STEVENS TOO GOOD

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 78, 29 September 1930, Page 15

STEVENS TOO GOOD

BENNETT ROAD RACE

BROOKLYN TEAMS' SUCCESSES

FHJHT ES T EACH GItADE

IS;,- his doings this season A. L. Stevens, of- the-Scottish--Club, ..has very firmly established himself beyond a shadow of ■ doubt 'Wellington's leading harrier. To his list of previous successes in intcr-elub i-oiHests he added another on Saturday alLernoon. when lie cantered away from • a large field and Avon handsomely the Bennett Memorial road nice. Stevens won by over. 10() yards from A. Barclay (.Brooklyn), the second man to finish. D. Todd (Brooklyn) was third. A and B grade runners took part in the race, the B 'grade men competing for the Craig Cup. In each grade the Brooklyn teams registered fine performances, and took the team honours. R. 0. Pedersen (Brooklyn) was the first^of the B grade. runners to finish, and E. Willetts (Wellington) next. The starting and finishing point was op- j posite the City Ambulance Station. The course led along Wakefield .street, thence around Oriental and Evans Bays to Welj lington road, over Constable street, and by the main traffic route down Adelaide road back to1 Wakefield street The distance was approximately 6% miles. RACE DESCRIBED. Some fifty or sixty ruimers started. They strung out quickly and the field, when Oriental parade was reached, was being piloted by F. Silver (Scottish). He dropped behind on the run round the bay, however, and at the Kiosk he was'not in the first five. The leaders at this point uLere D. Pedcrsen (Brooklyn), Stevens, 'I'odil, L. Sinclair (Scottish), and Barclay. A little' further on Stevens and Pedersen commenced to open up o gap on the others, and in turn Stevens gradually pulled away from Pedersen. At the foot of Wellington, road, near the Kilbirnie reserve, Stevens was 2.5 yards in l'ront of Pedersen, who led Barclay and Todd by 40 yards. Bibby and Sinclair were next. In the run up Wellington road and down Constable street Stevens increased his lead to 100 yards from Pedcrsen. Barclay overtook Pedersen in Adelaide road, but at the Lead of Kent terrace he was over 100 yards behind Stevens still. Pedersen followed Barclay. Todd had opened up a gap on Bibby, 60 yards behind whom was Sinclair; Stevens was going as well as ever; there was no one to overhaul him, and he won with ease from Barclay, with Todd third, Pedersen fourth, and Bibby fifth. The Brooklyn representatives' teaming was excellent. They .finished second, ■third, fourth, and fifth—a fine performance. An interesting fact was that two of the members of the Brooklyn team— Todd and Barclay—were in the winning Brooklyn team eight years ago. Stevens's time was 36min 17 4-ssec, which was over a minute slower than his record performance last year. There was a strong wind on Saturday, though, and it made the race a stiller test. It was Stevens's fourth successive win in the event, Barclay took 36m in 39scc to cover the course, and Todd 36min S3sec. Details of the racing are as follow:— A GRADE. A. L. Stevens (Scottish) '... 1 A. Barclay (Brooklyn) 2 D. Todd (Brooklyn) 3 D. Pedersen (Brooklyn) 4 J. B. Bibby (Brooklyn) ......:........ 5 L. Sinclair (Scottish), C; S. M'Kinuon (Wellington), 7; A. Carter (Olympic), 8; U. Campbell (Olympic), 0; F. Silver (Scottish), 10; L; Carmichael (Hutt Valley) 11; If. Dudley (Hutt Valley), 12; G. Foster (Scottish), 13. TEAMS' RACE. ' '- :-'.- Pts. Brooklyn (Barclay 2, Todd 3, D. Pedcrsen 4, Bibby 5) M Scottish ■ 30 Olympic 52 Wellington' GO Hutt Valley 05 B GRADE. K. O. Pedersen (Brooklyn) 1 E. Willctts (Wellington) 2 A. B. Davies (Brooklyn) ..'...■ 3 D. Barn (Olympic) ,-: 4 M. Violieh (Scottish) ....'. 5 C. M'Conchie (Wellington), 0; I<\ Sanders (Hutt Valley), 7; B. Lawer (Scottish), 8; A. Miet (Brooklyn), 0; A. M'Millan (Scottish), 10; W. Sceats (Olympic), 11; T. Garrelt (Hutt Valley), 12. TEAMS' RACE. Pis. Brooklyn (Pederseii 1, Davies 3, Mict . 0, D. Sinclair 20) 33 Scottish .J2 Wellington 40 Olympic! f>2 Hutt Valley 57 Scottish No. 2 73 PREVIOUS SHIELD WINNERS. The Shield was presented by Mr. W. H. Bennett in memory of his son, Mr. W. B. Bennett, a member of the Wellington Harrier Club, who was killed near Polycon Wood, France, in 1917. It was first competed for in 1921. Previous winners are as follow:—1021, Olympic; 1922, Brooklyn; 1923, Olympic; 1924, Olympic; 1025, Masterton; 1026, Hutt; 1927^ Wellington; 1928, Wellington; 1929, Brooklyn. TROPHIES PRESENTED. • After the race the Shield, the Craig Cup, and medals wore presented by Mr. Bennett, who congratulated the winners ou their performances." He paid special tributes to the two Brooklyn teams, Stevens,and to Barclay and Todd, and1 cheers were exchanged. ■ Mr. A. A. Nattrass, chairman of the Wellington Harrier .Sub-Committee, was making his last official appearance, and eulogistic reference to his ability and his services to the sport was made by Mr. Bennett. It was hoped, suid Mr. Bennett, that although Mr. Nattrass would not actively be connected with the administration of the sport, ho would retain v keen interest in. it. I'eplying, Sir. Nattrass said he would always be interested in the harrier sport. He thanked all, and said that if he had helped harriers he was well satisfied.