DOMINION'S BEST

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 57, 8 March 1932, Page 9

DOMINION'S BEST

NATIONAL GATHERING

ATHLETES AND CYCLISTS

RECORDS MAY BE BROKEN

(By "Sprinter.")

Centre championships having been decided, attention in the field of athletics and cycling is now turned to the principal gathering of the season, the tracK and field games championships of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic and Cycling Association. The venue of this season's big fixture is the Auckland Domain, and there on Friday and Saturday of this week the Dominion's leading amateur athletes and wheelmen, representing the Auckland, Weljington,. West Coast (North Island), Canterbury, and Otago Centres, will be drawn together on common cround, vicing with each other for supremacy .both in regard to individual honours and in the hope of their particular province winning the Championship Shield. . .* " . . .

• -Added importance' is given to this season's gathering in view of' the near approach of the Olympic Games, to be held in Los Angeles, California, at the end of July. The rule will be run over competitors, for on performances at the championships the selectors appointed by the N.Z.A.A. and C.A. will submit their report. "With each successive meeting thero is usually something- of an outstanding order, but on paper the Auckland meeting gives promise of providing not only a series of!lino contests but some sensational performances. Events during the past few weeks at the various centre championship meetings;make it appear quite oiftthe cards that several records will bjM broken. Competitors in the track events will have the advantage, of one o^. the fastest, if not the fastest, tracks in New Zealand, so that all that will be necossary to make the stage perfect will be good weather conditions.

HAED TASK FOR PROPHET,

•Realising that a comparison of times very often may be odious, that consideration should be given to differing local, conditions, and.that reputations made on- local tracks sometimes burst like bubbles when-it comes to the big test, it is with some diffidence that "Sprinter" essays to deal briefly -with the' prospects of. candidates for honours at the championship meeting. ■With the promising talent that will be assembled in Auckland, including athletes who literally have jumped into prominence this season, the task of declaring that so-and-so is a certainty for: a certain ev^nt would trouble a prpphet. And "Sprinter", does not claim tb:bo a prophet. '*■"■'...

:The Wellington province will be represented by a strong team, but the indications are,. (if performances in other, centres lately can be relied upon, that its representatives will have their wprk cut out in retaining possession, ofsthe Championship Shield, awarded to ; :the. centre gaining most, points. In this competition the Wellington Centre has the proud record of fifteen- years' •mbroken success.

THE SPRINTS.

:To deal first with the 100 yards championship, the general opinion is that G. P. Hart (Canterbury), the pre-sent-title-holder, will not be good dndigh to beat off the.Aucklander, A. Elliqt, or the "Wellington champion, C. H. .Jenkins, who are expected to fight out firstiplace.^ Ellibt-"i^ reported_to:,be; in good!forai, but Jenkins, whose^ experiehed'has developed"in him the big "test temperament, which at one timp,he lacked badly, is possibly running better than ever,'and provided he has not to run into a stiff breeze, in which case Elliot would be at an advantage, he should be a hard man to beat. In spite of Elliot's T'eported-fast time of 21. 2-ssec, which incidentally on reference to files shows' was accomplished with the assistance of a breeze, Jenkins (present holder of the title) should go out'the favourite in the 220 yards championship,! which will be run on a straight track; This, moreover, should not affect 1 Jenkins, as some people, would have one believe.

TWO BATTLES EOYAL.

Since his defeat by S. A. Black (New Plymouth) in the 440 yards West Coast (North Island) Centre championship in fast time recently, and in view of fine performances over his pet distances by Auckland, Wellington, and Canterbury athletes, there has been much speculation as to whether Don' Evans (Wanganui), whose notable achievements last" season "made him appear a likely candidate for the Olympic Gamesj might not find, the opposition too tough. Certain it is that the 440 yards and :880 yards championships will be epic contests, and it will not be sur« prising to read of brilliant performances. Wellington's first string in the 440 yards championship will be J. T. Kerning, and in the half-mile W. Ogg, but ■'both •will have to step lively to win. It was on the Auckland Domain in 1927 that Fleming ran. 50sec i or the "quarter," and this is on the books as the best performance by a New Zealander. He'will be all out to win back the title, and his lun at the provincial championship meeting recently served to indicate that he is in very fair form. Canterbury will have a good mania T. G. Broadway, a young athlete, who on a slightly heavy track on Saturday at the Canterbury championships registered 50 4-ssee for the "quarter" and Imin 56 4-ssec for the half-mile.

MILE AND THESE MILES,

The present holder of the one mile title is G. Bayne, who, despite opinions to tho contrary, and particularly as it has been stated that J. !%W. Savidan (Auckland) may wish to reserve himself for the three miles, "Sprinter" expects to see win again. It is true that Bayne'B times lately have not been considered fast, but has he been full out? In the three miles Savidan will not have Randolph Rose, his great rival, to I worry him, and he should win in a can- | ter. At the Auckland' championships on Saturday he was credited with a 60 yards -win in 14min 49 l-ssec.

Wellington's representative in the half-mile and one mile walks will be L. prise oil, but he will l>e up against a solid trio in Cameron and Gudsell, of Auckland, and G. S, Cabot (Otago). Cabot holds the walking titles, and looks l;ke keeping them, but, more so fn a walking event than in any other, accidents will happen, and it is not safe probably to predict the winner. The two hurdle events appear very °Pen, the Wellington representatives, A. Holderness and H. Leach, should be in the placings. Auckland will have two good first strings in Shirley. (120 yards) and Kerr-Taylor (440 yards). Another possibility is I. 0. Manson (Otago).

"FIREWORKS" IN JUMPS.

Something in tho nature of "fire* worksV 13 anticipated in the three jumping events, which, in. view of several 'notable performances lately, will create keen interest. Otago has a young giant, A. A. Cameron, a reinstated professional, who is expected to make things "hum"; Auckland will be represented in the hop, step; and •;jump and long jump very worthily by L. Schncideman; and Wellington has a good man for'the three events in T. Crowe, of Motueka. Between the three of. them, and with other capable performers, it seems likely that the records for the long jump and the hop, Btep, and jump will be smashed. It has been said of Cameron that "there seems to

be no"limit to his capabilities." Besides competing in the three jumps, he is also entered for the discus. He. is reported to have done nearly 50ft'in the hop, step, and jump in professional ranks, which is well over the New Zealand record of 47ft 4Jin. On Saturday, with an effort of 48ft 2^in, the Aucklander L. Schneideman actually broke the New Zealand record for the triple leap, established in 1927 by J. W. Shirley (Aueklander). Crowe and Wellington's .second string, D. Phillips, also have, record-breaking performances to their credit.- In the long jump at the Wellington .championships both broke the New Zealand record of 23ft S-Jin, but they had some assistance from the wind. G. Sullivan (Wanganui) is the prejnt holder of the long jump and hop, step, and jump titles, but the indications are that he will have to do better than last year to win. F. Bradey (Wellington) will not be" defending his high jump and pole vault championships. Crowe is capable of about sft llin in the high jump, and if he is able to produce his best he should be a winner. The pole vault title should go to the record holder and former- champion, ever-green W. J. Batstone (Canterbury), a wonderful enthusiast, who has made a specialty of this.ctent. At the Canterbury championships Batstone's winning effort was 3 5-Bin short of his record. It is expected that S. A. Lay will be on hand for the javelin championship, and if so the title is his. He has no peer in New Zealand in this event. There should- be a good tussle between the present holder, W. Harvey (Wellington) and J. G. Leekie (Otago) for the hammer title, with the odds possibly favouring Leekie, who although not ever having held the title, has to his credit the best performance by a New Zealander. P. Munro (Wellington) appears to have a mortgage on the shot putting and discus titles. Again this year the coast looks clear for him. LADIES' 100 YARDS. Ever since its inclusion in the programme a few years ago, the ladies' 100 yards championship has proved an attractive contest. Wellington will be sending up to Auckland Miss Thelma Kench, who has held the title for the past two seasons and who should again be first to the. tape. Miss Keneh may not be as fast as some of the other girls over the first fifty yards, but she can produce a paralysing finishing effort that many a time has brought her first to the tape from a seemingly hopeless finish. , . As to possibilities in the three cycle championships, the indications are that the Auckland representatives, H. Dwight, M. P. Byrnes,,and Co., accustomed as they will be to the track, will play a prominent part. F. J. Grosc^ of Canterbury, who has been in Auckland for some little time, will be riding for Canterbury, but recent performances seem to indicate that he has lost some of his dash. E. Ulmer (Wellington) is a rider who has rapidly come to the front, and national honours are not beyond him. He will be partnered by experienced riders in M. Gane- and L. Roberts. The present holder of -tho three titles is T. O'Brien (Canterbury), but little has been hear-l of him of late, and it was noteworthy that he did not take part in the Canterbury cycling championships. However, he has been selected as a member of the Canterbury team.

In several respects the meeting promises to be one of the best in tha history of the Auckland Centre, and it is to be hoped ttiat it will be so. By their enthusiasm and energy, the officials have lifted the sport this, season from "the doldrums into which' it had drifted, and with the honour thisseason of staging what on paper should be a notable gathering the centre should be able to. gain further support. There should be a record attendance 6nr'Saturday and some record, performances.