TRACK AND FIELD

Evening Star, Issue 22575, 17 February 1937, Page 5

TRACK AND FIELD

[By Pmtoxi.]

Fixtures. February 27.—Otago amateur championships, at Caledonian Ground. P March 12 and 13. New Zealand track and field championships, at Auckland. c . . . ‘ March 20. —Caledonian. fcoeietj s sports. , mi OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES ! OTAGO ATHLETES The following is a record of the performances of Otago athletes in Otago championship meetings. _ Ihe event is followed by the name of the athlete, the club to which he belonged, his time, and the year in which it was established : 100 Yards.—B. Geddes, Invercargill, lOsec, 1929. ... 220 Yards—E. Fish, Invercargill, 22 3-ssec, 1933. ' ~ 440 Yards.—L. C, M Lachlan, Civil Service, Slsec, 1930; A. L. Price, Anglican, Slsec, 1934. . 880 Yards.—T. Allen, Anglican, 2nnn Isec, 1936. .. . .. One Mile. —W. A. C. Pullar, Anglican, 4min 29 2-osec, 1936. Three Miles.--W A. C. Pul.ar, Anglican, 14min 32sec, 1935. Mile Walk.—G. S. Cabot Otago Universit3 r , 6min 35 3-ssec, 19-o. Three-mile Walk. —G. S. Cabot, Otago University, 22min 21 l-ssec. 1926 120 Yards Hurdles.—H. W. Milner, North Otago, 15 3-ssec. 1936. 220. Yards Hurdles.—W. Pettct, Anglican, 27 2-ssec, 1934. . 440 Yards Hurdles. —W. A. C. Pullar, Anglican, 59sec, 1934. Shot Putt.—A. A. Cameron, North Otago, 38ft lOin, 1936. Throwing' the Hammer. —J. G. Leckie, Toko, 150 ft Sin, 1933. * Discus.—A. A. Camefon, North Otago, 124 ft, 1936. Javelin. —V. Newall, Anglican, 167 ft Pole Vault.—R. O. Johnston, Anglican, lift Sin, 1933. Higt Jump.—A. A. Cameron, North Otago, sft llin, 1933. Broad Jump.—A. A. Cameron, North Otago, 22ft 10}in, 1932. . Hop, Step, and Jump.—A. A. Cameron, North Otago, 47ft 7}in, 1933. Relay.—Anglican Club, 3min 44 2-5 sec, 1935. . - 100 Yards (Junior). —M. Perkins, North Otago; 10 2-ssec, 1933. 880 Yards (Junior).—P. G. M'Laugh"lan, Invercargill, 2min 5 3-ssec, 1934. Broad Jump (Junior), —R. Stewart, Invercargill, 20ft Sin, 1934. 100 Yards (Ladies).. —Miss V. Nichol, Gore, 11 2-ssec, 1929, r ANGLICAN* NOTES The weather during the past week was not conducive to intensive training activities, but good attendances were registered despite sodden tracks and biting winds. Light work to ease stiffness following the Southland championships took place, and now serious attention to preparations for the forthcoming Otago championships should result in larger attendances and more work on the tracks. Most consistent among the seniors have oeen W. A. C. Pullar, B. L. Tapley, R. E. Nauman, T. Allen, J. Shepherd, A. Scott, an' l I. Curtis. C. M‘Gregor represented the juniors. • , _ Val Newall has nqt yet put in an appearance at the Caledonian Ground, but is reported to be training elsewhere. Entries for the Otago championships close next Saturday. As no late entries will be received, club selectors should be busy getting together their respective teams, which nave to be nominated with the entries. CIVIL SERVICE CHAMPIONSHIPS . The second club championship meeting was again marred by bad weather, a heavy wind and sodden tracks making good times out of the question. From a good start in the 220yds' senior championship, J. M'Lachlan went into the lead and won by several yards in 24sec, J. Gerken heading S. Longworth for second place by 2yds. M'Lachlan is in his best form at the present time, and given good conditions will do fast time over 220yds. A. R. Geddes led practically throughout in the one-mile championship, and withstood a challenge from R. M'Lachlan in the straight to win by 10yds. The last lap took 65sec, and a good finish ensued from the 220yds mark. C. A. Broad ran well to gain third place. . ■ J. Gerken had an easy win in the 440yds hurdles event, find despite the strong wind registered the fast time of 16 4-osec—a good effort considering the conditions. J. G. Barnes turned out in this race, and despite lack of training finished in second place. _ A. M'Cartney was the outstanding junior of the night, winning both the 22Qyds and pne-mile championship. The 220yds event was a good race throughout, as was the mile. In the former M'Cartney, with W. Lucas close up, fought out a strong finish, M'Cartney prevailing by a yard, with M. Collins a few yards back third. In the mile M'Cartney and Collins had a great tussle, and the winner was in doubt until halfway, up the straight, both boys running fine races. The points for the M'Kechnie Gold Medal are: J. Gerken 16, J. M'Lachlan 10, R.■M'Lachlan,’ and A. R. Geddes 8. The points for the Hooper Challenge Cup are; A. M'Cartney 18, W. Eneas 9, M. Collins 8; • The tnird and final club championship meeting will be held to-night. EVEN TIME FOR HUNDRED Four years have elapsed in New Zealand athletics since the last 9 4-ssec sprinter has appeared, and as he is now due again it is possible that he may come to light at the Auckland provincial championships to be held in Hamilton on February 27 (states the ‘ Sporting Life ’). A special grass track has been laid down at the Hamilton Club’s new sports ground, ami conditions should be ideal fox- the meeting..

Athletic Notes and Comments

The first time 9 4-ssec was clocked in New Zealand for the 100yds was awav back in 1891, when at Auckland, the” Australian, W. J. Macpherson, astounded the athletic enthusiasts by registering this time. The following year, at Christchurch, on February 2, a New Zealander, J.H. Heni|iton. ol Hawke’s Bay, set a seal to his lame by equalling Macphersoii’s figures. For 34’ years these figures were not threatened' until the flying American, Jackson V. Schols, equalled them at Christchurch on March 1, 1926. Next season another New Zealander, Malcolm,, Leadbetter, of - Canterbury, covered the 100yds in 9 4-osec at Auckland on February 12. Four years then elapsed before such running was seen again. The American, G. S. Simpson, on three occasions, January 29, at Gisborne, February. 7, at Auckland, and March 4 at Waimate, was timed to do the 100yds in under even figures Simpson was followed by the brilliant Aucklander, A. J. Elliott, who clocked this time on March 11, 1932, and repeated the performance on I'ebruary 18 1933. It has been a remarkable feature of these events that every time an overseas fithlete has mado these figures a New Zealander has equalled them in the, following year. Macpherson was followed by Hempton. Scholz hv Leadbetter, and Simpson by Elliott. Another feature of performances has been the lapses of fdur years, and as this year is the fourth since the feat was accomplished it may happen again. ’ JAPANESE TOUR The itinerary of the Japanese athletes who are’ to tour the Dominion has been amended, and now is as follows; February 15, arrive at Auckland; February 20, compete at Auckland; February 27. compete at. Christchurch; March 6, compete at Dunedin; March 13, compete at Auckland (New Zealand championships); March 17, compete at Wanganui; March 20, compete at Wellington: March 27, compete at Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay: and March 30, depart from Wellington. ON THE MARK J. M. Watt, All Black Rugby threequarter, has a good chance of capturing the national 440yds amateur athletic title. He recently took 51 4-ssee for this distance on a very rough track in a high wind, with practically no preparation. His form to-day is considerably better than when he ran T. G. Broadway to 'a yard at the national meeting in 1934. One of Auckland’s most promising athletes,. N. M'Carthy, who ,was a strong contender for the provincial walking titles this season, left . Auckland last week to take up a . position m Wellington. One of the most stylish: walkers the province has, produced, M'Carthy first became prominent when he walked from Auckland to Wellington in 1932 in record time, and since then he has won numerous track walking events. In view of the .fine fohn he has been displaying this year, M'Carthy was considered to have excellent prospects of capturing the provincial championships. He did not compete last year owing to an attack of appendicitis a few days before the sports. He will be eligible to compete in the Wellington meeting, however, and intends to return to Auckland for the national championships on March 12 and 13.

The brilliant mile returned by W. A. C. Pullar at Dunedin comes as a surprise (states the ‘ ’). Last month this runner ran the race in 4min 28sec, but there is a big difference between 4min 29sec and 4min 18sec, and if Pullar can keep this up the national mile title is his. C. H. Matthews, the national three-mile champion, is concentrating on the mile this year, and returned 4min 31 ■l-ssec at Christchurch on Saturday. Another strong contender is R. Wilson, Wellington, who has bad little opportunity this year to show what he can do. In last year’s national title race, the finishing order was V. P. Boot, Wilson, Pullar, 10yds both ways, and the time was 4min 22 4-ssec. This year’s contest promises to be the outstanding event of the year, but it is extremely doubtful whether Randolph Rose’s record of 4min 13 4-ssec wil be disturbed.

According to reports, V. P. Boot, the Olympic representative, could have done even better than his brilliant Imin 57sec for the half-mile at the Welling-ton-Canterbury contest at Christchurch (states the ‘Dominion’). At the end of lap one Boot lay second and W. Ogg. Wellington, fourth. Boot then went into thedead, and with a furlong to,go was 15yds in front. Ogg went into second place and chased the leader, but Boot finished in perfect style 25yds in front. Ogg was 15yds ahead of the third man. Boot’s New Zealand record is Imin 54 4-ssec, run at Wellington oil April 13 last year. The world’s record of Imin 49sec was established by B. Eastman, U.S.A., in 1934. Gerald Backhouse, Victoria, holds the Australian record of Imin 55sec, made year. Although he is thus in the front rank of world halfmilers, Boot. was unable to produce his best form at the 1936 Olympic Games at Berlin.

Although Wellington failed to collect more than half Canterbury’s points in the interprovincial atheltic contest, its field events men, as had been expected l , showed that the northern province is still strong enough to win places at Dominion championships. T. J. Crowe and A. D. Adlum were the pick of the Wellington team, and Crowe’s effort in the long jump was a good one. In the high jump, however, he failed to produce anything like his best form, and stopped at sft 6Jin. Adlum’s discus throw was the best of the day, and he was close up in the shot put, won by Guy, of Wellington, with a put of 39ft B}in—Sin better than the winning effort at the last New Zealand championships. Canterbury’s two Olympic runners, C. H. Matthews and V. P. Boot, show signs of having benefited from their experience abroad last year. Both men need sharpening up before reaching peak form this but their runs in the interprovincial meeting last Saturday showed that they should be greatly improved runners by the time the New; Zealand championships are

held next month. Boot’s meeting with W. Fuller, who was timed in Dunedin to do 4min 18sec for the mile, will be one of the classic events of the forthcoming championships. Matthews was not troubled in the mile in the Wel-lington-Canterbury contest, and the race will have sharpened him up for his speciality over the three miles.

J. B. MacFarlane’s wins in l the 100yds and 220yd's at the WellingtonCanterbury Athletic meeting demonstrated that the Old Boys’ rufiner is well on the way to, being a strong contender again for the New Zealand sprint titles; MacFarlane had an indifferent season last year, but he has returned to solid training again now, and lacks only a little staying power in the longer distance to be right back to the form which won him Dominion championships a few years ago. He demonstrated by a great finish in the 100yds that none of his speed has been lost, but over the 220yds—though the time of 23see was good considering the sharp bends of the English Park track —he lost style towards the end, and lacked the characteristic burst nf speed that marked his finishes of a few seasons back.