CONTESTS FOR ATHLETIC SUPREMACY

Evening Star, Issue 21037, 26 February 1932, Page 6

CONTESTS FOR ATHLETIC SUPREMACY

[By Pistol.]

PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP MEET PROSPECTS REVIEWED

Another Otago amateur athletic championship meeting is at hand, and the meeting to be held at Carisbrook Ground to-morrow afternoon has every indication of being one of the best that has been promoted under the auspices of the Otago Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association. Track and field athletics have gone ahead rapidly throughout Otago and Southland, and to-morrow’s meet should be the most representative that the centre has yet held. Athletes to take part are coming from as far south as Drummond, Winton, and Invercargill, and among the new clubs that will bo represented, in addition to the firstnamed two, is the North Otago Amateur Athletic Club, which secured affiliation during the present season. A feature of the afternoon will be a grand parade of athletes in which representatives of over twenty clubs will take part. This is the first championship fixture that has been held on Carisbrook for many years, and it requires only a couple of days’ fine weather to make for fast times, as Mr A. lloss, the groundsman at Dunedin’s main convincing ground, has the area in particularly fine order at present. Reviewing the prospects for the provincial meeting is not a particularly easy task, since so many outside athletes are taking part, but one thing seems certain, and that is that under favourable conditions there should bo many outstanding performers. No fewer than sixteen entrants have come forward for the 100yds championship, and making his first appearance on a Dunedin track will be C. W. Pierson, of the Invercargill Club. Pierson had a brilliant career as a professional, and last season competed against the American athletes at Wellington, running impressively. Ho may bo approaching the veteran stage, but on his recent performances should win the hundred, but he may have good opposition from another reinstated professional in H. J. Pearce, of the Pacific Club, who has shown promise of good things at some of the evening meetings. The minor placing is likely to find a number of men contesting the issue, among them being M'Corkindale', of St. Paul’s, Fish (Pacific), and Allen (Anglican). The latter has come on well in the last week or two, and may be found disputing third place. Pierson looks to have the best chance in the furlong, too, though he is best over 100yds, and the others who should be handy in this event are Pearce again and A. L. Price (Anglican), while E. Fish (Pacific), and J. T. Gardiner (St. Paul’s) may also be found fighting out the finish. If Gardiner showed his form of a couple of seasons ago, he would certainly be in the running, but as things are at present, Pierson, Pearce, and Price should be there to catch the judge’s eye at the business end of proceedings. A small but select field will line up for that interesting race, the quartermile championship of Otago, which invariably provides a thrilling tussle. L. C. M'Lachlan, an ex-champion, is an unlikely starter, as he will be devoting himself to the 880yds and one mile, and in that case the issue is likely to be fought out by T. Pickering, A. L. Price, and J. T. Gardiner. It must not be forgotten that N. I. Pledger beat Price at the interclub scratch meeting in December, but the Otago quartermile champion is a long way fitter now than he was then. Still, this race is likely to see the title change hands, and going on recent form, Pickering, the ex-Wellington champion, should he the winner, with Price second, and Gardiner third. The last placing is a bit doubtful, as Gardiner has been showing rather uncertain form lately. Pickering competed hero at the New Zealand championships last season, and I have previously expressed the opinion that were he to concentrate on the 440yds he would go close to registering 50sec for the distance. Still, Price is a determined nmner, and Pickering will need to be in really good form to stave the Anglican man off. The issue in the 880yds championship is open, and the field numbers some fine runners such as E. A. Taylor (the titleholder), L. C. M‘Lachlan (who was the New Zealand champion in 1929), J. G. Barnes (who has run some good halfmiles in his time), T. Pickering Invercargill), and M. Morton (the ex-New Plymouth man, who is carrying the Tokomairiro Club’s colours). Taylor is a fine, free runner, and possessed of a particularly pleasing stylo, and on the face of it, the writer expects the finish to be fought out by him and M‘Lachlan, of the Civil Service Club. Lachie has shown signs of returning to his best form, and if he could got back to that 'of the 1929 season he would bo the writer’s choice. On the form that has been shown so far this season, however, Taylor should win, with M‘Lachlan second, and probably Pickering third. It will not surprise, however, if any one of this trio happens to reverse the positions. The mile is another distance over which varying form has been shown by some of the leading runners this season, but as J. J. Morris has been devoting most time to the three miles this season it is likely that the finish will find ,). G. Barnes and A. R. Geddes battling it out for premier honours, with Morris and M'Lachlan also likely to be handy. Much will depend on the way the race is run, but if the race is run at a fairly fast clip Barnes must be hard to beat. There is little between him and his Civil Service clubmate, Geddes, however, and the final result should be close. It will not surprise if M ‘Lachlan heads Morris for the other placing. Morris looks to have a good chance of retaining his three-mile title, but if the University man, MTCechme, can produce his form of a couple of seasons ago he may make things interesting, and W. A. Stewart (University) and J. G. Barnes are others who are likely to make their presence felt. A classv field will line up for the ]2oyds hurdles championship, and J, Robilliarcl, the title-holder, will have no easy task to retain t-.e honour. He will have opposition from a former Otago champion in C. L. Tapley (who was second in the New Zealand championship in 1927), H. Milner (who showed a lot of promise across the sticks while attending the Waitaki Boys’ High School), and I. O. Manson (the Invercargill representative, who is very fast between the obstacles, though not a particularly clean _ jumper over this distance). Tapley is a splendid hurdler, but may lack pace between the obstacles. Still, if he can bring to light just a little of his old dash he should be capable of finishing first from Manson and Robilliard.

f Manson should retain his title in the 440yds hurdles championship, but the other placings are not so easy to pick, and Corbett and Milner may be found handy, while R. O. Johnson has also shown himself a useful man across the quarter hurdles. If the conditions are favourable there should be a close to record effort in the long jump, in which the spotlight will be on A. A. Cameron, the North Otago athlete, who did 22ft Bin in this event at Invercargill a fortnight ago, a performance good enough to win a New Zealand championship nine times out of ten. He may go close to 23ft tomorrow, and should win easily. For second place, however, competition is likely to be keen between J. Robilliard, D. M. Stuart, and A. A. Lockett, and it is on the cards that that is how the minor placings will finish up. Long jumping has gone ahead here, but none of the others have approached Cameron’s standard.

A good judge told me not so long ago that he considered Cameron was capable of doing 49ft or even 50ft in the hop, step, and jump, and he has the ideal temperament for big competition, seeming able to go one better, so to speak. Ho did 47ft 4in against the wind at Invercargill, only half an inch worse than the New Zealand record, and, given decent conditions, should break the New Zealand mark to-morrow. R. O. Johnson has represented New Zealand in this event, and has not yet begun to slip, noticeably, at any rate. He can scarcely hope to cope with Cameron, but should be good for second place, and though W. Easton, has not done the training he might have done he should just about be found in third place. K. Miller (Caversham) and W. Dunne (University) are improving performers, and may lie found near a minor placing. A. A. Cameron should have the high jump to himself, and sft 9in or better may be reached in this event. He did sft BJin at Invercargill without extending himself. Second place is likely to be contested by C, L. Tapley and J. Robilliard, both ex-champions, and the former may fill it if he can improve a little on his most recent performance in competition. Another ex-champion who is competing is J. M. Somerville. The performance in the high jump should be of a better standard, even apart from Cameron, than has been the case for some years.

B. Provo (Invercargill) and R. O. Johnson (Anglican) should have their annual duel in the pole.vault, and W. Burridge (Anglican) should also help to make things interesting. Provo beat Johnson in the Southand Sub-centre championships recently, but Johnson has been going so well lately that it is quite on the cards that he will turn the tables on his former clubmate. , The discus throwing championship should provide another good tussle between J. G. Leckie (Tokomairiro) and A. A. Cameron (North Otago), and it should be interesting to watch these fine physical specimens in opposition to each other. Leckie is the present champion, hut Cameron beat him at Invercargill, and should do it again. B. Provo should be capable of securing third points for Invercargill. The Invercargill Club possesses the present Otago javelin throwing champion in R. Creeser, who has been doing close to 160 ft lately. He beat the Anglican man, P. G. Ward, after a good contest at the Southland meeting, and another keen battle is expected, with Creeser probably proving just a little too good for Ward. An improving thrower is S. Wards, of the Civil Service Club, and he may take third place. A son of the ex-All Black Rugby player, C. Purdue, will be seen in action m the shot putt. He is J. Purdue, and will be carrying Invercargill’s colours. Young Purdue has a good style, and won the Southland championship, and looks good enough to win to-morrow. Cameron should be second in this event, but H. D. Morgan (who has given up all other branches of athletics but shot putting) may extend the North Otago man for second place. M. R. Spillane is expected to give J. G. Leckie., champion for many years past, a rare struggle in the hammer throwing championship, and the Palmerston man is reported _ to be doing some great throws in training. Still, Leckie must be hard to beat, and the writer picks him to win, though both he and Spillane should register firstclass figures, Third place should go to G. B. P. Wilson (Anglican), who is an ex-’Varsity champion, and is capable of doing round about 115 ft. It will not be surprising if either Leckie or Spillane does close to 150 ft.

G. S. Cabot, the New Zealand champion, is in good form at present, and it seems but a matter of the margin by which he will win the mile and half-mile walks. Second place will be fought out by R. H. Cabot and J. A. Wilson, and the latter has been training well, so that it is possible he may pip R. H. Cabot, more especially over the shorter distance, for second place. Miss ft. Grant is the title-holder of the ladies’ 100yds, and will be opposed by Miss M. Barron (ex-Wellington champion) and Miss M. M'Leod (exOtago champion) among others. It should be a good race, but if Miss Grant is showing the same form as she did last year she must be hard to beat. Miss Barron has the performances to her credit, but on her last appearance seemed to be short of fast work, being too slow at the start. Still, she may go better on this occasion.

Winton, Drummond, Invercargill, Milton, Dunedin, and Palmerston are all contributing riders for the three cycling championships, which should produce spirited racing, and so far as the half-ihile is concerned I like the chance of J. C. Fogarty of retaining his title. O. G. Smith should be pushing him at the finish, and Hagerty, of Winton, may prove good enough to secure a place. There are one or two others likely to be near at hand for the minor placing. Fogarty and Smith should also battle out the mile, with the former in the ascendancy; and A. J. Hay may be found in a place. J. S. Parsons, R. Sounness, A. Forrest, and E. Fletcher are others who should ride well. Smith is at home on the grass track, and in the three-mile event may prove too good for Fogarty, with the Winton rider, R. Sounness, a possibility for a place.

Two junior championship events are also included, but do not count in the club championship, which is likely to be very keenly contested indeed. ’ Anglican holds the List Shield, and most danger on this occasion seems to threaten from Invercargill, though Civil Service and North Otago should also score well, The points are likely to be close, but Anglican looks as if it will still be fairly hard to beat. Nevertheless, a win for the Invercargill Club would be very popular, since it has not missed a championship meeting since 1923, and invariably takes some titles back with it.