INTER-VARSITY SPORTS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 104, 3 May 1924, Page 11

INTER-VARSITY SPORTS

NEW ZEALAND BLUES COMPETE KEEN CONTEST AT QUEEN'S CLUB PORRITT AND POWELL IN THE 100 YARDS. (PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.} • LONDON, 24th March.

There was a certain New Zealand interest in the University Sports at Queen's' Club last Saturday, for the Dominion was represented in both the Oxford and the Cambridge team. A. E. Eprritt (Otago University and Magdalen), who has come on remarkably well during late training, was second string for. Oxford in the 100 yards, and against him-was'V. B. V. Powell (Christ's College and Caius),' Cambrige's .second string.'''- Powell also competed in the long jump. . '

It was a beautiful afternoon for. the meeting. All accommodation fpr spectators was ' occupied. . His Majesty the Tung appeared on the- grounds before the first .'event started, and remained on the grass during'the whole of the afternoon, . where he' could 'get a perfectly good view of all the events.

Oxford had choice of stations or precedence 'of 'turn in tie 100 yards, half-, mile, long jump, three rhiles, ' quarter mile, and one mile, and Cambridge in the high jump, putting the weight, pole vault, and low and high hurdles. . The IQO yards was run first against a slight wind. There was a false; start, and then the field got off well.: Porritt led by; a few'inches at the start, and seemed1 Eke being the winner,'but: by the time he had reached the fifty yards point' C. F. N. Harrison (Eton" and Trinity)'had got into the lead". Porritt pressed him closely.and gained, but by the time they reached the tape: Porritt was still two.feet behind the Cambridge. l.winner, Harrison. G. R; Reuwick '(Charterhouse and-New College) came on next, a yardi behind Porritt, and Powell a yard behind RyenwiqK., It was a very fine race, and an. exciting one right up to the tape.. Tlie time 'vyas 10 l-ssec.

NEW ZEALANDER'S LONG JUMP.

Powell appeared again in the. long, jump,- but was outclassed by all the other competitors. .: C. E. W! Macintosh (Eastbourne, and University),' of Oxford, the Old Public Schools' champion, brought off a surprise by' clearing 23ft 5m,. which brought him within 3£ inches of H. M.: Abraham's record of a: year agoi The results were:"C." E. ,W. Macintosh, 23ft 4in, 1; Sir T. G. Devitt,' Bt.' (Sherborne and Corpus" Christi)', Cambridge, 22{t,-.-2; B. M. Baker (University of Virginia, and Ballidl), Oxford, 21ft8|-in, 3; V. B. V. Powell (Clifton and Caius), Cambridge, 21ft-'s£in,"'4.-. Powell's jump, of course, is a. remarkable one, but the standard this year was unusual; :^ ' :. '■'■ .'■"■' ' ■■'.

The high jump produced a thrilUng contest between R. J. Dicjcenson (Oxford) and C. T.'Van GeyseY (Cambridge), who tied at sft, llin. L. F. Rpberts (Caiabridge), the ex-South' African recprd holder, was some\yhat disappointing, and A. M. Mitchell,". Oxfprd's second string, also/foun)! his. limit at sft lOin; 'It is np\v/iorty-eight -yeai-s since 6 feet was beaten at the Oxford and Cam'bridgespprts, but this year a new record seemed, in .prospept, with Van Geysel and Rpberts having tied at'6ft l|in recently, and' R. ;J. Dickenson holding the South,African,recprfi at (>li Q 5-Sinv ~'

The half-mile showed what a really great middle-distance runner is D. ff. A' Lowe (Highgate and Pembroke). But the Cambridge man had to "go hard to Wp, arid the race was a fine. qne. H. ,W. Kerr (Eton md 'palliol),.tt)e. Oxford sec-, ond string, led' for the first /lap/ and seemed to be running better than Watts, the first string for ' Oxford. Half-way-through the second lap Lowe began to 'race, and had Kerr beaten, as he came into the straight. There was still Watts, who was passed, but who kept close tp; Lowe right on-to the tape, and was only i beaten, by four yards. . Twice that distance separated the next two. The time, lmin 57 l-ssec, is well above interUniversity standard^ : r „.' AN EXTRAORDINARY MISTAKE. .The three,miles turned out to be painfully exciting." At'the. end of the first mile, run in 4min 53sec, the- order was P. H. M. Bryant'(Harrow and Queen's),' of Oxford, N, A. M'lnnes (City of Oxford and New College), "of Oxford, J. W. A.' Calver (Marlborough' and, Jesus), -of Cambridge, and K. H. Bell.(Charter house and Braseiiose), of..,Qxfprd. ,K. S ■ Starr,.. (Cambridge ' County \ and Christ's), of Cambridge, was? going very easily. In the' second mile, Calver,' the Cambridge secqnd string, several. times took, the'lead, but clearly could not'affect the issae; M'lnnes aiid -Bell both began to look'done; Bryant came into the picture, running well, and Starr still' looked happy. Bryant then took up the running. M'lnnes .'and Bell'were more and more palpably out of it. . It'was Bryant or Starr.' In the last lap but one Starr went after Bryant with a tremendous spurt. ' For a' moment or two everyone was mystified, and then it was clear that someone had blundered. Starr" was going all .out; he had miscounted the laps. He^came into the" straight, in. his own mind's eyg no doubt, a certain and glorious; winner, and then—there was jio welcoming tape before his eyes. He faltered., stumbled over the side of the track, and as the bell rang fox the real last lap he pulled up, spent and disillusioned, i|, pipture of woe. But whether Starr would have won or not, nothing can detract from the: achievement Pi. Bryant,;who; with a good de<il of run still left -in -him," went on to beat his own first and second' strings by the length of the straight. ~ < ; Of the other events, Oxford won the putting the weight (42ft 2inj,'Cambridge W e 220 yards low hurdles (timo 26 1-5 sec), Oxford'the 120 yards high hurdles (time 15 4-s,sec),. Oxford the quartermile (time 51sec), Cambridge tlie pole jump (10ft 4in), and Cambridge the one rmle (4min 33 l-ssec). : ft., ffi&y. \>.e, added that, the. time for the mile, 4mm 33 l-ssec, was the worst for twenty-five ,years, and in making the pace so slow^the Oxonians played into tlie. hands of Lowe, wlio, haying already run the half-mile, was highly advantaged by being able to run well within mf f°r t^ree-pa-Vts of the journey 11ns was the last race of the day, and with the pole jump it produced a sensational ending to a, sensational afte}-noori's sport. .For with these two events to'be decided Oxford, w.ho had won tlie weight, long jump, three ' miles,' hia-h tiurdles and quarter-mile to. Cambridge's hundred, yards, half-mile, and" low hurcUes,, the. high jump haying ended in'a tie, stood Wo up, ■ and another success would, have given them' ultimate triumph. At is was,, the meeting'ended with honours easy,. each side scorin" s'points. ' . ° 2