV. Tonkin (Athletic) and S Gudscll (Wellington), are not tar behind him. but the game is slowly dying out for want of competitors. A. Hill (Olympic) is a I 1 ’"' 1 ?, being hurried, and will keep the Wellington colours, to the front at future championship meetings. The Final Centre Meeting.

The final meeting of the season as far as the Wellington Centre is concerned was held on Saturday evening. The attendance was better than usual, and some great finishes were witnessed. The cycling was a feature of the programme,' and the riding of F. Grose. T. Oakley, and M. Gane was a real treat. Grose, by winning the three events in which he started, proved that the accident which kept him out of the New Zealand championships robbed him of three certain was responsible for the drawing up of the respective heats in the 100, 220 and 440 yards, was very unfair to the' two leading clubs, 'Varsity and 44 ellington. insomuch as pitting these two clubs against each other in the heats. The Dewar Shield was again won by the Wellington Club, and they are to be congratulated on their success, especially as tbev were without the services of Lander, Ryilbeck. Sutherland. Jenkins, Bird, and 4Velply was the successful trio in the 100 yards, all running well. The starters in the 880 scratch race were a very poor lot, and it is hard to understand'whv the ’Varsity Club did not put in a team. 'The Wellington Club caused a mild surprise by winning this event with Pickering, Cole and Fisher. tutty (Olympic) was first home, but Pickering, -by’helping his team-mates along, jeopardised his own chance of success. The 440 yards was also won by the Wellington Club with the aid of Fleming. Pickering, and Thompson. ’Varsitv had no difficulty in winning the one mile event. Their team was R. Leech, J. C. Fabian, and R. Anderson. The field events were won by the Wellington and ’Varsity Clubs, the former capturing the high jump (Barlow and Bradv), the discus (Munro and Brown), and the latter the long jump (Ramson and Mackay), and the javelin (Jones and Mackay). The cycling races were well contested, Wellington and Petone dividing the honours. Miss L. Hooper proved that her handicap was on tlie liberal side, and won the 100 yards easily. Miss V. Murray (Athletic) won the 120 yards off 5 yards—quite a good performance. Miss O. Lawler, though winning her heat, was unplaced in the final. Siic deserves a win, but will have to wait until next season.

Olympic Club Notes. Members registered an excellent end-ot-the-season performance last Saturday night on the Basin Reserve in the contests for the Dewar Shield. In the 100 yards and 220 yards, the sprint team —R. IValker. IV. H. Clemeatson. and D. McNicol—qualified for both finals, IValker gaining a second and a third. Paris, Long and Gower ran in the 440 vards. but owing to the latter having to contest the junior event later on, the team was not at its best. In the half-mile run Tutty made no race of it, and won comfortably after leading all the way. Atley and Sceats ran well in this event. The one mile was a good race. Tutty again shining out, and he finished in second place. H. Gordon and IV. Sceats completed the team in this event. The hurdlers. M. McKelvie and L. MeGreevy, did well to be in the final with ’Varsity. For a novice MeGreevy hurdled well, and with a bit more training McKelvie would have 'been closer up. Although a team representing the club started in each field event, it was in the high jump that J. Long and M. McKelvie did best. The former just failed at sft. 4iu.. whilst McKelvie cleared sft. 2in. IValker and 'McNicol threw the discus, and Tutty and IValker the javelin. In both these events they wore outclassed. IV. Glover, J. Pullai). and E. Warner, three juniors, brought the only teams' win to tlie club by running away with the 221) yards Junior. Glover won easily witli his team mates in close attendance. Botli Fullan and Warner excelled themselves.

E. F. Bellman. H. Scarfe. and G. Staveley competed in the cycle events, and all rode well. Scarfe Is to be congratulated for turning out to assist his club, in view of tlie fact that he had strict instructions not to ride. Hellman and Staveley were prominent, (jnd for B grade riders must have given some of the cracks a fright, especially in the half-mile cycle final, where Bellman defeated Gane and Flett.