FIELD AND TRACK

Evening Star, Issue 20321, 1 November 1929, Page 15

FIELD AND TRACK

ATHLETIC HEWS AND COMMENTS [By Pistol.] FIXTURES. November 2-otngo Centro Dirt Track Motor Cycle and Athletic Meet, Forbury Park. , December 7.—Otago Centre’s Second Dirt Track Motor Cycle and Athletic Meet, Forbury Park. February B.—Otago Centre’s Third Dirt Track Motor Cycle and Athletic Meet, Forbury Park. February 22.—Canadian Athletes at Dunedin. _ , , „ ~ March B.—Otago Centre’s Fourth Dirt Track Motor Cycle and Athletic Meet at Forbury Park. March 14 and 15.—New Zealand Amateur Championships, at Wanganui. LABOUR DAT FIXTURE. The inception of a sports gathering at the Caledonian Ground on Labour Day was attendee! with most pleasing results, and the Otago Labour Day Association had little cause to grumble at the attendance, as there were nearly | five thousa id- spectators present. The ! athletic section of the programme was controlled by the Otago Centre of the N.Z.A.A.A., large fields being fairly general during the afternoon. The tracks were in very fair order, but the heavy wind was against fast times, though there were one or two really meritorious performances. It can not lie denied, however, that although competition is keen, the gen- i eral standard among the Dunedin sprinters is not a high one, and the writer is inclined to think that one of the factors leading to this state of affairs is that too many of the local sprinters carry out their training on the wrong lines. Too little attention | is paid to form, and more than once on Saturday well-known handicap men i forgot all about form as the£ neared | tho tape, and one runner lost a good i chance of victory by throwing his j hands wildly in the air. Body bal- I ance, too, is a thing that too few of 1 our sprinters know anything about, and it is to be hoped that during the j coming season the club’s trainers will devote Just a little more attention to j the finer points of the sprinters’ train- j ing operations There are one or two ; likely men here over the short dig- i tance ; but they require moulding along the right lines. Not one runner broke llsec in tho 100yds handicap, for which N. I. Pledger (6yds) arid B. Waller (Byds) dead- ! heated for first place. _ Pledger was rather slow into his stride, but he fin- ; ished in most determined fashion to j share first honours with Waller, who was beginning to fade. Pledger, _ however, nearly ruined his good finishing ’ burst by jerking his head back in such a manner at to lose all sense of body balance, wdiilo he threw his arms in i the air He is an improving sprinter | in other respects, however, and showed signs of his improvement by winning i the furlong off 12yds in_ 24 l-ssec. Ho must -nay more attention to form if he wishes to progress very far as a sprinter. H. H. North, better known as a middle-distancer, had a gallop in the furlong for second place in tho final, j off 15yds, displaying a strong finish. One of the most impressive runners . in this ra.-e, however, was North’s ’Varsity club mate, E. N. Smith, wellknown Rugby three-quarter. Smith' was not placed in the final of the furlong, but his heat he won in 25sec from scratch He is a strong type of runner, and with a little more finish would improve by yards over this distance. He is likely to be a useful man to University before the present track season ends.

Harry Lethaby, one of the sprint back-markers, qualified for the final of the 100yds, but failed to get up. He is not ready yet, but should be striking form in the course of a few weeks.

The outstanding runner was L. A. Wood, who has only to maintain his present rate of improvement to show to advantage at the Otago championship meeting. Cavershani has a potential champion in this youngster, who won the half-mile off scratch, in 2min 9sec, and the mile off the same mark in 4min 47 2-ssec. He used excellent judgment in both events, and staged a strong finish. When he commenced to stride out there was only one man in it, and his running in the mile greatly impressed good judges on the ground. Ho is a very free-actioned runner with a long, easy stride, and if he does not reach top form too early should have

before the season is brought to a close some great races with J. J. Morns He was 3 going well ip the three-mile handicap when he retired, but he had a good afternoon as it was, and was wise not to overdo it.

The three-mile handicap drew s good field, and resulted in a win for J. H M'Laren, of the Pacific Club, off 25yds M’Laren’s time was 16min 42sec, and though he has a rather crude style be is a very powerful runner, who should do better on tho track yet. He is inclined to drag his left hand from the back, and should pay a little more attention to acquiring correct arm action. He has good possibilities on the track. L. J. Logan ran well for a youngster to take second place in the, three-mile handicap, and he was also second in the 880yds handicap (under 18). He has a pretty fair sort of style, and should catch the judge’s eye before tho season has been long in progress. It was but a week or two ago that the writer advised J. W. Johnson to concentrate largelv on quarter-mile running, and the Anglican man’s running in the 440yds handicap on Monday justified the previous good opinion the writer held of his capabilities over this distance. Johnson was off 22yds, and he went away from tho start, making the pace a cracker with tho wind behind him. He was striding well, and broke most of the field up, staying on well to win comfortably by 10yds in 55sec. Johnson has only to develop a better finishing burst to achieve .considerable success in quarter-mile running in Otago. E. Fish, off syds, filled second place. He is not quite ready yet, but will probably be all the better for not hurrying his preparation at this stage. He is one of the near champions who is just tho kind to upset calculations in some of tho events at the provincial meeting. W. J. Leader ran consistently all afternoon, filling second placo in the 880yds handicap and third in both tho 440yds handicap and the furlong. He has a determined finish, and is likely to be useful to Caversham in relay races during the season. G. S. Cabot made no race of tho half-mile walk, and though he was giving away up to 6oyds he had tho race in hand at the bell, and went along the back with all his old-time clash to win easily in 3min 18 2-ssec. This was only ordinary time, but Cabot will reduce it by many seconds before the season has been long in progress. If ho maintains form he should certainly strengthen tho Otago team at the New Zealand championships, for it will take a class walker to beat him-

C. J. Henry, the Pacific heel and toe artist, is an improving performer, and off 55yds finished second. He has a much better style than when he first started, and is now beginning to reap the reward of consistent training.

A promising half-miler is W. Pullar who won the 880yds handicap under 1? off the 30yds mark. He has not a very long stride, but he uses good judgment and has a strong finish, his time being 2mill 14 3-ssec.

Blessed with energetic officials and enthusiastic active members, the Pacific Club during the past two or three seasons has developed into one of Otago’s strongest athletic organisations, both from the aspect of winter athletics and the track and field. It was another good performance on Monday that gave the Pacific representatives victory in the mile relay handicap off 2oyds, though the time was slow. In the javelin throwing handicap P. G. Ward was aided by the wind, but his I4Bft llin was a good effort, and the best yet recorded by ato Otago athlete. Ward is the most consistent man with the javelin Otago had yet produced, and the writer once again voices the opinion that he will better 150 ft in the very near future. LADIES’ ATHLETICS. There was much keener competition in the ladies’ events at Monday’s sport gathering, and a very promising spnn ter was brought to light in Miss G. Winder, who won the 100yds event oil Cyds in 13sec, after registering 12 4-ssec against a strong wind in her neat. She should do well in the ranks of the local girl sprinters. Of the back-inUrkers, Miss J. Maxwell ran well in her heat, and with a little more training should be catching the judge’s eye. Miss 0. G. Blackie is an improving runner who shaped convincingly to secure second place in a 12-45 heat off 4yds. Miss M. Dawson was another who showed that it should not be long before she is reproducing last season’s form. The ladies’ relay attracted three teams, and a good race ensued, Pacific being the winning team. Most of tiie runners require more practice in the transfer of the baton, too much ground being lost in this way CYCLING COMMENTS. The most unfortunate incident of the cycling event* at the Labour Day sports was the nasty spill sustained by J. 0- Fogarty in the half-mile A grade handicap. Fogarty was not seriously injured, but his fall is likely to keep the Otago champion off tho track for some weeks at feast. It was hard luck, for he was in great form, and in his absence the outstanding rider was H. G. Cooper, who is now showing signs of fulfilling-his earlier promise. Cooper Won the halfmile A grade event off 40yds in the smart time of linin 7sec, and the twomile open handicap, off 120yds in 6min 58 3-ssec, also securing third place in the mile A grade. Cooper sits his machine well, and in every race on Monday showed keen racing judgment, timing his final sprint nicely. He has developed a strong finish, and if he can maintain his present rate of improvement should win from shorter marks

G. Smith got up in his heat of the inile A grade event, but in tho final his usual sprint was not forthcoming. He seems to have gone stale, and would probably b© all the better for a short lay-off Ho is one of Otago’s most promising men. W J Templeton qualified for both the half-mile and mile A grade finals, 'without being placed in the deciding races, but he filled third position in the two-mile open Had he used his head a little wore he flight have disouted leadership with Cooper A s it was, h. tried to jump the field at the start of the last lap, and was unable to sustain his effort He could improve his position on his machine with benefit, for at present he is inclined to wobble across the track when commencing to put on the pace.

Off 35yds, Fi' Deans made no race of the half-mile B grade handicap, and off the limit of 60yds ho was also second in the mile, Deans made the most of his handicaps and stayed on well to finish with pleiltj in hand. He should pick up further races before long. The track was not in the best of order, and although it had been swept in the morning tho riders had to contend with a good deal of loose metal, which was probably kicked about the track by the children who were allowed oh tho ground in the morning. Under the circumstances, the times registered were distinctly creditable. Competition throughout was keen, and it is no exaggeration to say that the standard of cycling locally is improving with every meeting. J, Cockerill is one of the most improved of the A grade men, and front middle marks he was first past the line in the mile event and second in the half-mile He is developing a better sprint, bnt is inclined to leave his final effort too late He should devote a little attention to the cultivation of a more sustained sprint. J. Parsons was second in both tho mile and two-mile events, but was found just a little bit wanting at the business end of the race. A little more work will see a big improvement in this powerful rider. 11 Churchill should soombo gracing A grade ranks. A second in the halfmile and first in the mile on Monday showed that he israpidly striking form. Off 10yds, ho registered 2min 29 2-ssec in the mile final, which was not much slower than the A grade time and a good performance on a track that loft so much to be desired.

D. Thompson has been running during tho winter, and still requires plenty of solid track work before he reproduces last year’s form. He wont Well in the early stages of his races on Monday, but the finish found him fading. R. W. Taylor proved his worth on the road during tho winter, and with niore attention to sprinting will yet prove his worth or the track. P A. Fraser shaped promisingly in the B grade events, and only needs a little more racing to provide plenty of opposition to the best of the B division. T. Dillon is a rider who has improved out of sight during the last season oi two, and from the hack mark, lie was always prominent in tho B grade events on Monday. He is an exaiiiple of what attention to training and decent style will do for the enthusiast, and the writer looks.. to him to bo knocking for a place in the A grade division before long. H. Stokes rode better in his heat of the A grade half-mile thap _in the final, but like several other riders ho found himself unable to sustain his sprint in a fast finish. This would suggest that more fast_ work should be hicluded in the training schedule ot ■ho majority of riders. C. G. Lucas had a bad fall during training operations last week-end, and was unable to compete oil Monday. Cyclists will join with the writer in tho hope that this popular rider will soon bo on the trick again.

The latest acquisition to the ranks of the Otago Amateur Cycling Club is A B. Lo Suer, a son of Detective Lo Suer, an old-time professional rider who competed with a good deal of success both in Australia and New Zealand.

On Thursday nest the Otago Amateur Cycling Club is holding three races at the Caledonian Ground, the events being:—One mile (open to all riders), half-mile A grade (club members only), and three-quarter mile novice (club members only). SOME OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES. It is some years since there were so many outstanding performances at the Otago Boys’ High School sports as was the case .at last Wednesday’s meeting, and apart from the fact that no fewer than seven record-breaking efforts were made in five different events, compe- i tition throughout was keen, and close ! finishes were the order of the day. j The athletic organisation of the i school’s activities is in excellent hands, ! and taking a line over a period of ' years it is fairly safe to say that there . are few schools which are able to main- j tain as uniformly high a standard at • sports meetings as does the Otago i Boys’ High School. I It is only periodically, however, that | a school produces an athelcte of championship possibilities, and this year’s senior champion, R. G. Jolly, is one such The member of a well-known athletic family, ho was the outstanding figure of a fine meeting, and his two record-breaking feats stamp him as a coming champion. ,Hc did 20ft sJin in the long jump, and despite the fact that lie I'aa more than half the distance unopposed, he carved out the half-mile in 2min 7 3-ssec, lowering the existing record by two-fifths of a second. In the 440yds he won comfortably in 57 4-ssec, the 100yds he carried off in llsec, the 120yds hurdles he won m 17 3-ssec, and in the high jump the i performances were poor, his winning effort being only 4ft Sin. He has had the opportunity of coaching this season from the Now Zealand hop, step, and jump representative and wellknown field exponent, R. O. Johnston, and his mentor has good reason to feel satisfied with the progress of his pupil. As a long juniper Jolly is well fitted to take his place in provincial com-, petition. He hits the board well, and gets well up in the air. and if he does not overdo things should go further in this branch of athletics. It was in the. half mile, however, that be impressed most, and had ho been provided with: anv opposition at all the writer feels certain that the school champion would have lowered the time to 2min ssec. He has a nice, easy action, and a good stride, and whatTs just as essential he is a good judge of pace. He finished with a strong burst, and his recordbreaking effort was a very popular one. If lie is looked after during the next year or so Jolly should soon be taking his place among Otago’s best middledistance runners. The other competitors in the senior cup wore younger than the champion, but the runner-up, H. M. Manning, ran well to win the furlong in the | smart time, of 24 3-ssec. He strides, well, and should make a good sprinter, j J. G. Hannah is still eligible in the under sixteen class, though he elected to provide competition in the senior championship. He was specially timed in the senior 100yds, arid his 11 l-osec will be bracketed with the time of E. Little as an under sixteen record. Little did this time twice during the day, and both lads are likely to be J

heard of in the future. They were successful in shattering a record that has stood for ihirty-oigat years. D. S. Nicholson has been competing in open company of late, and the experience has benefited him. He walked with great dash to win tho half-mile walk in 3min 27 4-ssec, which was 2-ssec better than his own record. He has the right style, and should stick to the game after leaving school. Jolly was one of the best hurdlers in action during, the day, but among the handicap men several good performers were noticed. G. E. Moloney, a brother of the record-holder, reached the semifinals, and in one heat closely pushed the winner, whose time, from a handicap was 16 l-osec. Moloney was breaking 17sec, and jumped very nicely. Ho is fast between the efcicks, and would do well if he concentrated on this branch of athletics in the future. Meek and Walker were another pair of good hurdlers, and the latter, who holds the Otago secondary schools’ high jump title, also broke the pole vault record which stood for so long. His winning leap was Bft 7in. Just as R. G. Jolly impressed by his all-round ability in the senior section, so, too, did A. E. Valentine, who snowed considerable promise in winning the junior championship, W. R. Rodgerson, tho runnor-np, being another likely youngster. Much promising material was brought to light by tho meeting, and tho school should be well to tho fore in athletics during the next year or two. DIRT TRACK SPORTS. Largely as the result of dirt track motor cycle and athletic meetings at Forbury Park last season the Otago Centre showed a big profit on the year’s operations, and indications point to to morrow’s meeting being equally as sue cessful as those which were held last season. It is the first of a series of four meetings to be held this season, and the entries for all events are most satisfactory. The racing motor cyclists will be drawn from various parts of the Sduth Island, and some spirited competition should be witnessed. The track and field men arc now beginning to strike form, and these events, too, are expected to be of considerable interest. Forbury is a fast track, and good times may be looked for. SOME COMPARISONS.

The following table gives a comparison of the performances registered in championship events at the annual sports of the Southland and Otago Boys’ High Schools:— Southland. Otago. 100yds ... 10 4-ssec llsec 220yds ... 24 3-ssec 24 3-osec 440yds ... 55sec 57 4-ssec 880yds ... 2min9 3-sscc 2min 7 3-ssec High Jump sft IJin 4ft Sin Long jump 18ft BJin 20ft sAin Half-mile walk ... 3min 41sec 3min 27 4-ssec 120yds hurdles Southland Boys’ High School is the present holder of the Macassey Shield for most points in the Otago secondary schools’ championship. JOTTINGS. One of the easiest events for a specialist to win at the New Zealand amateur championships is the long jump, but one wonders why this should be so when the, high standard prevailing at many of the secondary schpols is taken into account This year the Otago Boys’ High School record has been broken with an effort of 20ft s Jin, the Christchurch Boys’ High School mark was improved to 20ft 4in, and_ at St. Andrew’s College a jumper did oyex 21ft. At the Southland Boys’ High School about twenty years ago J. N. Millard recorded the great leap of 22ft, a mark which has stood ever since. The writer believes, however, that the Auckland Grammar School record stands at 22ft 4in or thereabouts. It is surprising, thereforb, that the New Zealand championship standard has'not progressed more than has been the case, and an effort should bo made by centres and clubs to keep these promising secondary schools’ jumpers in the sport. The next Olympic Games have been scheduled to start in the last week in July, 1932. y. t Los Angeles, near which is Hollywood, a portion of the Wentworth electorate. They will run their usual course, and it is to be hoped that if Australia sends a team across it will be an improvement in all respects on the lamentable washout in 1928 (comments the Sydney ‘ Bulletin’). Instead of carrying the frenzied hat round at the last moment and accepting douceurs from newspapers and other advertising mediums, it is 'proposed to start raising _ funds at once by asking every sport institute to collect Cd per head from its members per month. The sympathy of athletes and athletic followers from one end of New Zealand to the other will be extended to W. Trembath on the loss he has sustained by the death of his wife and daughter in the terrible fire that took nlace at Riverton early in the week. There are few parts of the dominion where crowds have not been thrilled by the magnificent running and machine-like action of Billj' Trembath, ex-world’s quarter-mile champion, and in his bereavement he will have the sympathy of thousands of people who may never . have had the pleasure of meeting one of the _ finest sportsmen who ever donned a spiked shoe. Prizes won during the winter season are to be presented at a dance under the Otago Centre’s auspices in the Embassy Salon on Saturday, November 9. Although the Wellington Centre of tho N.Z.A.A.A. is quite keen on including running and field events_ for girls on its* programme, it has definitely turned down a proposal to sponsor feminine cycling events. At tho annual meeting of the centre last week the Port Nicholsom Road Cycling Club forwarded a remit seeking to, obtain permission to hold women’s cycle races, but the proposal was defeated by a large majority. There has been some suggestion that ladies’ cycling events should be held in Dunedin, hut the scope of women’s athletics is quite wide enough at-* the uresent time, and the centre would urobably be unwise to give its approval '’nr the. holding of cycle events for girls. In the recent sports at St. Bede’s College, Chhristchurch, a Dunedin boy, H. Goodger, won the silver cup for tho junior championship. He also won

tht cup for the junior mile, in which his time was smin 37sec—a good run for a youngster. Altogether, at _ the meeting Goodger scored twelve firsts and one second. In the secondary schools’ championships last season he carried off a cup for the junior sprints. The Otago Centre’s programme of evening meetings is to be arranged on Monday, and it is possible the first of the. season will be held on Thursday, November 14. At the secondary schools’ championship meeting last March one of the best performances was the quarter-mile run bv T. Crowe for Southland Boys’ High School in the relay. He impressed as • a most promising middle distance runner, and at his school’s sports last week h? broke the half-mile record by covering the distance in 2min 9 3-ssec. and he n!~o won the 44Dyds in the smart tinm of Sosee.. >which ecma'Wl the record. though in a hrmd’cnp event at this school T. Baird, off scratch, once covered the distance in 53 2-ssec. Both the furlong and the _ half-mile for old boys at the Boys’- High Schol sports were won by N. H. North ,who looks like being in good form for ’Varsity before the present season lias been long in progress. 1