HARRIERS

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 38, 13 August 1932, Page 24

HARRIERS

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CLUB TITLES

CHAMPIONSHIPS, DECIDED

WELLINGTON TEAM

CANDIDATES

' Unfavourable conditions prevailed , last Saturday, when the remaining , three club championships were decided. ■ The times registered were slow, owing to the strong head wind. It was a day ! on which stamina triumphed over speed, i this accounting for several surprise displays of form. A. I). Stevens regained . his-Scottish title, although it was no [ easy victory, ■ the conditions not being .to his liking. The notablo effort in this event was that of D. S. Woodley, ; who ran with rare determination throughout and finished only 20 yards behind Stevens. Both the Presbyterian and 'Varsity . Clubs held their inaugural championships over one lap .of tho Vosseler Shield course, the . finish of the Presbyterian! Club race be- , ing particularly exciting. The first five . men were home within eleven seconds .of one another. A further competitive | event, the Olyrnpie Club's three mjles , teams' race for the Philp Shield, was ' also held. ; The club champions for this season ; are: / j • : G. Prosser (Brooklyn). . A: L. Stevens (Scottish) M. Morris (Wellington) V. Smith (Hutt Valley) . v P. Wilson (Olympic) ; G:Bagnall ( s Varsity). , . J. Long (Presbyterian). Taking a line through tho form displayed in the various club champion- : ships, indications are that Wellington : should bo able to-fiold a fairly strong ; combination for the New Zealand cross- , country event. Baync, Prosser, Stevens, i and Wilson appear to be the-" most liko;ly candidates for the first four posi- \ tions, whilst for tho romaiiiiug' two ! places the most prominent candidates i aro V. Smith, M. Cooko, F. Silver, A. | Barclay,' and M. Violich. ' The team . was. to have been selected after this i afternoon's race. ! Scottish. . . I Held over tho championship course at I Hutt Park, the Scottish Club's titlo t race attracted a comparatively small > field of 30 runners. The race resolved ; itself into a strugglo between Stevens, Woodley, and Silver. Tho last-named made the pace during tho whole of the first lap, and proved conclusively that he is not yefc a spent force. The trio obtained a break on the next bunch of 1 runners early in the race, arid maintained it to the end. The tussle for the three minor places in the A team was. equally as keen, Ellis, Olifent, Buchanan, and Hivon running together • for practically the whole ■ journey. Stevens's performance, whilst nothing unusual for him, served to show the merit of Woodley's effort. Woodley ran his best race to date, and with more confidence in his own ability would, perhaps develop from a solid performer to a brilliant runner. F. Silver gave the impression that he could have done better. Another sterling run was that of H. Ellis, who finished fourth.. This was the result of ;dogged determination to qualify for the A team. A real fighter,' Ellis is just the type of, runner needed in a race 'like the provincial .championship. J. Olifent finished well to head off G. Buchanan in the straight. Foster, who is ■; still nursing an injured ankle, was unable to run up to his best form. In the medium pack tho most out-' standing improvement was that of W. Brown, who finished 14th. A solid type, Brown was one of those who revelled in the boisterous conditions. A further success was netteol by D. Woodley in the sealed handicap for the Hislop Eose Bowl. Woodley previously won this trophy in ID3O. . ; Owing to illness M. Violich was unable to._ compete. It would have been interesting to see how Violich would have fared ori Saturday. He would certainly, have stood< up tq, the elements, and with his stamina it is on the cards that; he would have made matters exceedingly interesting for the winner. Presbyterian. ~ Saturday?s run (as described in Monday's.' "Post".) was the Presbyterian Club s most strenuous run to date, and ±oi- the first, time much stringing-out , was noticeable, Nevertheless, the success of tho newer and: younger members in keeping up,the pace over such difficult conritry was very pleasing to ccc. No run-in was held, as waiting for everyone to come in would have neces-, sitated the leaders standing round for some time in the cold southerly wind. J- Long and H. Cowan, two of the club s most promising runners, wore again well to the fore, and several new men who wero out for the first time ; did very well. 'Varsity. 1 Mainly owing to his being a husky type of runner, G. Baguall succeeded in annexing tho first championship title of the 'Varsity Club. Taking the lead on leaving tho beach, Bagnall ran well over the whole distance to finally lead H a Thompson home by 80 yards. Cairns, who could make little headway against the wind, is a natural runner who should do jnneh better in calmer conditions. K. Sheard in finishing fourth did jiot run up to form, and appeared to be slightly "off colour." F. Shorland's effort was characteristic oi his usual strong style of running. Olympic. J. Perston and W. Scatchard were responsible for the excellent three-mile trail for the Philp Shield raco. Onco again P. Wilson : reproduced some of his old-time form to secure individual honours by 25 yards from C. Campbell. The teams section was won by Garnham Strong, Sullivan, Eggers, and Lovatt. The race itself was really a struggle against the elements, tho trail, in common with other club trails, being exposed to the full force of tho southerly. A surprise was sprang by Mountjoy in running into, fourth place. Tho weather held no terrors for E. Dunnett, the only member of the colts' pack who participated in Saturday's outing. A few of tho older members in the various local clubs could 'well afford to follow this runner's example, as there are many "fine weather" harriers in Wellington at present. A humorous note was struck by Mr. W. J. Wallace, manager of the 1932 All Blacks, when replying at a function tendered the team at Wellington (Australia). Wellington teams, he said, appeared to have a "hoo-doo" on New Zealand teams, as they had tho happy knack of beating each touring team before it left. Tho "hoo-doo," if any, apparently did not extend to Wellington's namesake in Australia, as the tourists put on the biggest scoro of the tour, " ' '