SPORTING REVIEWS

Evening Star, Issue 19387, 22 October 1926, Page 12

SPORTING REVIEWS

No. xiv. [Bj Hooker.] Though R. W. Lander, the subject of this week’s review, may not be 'as well known to the general public as some of those who have preceded him, to followers of athletics he is one of the best-known figures in that sport'in New Zealand at the present time. Ho is a lino all-round athlete, though hurdling is his forte. Rather a noteworthy fact is that, though Roger Lander has held the New Zealand 120yds hurdles championship for three years, ho has never succeeded in w inning a provincial title over that distance. Lander first took up amateur athletics at Sacred Heart College, Auckland, where he won the senior athletic championship in 1921. He established a school record for 120yds hurdles (3ft), doing 16 1-Sin—very fine time for a schoolboy. He also did 19ft 9in in the broad jump while still at school. In 1922-23 he compete! in open events in Wellington as a member of the Wellington Amateur Athletic Club, and he specialised particularly in the hurdles, having the benefit of tuition from H. E. Wilson, the Australasian hurdle champion and record holder. In 1924 ho was first string for the hurdling events in the Wellington team at the New Zealand amateur championships at Dunedin, where he won the 120yds hurdles championship in ICsec on a wet track, J. W. Shirley, of Auckland, being second. He was third in the 440yds hurdles championship, a position ho occupied, strangely enough, in 1925, and again in 1926. At the_ New Zealand University champions!) ips in 1925 Lander represented Victoria College (Wellington), and was second in the 120yds hurdles to H. D. Morgan, of Otago University. On his transfer to Dunedin hi 1925, Lander joined up with the Civil Service Club, and was second in the Otago 120yds hurdles championship to H. D. Morgan in 17 l-ssec, against tho wind. He accounted for tho provincial 440yds hurdle title, going round in 60 2-ssec. He was in the Otago team that went to Wanganui, and won tho 120yds hurdles championship of New Zealand in 15 4-ssec. At tho Otago championships last season Lander ran second to H. D. Morgan in both the 'l2oyds hurdles and 440yds hurdles, but at the Now Zealand championships a fortnight later ho turned the tables on Morgan in the former event, a great 120yds hurdles final resulting in a win for Lander by the barest possible margin in 15 4-ssec, against the wind. Lander uses the stop-over action in hurdling, following the stylo adopted by tho exOlympic champion, Earl Thompson, of America, lie is a pretty hurdler, and has also devoted some attention to such events as tho high jump, in which his best effort is round about sft 4in, and throwing the discus, of which he is tho present Otago champion. Lander’s activities have not been wholly confined to amateur athletics, and lie was a member of the Sacred Heart College first Rugby fifteen and first eleven at cricket. He followed up Rugby alter leaving school, and won a place in the Wellington junior representatives, later being in the Marist pack in first-grade Rugby in the Empire City. He played a few games last season for the Dunedin Club seniors, but during the recent winter he took on harrier running. He has done his share on the administration side of amateur athletics, being sports secretary of the Otago Centro of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, and a member of the committee of the Civil Service Amateur Athletic Club.