ATHLETICS

Evening Star, Issue 19522, 1 April 1927, Page 12

ATHLETICS

[By Pxsiom]

FIXTURES. April 2.—Otago Athletic and Cycling Club’s Road Race, Mosgiel to Outram. April 16.—New Zealand University Championships, at Auckland. With the ladies’ fixture last Saturday, the local track season for 1926-27 practically came to a close, and a foil review of the season’s activities will appear next week. The amateur runners were well catered *er during the season, four afternoon and two evening mootings being staged by tbe Otago Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, while the Civil Service Club staged two evening meetings, the Anglican Club one, the University Club one afternoon meeting, the Taieri Club an afternoon meeting, and the Ladies’ Club an afternoon meeting. The season has been a good one in most respects, and even the weather has been more propitious than usual.

Several of the clubs will he holding their initial harrier runs to-morrow, and “Pistol” wishes.to remind secretaries of clubs that notes concerning their activities will be acceptable for publication in this column. They should be sent to this office not Inter than Tuesday of each week, and any items of general interest to amateur athletics and harriers will be welcome.

During the past two years considerable progress has been made in tbe firm establishment of ladies’ athletics in Dunedin, and for two or three seasons past the ladies have been competing in events that have been included on programmes under the jurisdiction of the Otago Centre of tho New Zealand Amateur Athletie Association. This season, however, an effort was mads to form a ladies’ club, and the Dunedin Ladies’ Amateur Athletic Club came into being. The doings of the club were I'ttle known to the public until last Saturday, when the initial meet took place on the Caledonian Ground before a fair crowd of spectators. The most picasing feature was the large number of competitors participating, and it speaks volumes for the work _ that has heeu done by the enthusiastic secretary (Miss E. S. Batt) that over 200 girls took part. The Ladies’ Club has made a happy beginning, which augurs well for the success of the club. There were no outstanding times on Saturday, though conditions were fairly favorable; but many of tho girls taking part-representative of local secondary schools, business firms, and Girl Guides—showed a good deal of promise.

One of the _ best efforts of the day was that of Miss. D. Moir in the 440yds walking race. This little lady is one of the best all-rounders in Dunedin, and the style she showed in the walk was evidently the result of good coaching. As she came up the straight she was greeted with cries of “ here comes Miss Cabot,” and her stylo was certainly such as to merit some such compliment being paid to her. Miss Moir also secured second place in the 200yds flat race, and returned the fastest time in her heat, which she won in 28sec. A promising young lady in Miss M. Wright accounted for the 75yds novice flat race in 10 l-ssec, the 75yds flat (open) being won by another newcomer to ladies’ ranks, Miss J. Walsh, in 10 _ 2-ssec. The trouble with the majority of the lady runners is in starting, in which more coaching would appear to be required. With more practice in starting there would bo a big improvement in tho times recorded. It was only last year that M : ~s J. M'Donnld was showing her heeis to competitors in primary school dvents, but she is adopting the same practice in open ladies’ events, and at present appears to be as full'of promise as any lady athlete in Dunedin. On Saturday she carried off the 75yds club race without difficulty from Miss R. Sargeant, and followed this up by running away with the 100yds flat racs in 13 l-ssec, Miss M. ’M'Laren being second. The latter‘accounted for the 200yds in 29sec.

The high jump attracted seven ladies, and, considering the small amount of coaching that had been received, some fair performances were witnessed, the winner (Miss V. Corniack) clearing 4ft Sin. In addition to the flat and field event?, several novelty relay races were included on the programme, all of which drew big fields. In fact, throughout the afternoon big fields were the_ rule, and it certainly looks as if ladies’ athletics have at last become firmly established in Dunedin. As in the past few seasons, the attendance of the public has fallen* below expectations, and this is one of the surprises connected with the control of the sport in Auckland (says the ‘ Herald’s’ athletic writer). With such splendid fields, and exciting racing, one would expect more patronage. At the Now Zealand championships only about 3,500 witnessed a memorable meeting, and at the local championship meeting the attendance did not exceed 1,500. This is one of the most heart-breaking tasks the local officials are confronted with, and it is to be hoped that the future will see much larger crowds.

Three men’s events were included ou the programme at last Saturday’s fixture, the I,oooyds handicap falling to the University half-mile champion, W. N. Allison, who, from a 20yds mark, won by 4yds, in tho very fair time of 2min 24sec. Allison is one of the most promising middle-distance men in Dunedin at the present time, but the writer believes that the I,oooyds event is just a shade too far for him, the half-mile being his best distance. Allison showed sound judgment in running Saturday’s race, leaving the limit man, A. W. Mount, and J. J. Morris, who was on 25yds, to make the pace, though the ’Varsity man was well placed at the end of one and a-half laps. With 120yds to go, he moved into fhe lead, and stayed there to win nicely from Morris. As" stated previously, Allison is not an unprepossesing runner, but he did not shape as attractively on Saturday as at tho ’Varsity meeting, tlntre being just tho suspicion that he was laboring towards the finish. Ho showed a tendency to climb, and will have to watch this, which was one of his old faults. He has a nice stride, and wants to keep it low instead of getting up in tho air. Vuung Morris gave a further sample of his quality by filling second place in tlia I,oooyds handicap, and he was sti-jing on at the finish. Ho will do feller over a somewhat longer distance L. C. M'LachJiU, the scratch man, was called upon to concede some fairly lengthy handicaps, but, though he left his run rather late, he managed to occupy third place, 6yds behind Morris Without a doubt MfLachlan is tiic most promising “ find of the season, and.next season should seo him not far removed from championship cKss.

Neither C. M. Nichohcn nor W. J. Templeton, the back-markers, appeared to h' unduly exerting themselves in tile one and a-half miles men’s cycle liancit an, and neither qualified for the final, which was won by a long handicap man in A L. Eavenswood (145yds), who won by one and a half lengths from H. Rosenbrock (170yds), Grindley (190yds) being one and a-half lengths hack third. The winner’s time was 3min 44scc. Ravenswood is an improving rider, whose success was well deserved, as ho has been a good trier during the season. A promising rider in D. Fraser won the first heat of the one and a-half miles cycling handicap from the loOjds mark in the good time of 3min 34saq, looked almost a certainty for the finu?. However, misfortune intervened, a>.*d along the far stretch ho came to grief, and did not finish the course, _ though lie was not seriously hurt,. Tip's joung rider should he encouraged to sticlr to

the game, aiid if he is looked after he should do well from much shorter marks nest season .

Results of considerable interest, for sport as well as for science, are expected from physiological investigations which are to be made by Professor Buytendijk, of Groningen University (Holland), at the Olympic Games in Amsterdam next year. A well-equipped laboratory is to be erected in the Stadium for the purpose. The suggested investigation will include exact studies as to the structure of the bodies of athletes, slow moving cinematograph films taken during the games, registration of the speed and acceleration of movements during the running races, measurements of strength, the circulation of the blood, and statistical investigation as to training diet. Professor Buytendijk is strongly supported both by the Olympic Games Committee and by a number of well-known scientists, including Professor A. V. Hill, of London, and Professor Cathcart, of Glasgow. Encouraged by the success of the winter meetings last season, the Auckland Club again intends to continue these gatherings. _ Cross-country, running, however, will be most seriously considered, and, according to the New Zealand ‘Herald,’ an enthusiastic band of officials is preparing plans for the opening run at the end of April or early in May, . , R. W. Lander, New Zealand 120yds hurdles champion, carried ‘iff the 220yds men flat handicap at the ladies fixture on Saturday, which marked his first win over the furlong. He pushed Duff to inches in the first heat, won in 23 4-ssec, and in the final he finished strongly to beat W. J. Suckling (7yds), to whom he was conceding 3yds, by half a yard in a splendid finish, though the time (24 l-ssec) was slower than that returned in the first heat. Lander recognises the value of sprinting to a hurdler, and he avails himself of every opportunity of participating in races, over the flat. Apropos of recent references to Brady being the first New Zealander to jump 6ft in New Zealand, Mr R. H. Wales, of Woodville, in a letter to “Spike,” of the ‘Dominion,’ states: “ About the year 1896 a young man named Thompson, in the employ of tne Cable Service, who, I believe, died in Wellington in 1897, cleared sft Him at a sports meeting in the Botanical Reserve. Mr liitchficld. of Fell ding, formerly of Blenheim, told me that he had seen Thompson jump 6ft 4in, and that his brothei had seen him clear 6ft 6in in Blenheim. He was the most graceful jumper 1 have ever seen. He would walk to the bar, jump, burl himself into the air, and alight beautifully. While on his way to the Whakapuaka Cable Station, where he was employed, he used to jump the big gates on the road. I understand that his home town was Blenheim.” The Canterbury College Athletic Club is making serious preparations for the selection of a team to participate in the inter-university tournament, to be held at Auckland at Easter (says the ‘New Zealand Referee’). Apart from C. L. Ridgen, D. Bain, and E. B. E. Taylor, there appears to he no one up to the required standard. M, Leadbetter is not eligible, while A. W. Smithson has left the track for tennis. The athletic trials, which are to be held at Christ’s College on Aprjl 2, may produce some new talent, but it does not appear that Canterbury will play a prominent part at Auckland. The Otago University may be without the services of R. F. Barr, the Light Blues’ furlong champion, at the New Zealand University championships, as he had to leave suddenly for Australia after the interfaculty championships. It is unfortunate, as Barr must have stood a fair chance of collecting points in the furlong at Auckland. G. S. Cabot, the Otago and New Zealand one-mile walk champion, is practically a certainty in the mile walk at the New Zealand University championships, and on the fast Auckland track he is expected,.if extended at all, to better his 6min 39sec registered on the same ground at the dominion meet. In addition to the onemile walk, Cabot will probably contest the three-mile flat championship. M. Leadbetter scored a popular and meritorious win in the 100yds (says the New Zealand ‘ Referee,’ in referring to a meeting held at Christchurch on St. Patrick’s Dav). Although conceding JOJyds, he showed great dash and speed to win his heat, semi-final, and final, the latter in 10 l-ssec. His best run was in the semi-final, where he gained a beautiful start. He cut down the opposition one after the other to breast tho tape a foot ahead of Gasson in the fast time of lOsec. In the final he was still in the rear at 70yds, but a splendid burst of speed carried film to the front to win decisively by a clear foot. In the 220yds he finished second in his heat, but found the field too hard in the semi-final, where ho wns unable to get through. L. Douglas, the University and Otago mile champion, faded out over the closing stages of the handicap on Saturday, and it is a pity he is unable to spare more time from his studies to put_ in some solid training, tpr, with a bit of work, he would certainly have to be reckoned with in both mile and three-mile flat events at the New Zealand University champion--8h The Now South Wales track and field games championships were concluded at Manly Oval recently (says the Australasian’). The final of the 440yds championsnip, postponed from the previous Saturday owing to ram, was held on Wednesday night mid-week at Manly. A fast pace was set at the outset by W. "Hunt, the title-holder, and A. Walker, and the pair raced together for two-thirds ol the way, ( when Norman moved up to them. W. Hunt then retired with a strained leg, and after a tussle with Walker Norman wont away to win nicely , by syds from T. W. M'Narnara, who made a late run- into second place from Walker. The time of 51sec was 9-10 sec slower than Hunt’s time of last year. T. G. Melville won the junior 440yds championship in the fine time of 53 2-ssec—a record. On Saturday last R. D. Norman ran tho best half-mile of his career. He equalled G. A. Wheatley’s New South Wales record of 1905—namely, Imin 56 4-ssec. It is most surprising to note that C. S. Stuart is in such a class as to finish a close second in such fast ting,, and must have improved out of nlf knowledge. He was passed only in the last 10yds, after leading all tho way. A. Walker’s 220yds victory was a popular one. He has finished second on about seven occasions, and his win is certainly not on account of weak opposition, for he won by fully syds from W. Hunt and J. Carlton in the fast time of 22 2-ssec. Previous holder, J. Winn, 22sec. H. S. Grandemange essayed to win tho three miles run from the hell, hut could not manage the whole lap at his top, being passed in the straight by C. O. James, tho Western Suburbs runner, who finished 10yds to the good in the mediocre time of lomin 44scc. C. R. Parker once more won the mile walk, and out-dis-tanced his opponents, winning easily in 6min 46 1-osoc. Latham (second), however, walked well.

A. W. Winter still retains his, form in the hop, step, and jump, hut his 47ft 4in is a big lump behind his 50ft 11 3-1 Gin Olympic performance (the ■writer continues). C. M. Ebert was a fair second with 44ft ICjfin. A. Floyd displaced N._ Shaddock from the pole vault title with a fair clearance of 10ft Sin; Winter, next best, 10ft. R. W. IJ. Thompson with 118 ft Sin won the throwing the 161 b hammer, but was about 10ft below his last year's performance. W. F. Payne, 113 ft 7Jin,' next best. W. F. Payne took the discus title from

Thompson, the respective distances covered being 113 ft Him and 105 ft 9iin. Thompson last year threw it 112 ft. The mile teams race provided an exciting finish. Botany’s team (W. M‘Koy, A. O. Wood, C. Carlton) just won on the tape, M‘Koy just beating Norman, East Sydney’s fourth string, by a narrow _ margin. Each man ran a quarter-mile; time, 3min 30 l-ssec. The meeting was one of the most successful yet held, and although the • track was somewhat heavy from over-night rain, the times were on the whole excellent. The Civil Service Club’s new colors are nothing if not distinctive— amber pants with red singlets. Jf the other clubs follow suit in going in for brighter and more distinctive looking costumes, the task of judges at the finishing post should be rendered much easier, and from the spectators’ point of view the change, too, is a desirable one. An exhibition relay race over 220yds was given at Pomone, California, during the course of an athletic meeting, with a result that the world’s recced of 23 6-10 sec set up in Australia ui 1911 was broken. The relay team consisted of Charles Paddock (champion sprinter), Hugh Pinney (former Pomone College sprinter). Eddie Pollock (Pasadena High School lad), and Keith Lloyd (U.S.C. dash man). The time was 21 6-lOse.