TRUCK AND FIELD

Evening Star, Issue 20671, 19 December 1930, Page 14

TRUCK AND FIELD

ATHLETIC NEWS ANB NOTES [By Pistol.] December 26.—Amateur meet at Waipiata. December 27.—Sports at Ranfurly. January 31.—Amateur meet at Palmerston. , . February 7.—Otago track and field championships. February 25.—American athletes, at Invercargill. . „ _ , . February 27 and 28.—New Zealand track and field championships and Americans at Dunedin.

CIVIL SERVICE CLUB’S MEET, Nothing succeeds like success, and the run of victories registered by A. R. Geddes, of the Civil Service Club, has been nothing short of remarkable. At his own club’s meeting last week Geddes scored his fifth successive win, when ho carried off the one-mile handicap from the 45yds mark in the good time for the night of 4min 39 3-ssec. Geddes ran a splendidly-judged race, and made his bid entering the straight to win by five yards. This lad has shown the same brilliance in his first season as marked the entry into the game a few years ago of Lachie M’Lachlan. There is no telling how far Geddes will go. He is young yet, but he is the ‘ find ” of the season to date.

Another promising performer came to light when heaving the javelin _ for the first time. S. Ward won the Civil Service members’ handicap by throwing the spear 110 ft—a pretty good performance for a youth who had never previously had a try at this event. He is a husky sort of chap, and with coaching should develop into a good man with the javelin. H. 01sen_ is still._ a comEarative novice at javelin throwing, but e is improving and threw the javelin 117 ft last week. Once again Bernie M’Kernan showed his great determination in the mile handicap. He followed his charge, A. R. Geddes, in, and off 55yds went well for second place. M‘Kernan is another of those evergreen athletes whose success is invariably popular. W. Forno was well treated with syds in 50yds, and he won the final nicely by a foot in 5 4-ssec. The Leith runner, went a good race for third place off IjSyds, and if ho were a little smarter off the mark would be more often among the winners than ho has been of late.

Gus Valk turned in a useful performance in his heat of the ‘_soyds dash, getting within eighteen inches of a runner to whom he was conceding syds. Valk has come on remarkably in the

space of a week or two, and with a. little racing over the holidays should be in good fettle for the big meetings listed early in the new year. Anglican No. 2 team deserved its win in the interclub relay handicap, its transferring of the baton being better than that of most of the other teams. Civil Service gave a very, poor exhibition of changing over, and thoroughly deserved to finish out of a place. Alf Price made the pace too hot in the earlier stages of his quarter for the No, 1 team, which finished third, and was fading away a bit over the final stages. Price has tons of dash and determination, and if he loosens up a bit is going to turn in fast time for this distance before the season ends. He did under 52sec' in the New Zealand championship final last year, and he is capable of improving on that if he is properly trained. Making a reappearance in the Anglican No. 1 team was H. Pollock, who was a useful middle distahcer a couple of seasons back. Unfortunately for his club Harold happens to be_ a first-class tennis player, so that he is unable to devote the time to running that some of his confreres might like. He showed distinct possibilities over both the quarter and the half, and had he cbncentrated on running might have gone far. He ran quite a fair quarter last week. Jack Morris, the Otago three-mile champion, had a gallop in the_ mile handicap last week, but was obviously short of work. From now on he wants to make use of his opportunities for racing, for he needs sharpening up. Morris invariably shows good form, but that will not carry him home without the condition as well. He had been on slow work for some weeks past, but is now getting down to more solid training. G. Armishaw, of the Northern Club, is a junior sprinter of possibilities. He is strong and well built, but is still rather slow into his stride. CYCLING COMMENTS. It is an unenviable task which is allotted to the handicapper, but now that a few meetings have been held Mr A, Ocfiwell is getting an insight to the form of the various riders, as was proved by the bunched, formation of the competitors on entering the home straight in both heats and final of the half-mile handicap l promoted by the Civil Service Amateur Athletic Club last week. The race was notable for the fine performances registered by J. C. Fogarty and Gibson Smith, both of whom registered the fastest times over the distance for the local track since its transformation in 1927. While Smith was a fraction of a second slower than Fogarty in the final, three watches clocked the latter’s time as Imin 6 4-ssec, both in heat and final. Smith clocked about Imin 7|sec in his heat. The event was exceptionally well controlled, and, showing commendable initiative in selecting a position halfway between limit and scratch man, the starter (Mr E. L. Macassey) sent thq riders away in perfect unison. J. C. Fogarty’s dashing bursts qff the mark of honour in the half-mile event last week were Reminiscent of the pace he displayed when he sustained a severe spill at the Labour Day meet last year m a race over the same distance. Although conceding 30yds to C. G. Lucas and 70yds to the limit men, he went down the back straight like a flash, and had made up a thirty-yards gap before two furlongs had been covered. In the final he opened up a big gap on his co-marker (Smith), but in slowing up on catching the frontmarkers he allowed Smith to track him for the rest of the journey, and a great finish resulted. Fogarty is in fine fettle at present, and on his latest display is easily the best of the local amateurs, but it appears to the writer that he is relying too much on his final dash, and because of the prolonged sprint characteristic of the New Zealand champion, Frank Grose, would be well advised to commence his run home from the bell for a race or two even if it moans a defeat, the only alternative being to go in for intensive sprinting practice. He does not exert himself during a race, and if he chose to go out alone with half .the distance covered some very fast times would be returned. GibJ Smith is reaching the top of his form; and displays better judgment and determination than ever, but on account of the injury he sustained to his ankle he does not pedal as freely as he used to. Nevertheless he is showing more pace, and, although he was slow off the mark, he lost little time in overcoming his disadvantage in the final, in which he rode splendidly to be narrowly beaten by Fogarty. _ At present Smith and Fogarty are in a class by themselves, and if both continue to improve their interprovincial opponents will be kept busy in February. Ted Fletcher won his heat off 35yds with ease, and gave his best sprint display to date, in the final he again came to light with a good finish, but stood no chance with Smith and Fogarty, but he would do better if he buckled down to strict training, for he is already a rider above the average, and should figure prominently in this year’s provincial championship. Hon. Duncan, who was second to Fogarty in the first heat, is no mean sprinter, as he has proved on many occasions this season, but in the final Fletcher had it all over him. Duncan is a powerful rider, and should have sprinted from the bell instead of from the furlong mark. Most of the riders are at fault in this respect, and practice is the only remedy. A half-mile race should be a sprint from start to finish, and on no occasion ridden on the lines of a longer distance. C. Fraser competed last week, and gave a glimpse of his sprinting ability when he finished in third position in one heat. He was eliminated from the final, and was extremely unlucky, as he was beaten by Duncan by the narrowest of margins. “ Pat ” was second in the Otago half-mile championship last season, and holds the title ot a shorter event, and therefore can be regarded as a sprint merchant, but at present he shows a lack of interest in the game. His training so far this season has been an almost negligible quantity. ... 1, C. G. Lucas (30yds), who won the second heat, showed a vast improvement on rfecent displays. He has been in steady training for the past week or two, and has reduced the height of gear on his machine with more than the desired results. ■ ■ . Jim Milne showed good pace in a heat of the race, and when he learns when to make his bid for victory he will show his back wheel to the field. J. Cockerill improved on his display of the previous week, and qualified

for the final. He commenced his run home at the right, moment, but could nob maintain sufficient pace. . J. Sproule again rode well in his heat, but he did not settle down, quickly enough in the final. Don. Thompson did most of the hard work in his heat, leading into the straight, where his high gear proved his undoing. Don. is riding well, but unless he tones his machine down h® will have trouble with his legs. Des. Patton rode well, but he was up against an impossible proposition whenhe had to contend with such fast men as Fogarty, Fraser, and Duncan. H. G. Cooper is fast off the mark, and rode well, but did not trouble himself unduly. W. J. Templeton shows improvement in pace with each start, but in judgment he is still found wanting. Basil Thomas and George, Forward were again unplaced, but this is probably due to the fact that they did too much strenuous riding beforehand. F. Loades is a promising young rider, and is due for a win any time now. He rode well in the half-mile event, hut lacks “ devil ” enough to finish off a good race successfully. H. Madigan is another who is found wanting over the last, furlong, and requires plenty of solid training. A. M. Johnston made a reappearance in open competition, and gave a creditable display, being beaten over the last bit only. Off the limit G. Milligan proved hard to catch, but he lacks training. Eighteen riders have intimated their intention of competing at Waipiata and Ranfuriy, the programme for which is half-mile, one-mile, and one and a-half-mile handicaps. ' OUTSIDE PROGRESS. Amateur athletics are making good headway in the country districts of Otago, and the latest addition to amateur ranks is the Waipiata Club, in Central Otago, which will hold a purely, amateur gathering on Boxing Day* Running and cycling* events are included on the programme, and as there will be a good representation of Dunedin athletes and cyclists present it is expected quite a crowd of supporters will make the trip from Dunedin, to Waipiata. A number of those competing at Waipiata will go on to Ranfuriy, as amateur events are being, included on the programme of the Ranfuriy Caledonian Society. The transfer to Invercargill of Bart Provo is bound to give field athletics in the Southland city a big fillip; but the Invercargill Club has approached the Otago Centre with a request that as many Dunedin athletes as possible should • make the trip south for the Americans’ meeting on February 25, and those who are thinking of making the trip should get in touch with Mr J. W. Holley, the Invercargill Club’s delegate, as soon as possible. A country meeting that will attract a lot of support from Dunedin athletes is that being held at Palmerston on January 31. The initial meeting, last season was a great success, and as the club has the use of one of the finest banked cycle tracks in the province the cycling races at this meeting invariably prove a big feature. This meet should give the championship men a real good work-out before the Otago championships the following week. NOTES. Lachie M'Lachlan, ex-New Zealand half-mile champion, had his first run.of the season at the Civil Service Club’s evening meet in Dunedin last week. He ran. a quarter-mile for his club in the interclub relay, but shaped as if he needed a lot of sharpening up. He intends running at several " meetings in Canterbury over the, holidays, and the racing should tune him up for more important engagements ahead. It is more than likely that M'Lachlan this year will concentrate largely upon . the 440yds, and those who have seen some of the great races he has run over this distance in the, past will not be surprised to find him keeping the best of them busy at the New Zealand cham'pionships. Two seasons back } at Wellington, he won his heat.of the 440yds championship, but did not start in the final, reserving himself for the halfmile, which was awarded to him when N. J. Suckling was disqualified. The decision of the Otago Centre q< the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association to use pacemakers iu the, cycling ©vents at the Otago and'New, Zealand Amateur Athletic championships will meet with the approval of, cyclists and public alike. Nothing palls more than a slowly-ridden cycling event, and by utilising good pace- j makers the authorities are seeing to it that the riders are being given every, chance to show their very best. Instead of the last few seconds’ dash, which is too often -the only exciting part of a race, the spectacle should be provided of riders maintaining a good clip all the way, and there is just as much need for judgment when pacemakers are used as without. ; Charlie Jenkins'' and Jack Fleming delighted the “fans” at Wanganm with their fine sprinting last Saturday (Says the ‘ N.Z. Sportsman ’), Fleming won the most important race on the programme—the 120yds handicap, ’ Jenkins lacked the preparation to finish off his sprint in the 120yds, and Fleming came away at the tape to win. The president of the Otago Centro (Mr E. L. Macassey) is a wholehearted enthusiast for amateur athletics, and there is no harder worker or keener sportsman associated with the control of the sport in Dunedin than Mr Macassey. In the absence of Mr Albert Burk at the last two evening meetings, Mr Macassey acted , as starter and carried out his duties in an able manner. Members of C.A.A.O. who have tried out the American starting blocks find that they are of great assistance in keeping a runner down as he goes out of the holes (says the - Christchurch ‘ Sun ’). They seem to eliminate entirely the general tendency to straighten up too soon. - , Don Evans scampered- over the halfmile in 1.58 l-sseo at Wanganui (says an exchange). He has had little training, and, for an early season run, his performance ranks high. It is doubtful if there is another runner in New Zealand to-day who will break '2min off the mark.

The Otago Centre has followed the lead of Wellington in arranging its draft of the programme for the New. Zealand track and field championships, and on the first day the first event will not start until 4.15, the last event being timed to start at 5.55. On the second day the grand parade of the provinces is timed to begin at 2, but there will be a short interval before the first event is timed to commence at 2.30. The last event is set down to commence at 4.55. ' Entries close on Monday next for the annual gathering of the Methven Caledonian Society, on January 3 next, the programme for which includeslooyds maidqn handicap, 75yds amateur handicap, 100yds amateur handicap, 220yds amateur handicap, 440yds amateur handicap, 880yds .■ amateur handicap, one mile amateur handicap, running high jump, long jump, hop, step, and jump, shot putt, and hammer throw, A trophy for most points in all the amateur events mentioned above is being given, and the open running handicaps carry trophies to the value of £3 10s, the field events each carrying trophies worth 30s in all.