TRACK AND FIELD

Evening Star, Issue 23831, 11 March 1941, Page 11

TRACK AND FIELD

ATHLETIC NEWS AND NOTES JUNIOR AND WOMEN COMPETITORS PERFORM WELL [By Pistol.] The small but select team which went from Otago for the New Zealand junior and women’s championships at Wanganui last week upheld the prestige of the province very worthily indeed, and once again the local representatives fared particularly well in tho field events, K. J. Morgan enhancing his reputation by retaining his titles in the shot putt and discus throwing events. Morgan is a lad of fine physique, and in winning the discus throw ho reached a distance of 130 ft which was some 3ft better than tho record he recently established in the Otago championships and well in excess of his winning performance of 125 ft 2Jin at-the Dominion junior championships last year. Morgan also heaved the 121 b shot 42ft Sin, a very sound effort, though seven inches below the distance he recorded last year. Nancy Hanlin, who has shown outstanding all-round ability in women’s athletic competition during tbo last two or three years, won her first New Zealand title when sho sent the 101 b shot to a. distance of 31ft Sin, and, incidentally, turned the tables on Miss B. Lipscombs (Auckland). Inst year’s winner. At Christchurch last season Miss Hanlin filled third place in the Dominion event, and she has shown steady improvement this season. As was expected, Betty Forbes, the Empire Games representative, retained her nigh jump title and cleared sft to do so. Miss Forbes registered one of the best performances among the women members of the New Zealand team at the Empire Games in Sydney in 1938, when she cleared sft 2;Jin in the high jump, actually tieing for second place, but being beaten on the count back and finally fillnig third place. For years she has been in a class of her own as ft high jumper among women athletes, and her consistency has been remarkable. Harold Nelson, the Civil Service runner, fully lived up to expectations by winning the junior mile title in 4min 30sec, which was 5 3-ssec better than the listed record and 9 l-ssec faster than Nelson’s time when ho won the Otago championship. Nelson has already been rated as one of the best mile prospects the province has had since W, A. Pullar and T. Allen were making their early appearances, and not a little of the credit for his success must go to his trainer, B. R. M’Kernan. Nelson is a stylish runner and possessed of sound judgment, and is one of those who should go on to greater heights. 6. M. Webb, the promising Southlander, did well to gain second place in tbo furlong, which was won in 22 2-ssec, and J. R. Hyslop collected second points in the mile walk. Here R. C. Brown (Canterbury) retained his title, his 7min 17 4-Ssec being 3 3-ssec slower than his time last year. H. Race and J. M’Gralh were placegetters in the women’s events, and the team as a whole registered performances which show that the standard of women’s and junior athletics in Otago is being well maintained. Remarkable Winning Sequence. One has to go back a long while to find an instance of a long-marker enjoying the remarkable run of Success that has come the way of R. Weir, of the Caversham Club, lately. Only last week reference was made to the fact that he had chalked up five wins in a row. On Saturday lie increased his tally to eight firsts in as many starts in a fortnight, collecting the 100yds in 10 2-sscc off Byds into the wind, 220yds in 22 l-ssec off 17yds, and the 440yds in 50 l-ssec off 33yds. He has previously shown ability over the half, and with tho pace he possesses the Caversham man has it in him to develop into a first-rate middle-distance runner. He should not have much-trouble in registering smart performances from much shorter handicaps. Fast Half-mile. Only cursory attention is apt, to bo given by the onlookers to the men running from the front marks, but more than once this season the tall Civil Service youngster, R. B. M’Kernan, has shown that he has it in him to develop into a middle-distance runner of more than ordinary ability. On Saturday, to say the least, he startled the field by tho pace he set in the half-mile handicap, and running from the long mark of 95yds he gave the back men a headache, his winning time being Imin 53 3-ssec. This was the fastest time put up on the Caledonian Ground in a handicap event for a long time, and would have meant recordbreaking for a win on the part of backmarkers. M’Kernan is developing more stamina, and now that he is building up good tilings may be expected of a youngster who has always shown real keenness for the sport. He is the eldest son of Mr B. R. M’Kernan, the well-known track and field coach and official. Girl Hurdler’s Fine Effort. Without any training Miss Pat. Mutimer put up rather a remarkable performance in winning the 80 metres women’s interhouso hurdles in 15 2-ssec at the Caledonian sports last Saturday, after clocking 15sec in her heat.' The D.S.A. athlete has been nursing a knee injury throughout the track season, but her keenness is undimmed, and she could not resist the call last Saturday. She showed that she has lost none of her skill, and just as important was the fact that the injured knee stood up to the strain made upon it. Miss Mutimer does not intend taking part in further competition this year, but her presence will give added interest to the women’s events next summer, Although unable to compete herself this summer. Miss Mutimer has played a leading part in the activities of the Otago Club, whose representatives have performed so well on the track.

No Gamer One. Killed in the service of his country, Wing Commander Arthur Sweeney, flyer on the cinder track and in the skies, was victim of an air crash, adding one more name to the list of sport giants who have made the great sacrifice, comments an English critic. It is sad to reflect that never again shall we see his sturdy, confident figure bursting down that lOOy'ds stretch at White City Stadium. The thousands who have watched Sweeney on Europe’s athletic grounds may have seen more stylish sprinters, but never will they see a gamer one. Fair-haired, broad-shoul-dered, and with a chest like a barrel, he was a runner of the bulldog type. Chin thrust forward, arms going like steam engines, he forced himself towards the tape, fetting there as much by fiery determination as by running ability. And never was his grit more in evidence than when he had the Union Jack on his vest and he was running against a foreign country. How he pegged back those crack German sprinters to win the 100 metres for England in the 1936 match with Germany! He won sprint and furlong in the Empire Games, and several A.A.A. titles. He would have bad the double one year at the White City but for Oseudarp. a Dutchman, who squeezed him out of the 100yds by inches. He joined the R.A.F. some years before the war, and it was as a flight lieutenant that he put up a show that had officials doubting their own watches. He sprinted 100yds in 9 7-lOsec, but when he applied for a British record certificate he was turned down on the grounds that the time-keepers were not competent!

Excellent Efforts. The D.I.C. representatives have invariably performed well in interhouso athletic competition, and the Caledonian sports last Saturday was no exception for them. They won the women’s march past, women’s aggregate, tied for first place in the men’s march past, and won the combined aggregate as well as being second in the men’s aggregate. Hillside Railway also performed .mos't creditably indeed, tieing for first .place in the men’s march past and winning the men’s aggregate. Performances generally in tho interhouse events were of a good standard, one of tho outstanding competitors in the men’s events being R. 'K, Nauman (D.T.C.I, who took the 440yds in f 4 2-s?ec and the furlong in 24 4-ssec. Tlik was the sixth year in succession that the

D.I.C. had won the combined aggregate, ami the ladies have been successful on five occasions.

Conditions Against Record-breaking. Conditions were against George Austin when he raced in the 10-mile scratch race at the Caledonian Sports last Saturday. He was expected to go close to A. R. Geddes’s New Zealand record of 54min 31 2-ssec put up on the same track on December 28, 1937, and to have .done so he would have required to average 5.27 for the mile. The other two starters wore of no use to him as far as pacemaking went, and he finished five laps ahead of L. Hebbard, who showed garaeness in finishing the course. A gusty northerly had to bo contended with, and when Austin got behind in his schedule in the first few miles his chances of bettering the record appeared fairly remote. Nevertheless lie ran an excellent race, his time being 56min 46 l-ssec, and for a man who races season in and season out his retention of top form is really amazing. Austin and Bay Geddes are taking part in a six-mile race at the interhouse meeting on March 29 in the hope of establishing a New Zealand record for this distance.

Wartime Championships. Although the ranks of senior athletes have been greatly depleted by the absence of men with the fighting forces, the policy of the Otago Centre in doing all in its power to encourage and maintain competition during the present season has bee; - a wise one, and the wartime championships to be decided next Saturday should provide a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon's sport, keen competition being assured. An event which is arousing a good deal of interest is the hammer throw, in which the supremacy of the New Zealand champion, M. R. Spillane, will be assailed by bis old opponent, .3. G. Leckie, who was captain of the Now Zealand track and field team at the Empire Gaines in 1938. Leckie has been displaying fine form in the south, and good figures should bo registered by both men on Saturday. No doubt a number of the members of the Otago junior and women's teams will be appearing at (he fixture, and in spite of the absence of so many familiar faces the meeting should be full of interest.