ATHLETICS

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 March 1922, Page 3

ATHLETICS

— ———— — OCCASIONAL NOTES.

(By

Mentor.)

L It is a- real pleasure to join in the con- , gratulations which have been extended to , the West Coast representatives who journeyed over to Christchurch to compete at - the championship meeting last wees. Jack ■ Steel in winning the 100 yards and 220 yards N.Z.A.U. Championship of New , Zealand has added to the laurels which > ho gained as the finest footballer in the Dominion in the matches against the ■ Springboks. Tn winning both these events on the tape this fine athlete again demonsrtated the grit and determination which chai-Acteiise his play on the InTernational field of Rugby football. His preparation for the Christchurch meeting was a. short one, and his great powers are not yet fully developed. The two gold medals which lie won are beautiful examples of the jeweller's art and reflect credit on the St. I’atiiek Sports Association which presented them. Though I am unable to congratulate, T. O’Callaghan as a winner, I can congratulate him as one who deserved success. 11 is running in the big handicap of the meeting was magnificent, and though he failed to land the first prize, all the honours of the race fall to him. In giving the winner Cook 4£ yards and running him so close in the. splendid time of 13 l-ssecs for 135 yards (the West Coaster actually ran 134 yards) O’Callaghan put up one of the greatest runs of his career. To “come back’’ in such a manner after some years’ absence from the running track is a great surprise to even this great sprinter's most ardent supporters. West Coasters feel proud that two such splendid runners as Steel and O’Callaghan are West Coasters born and bred. Young Fiank Moore also held up his end, ami his very fine running in the Maiden Handicap in a large field fully justified the opinion formed of his powers by those, who have. seen his running on the football field. He was a. worthy representative. A month or two back nobody could have, believed it posible that such tremendous interest would be shown in athletics as was evidenced last Saturday night in Greymouth. On all sides could be heard expressions of keen satisfaction that our runners had done so well at the Christchurch meeting. The interest in tlie forthcoming Easter meetings in Greymouth and Hokitika is now keener than ever. Entries for the big Easier meeting in Grevmouth close, tomorrow, and already' a big number ot entries from athletes in Canterbury and all over the Coast have been received. O'Callaghan and Steel alone would be a great draw for the

meeting, as everybody is anxiously awaiting the next meeting of these two cracks. In the ICO yards championship Steel prevailed, while in the St. Patiick’s Handicap, both off the same mark, O’Callaghan reversed positions. There could not pos--1 siblv be a more interesting situation than ' this, and the next meeting of these two on Easter Saturday will draw a great ' crowd. With O’Shea the New Zealand champion cyclist in the bicycle events and L George, of Hokitika, the five miles charn- ' pion of New Zealand also competing, the ■' interest in the meeting will be something in the athletic line without a parallel in the history of athletics on the Coast. I—--1 Entries for the meeting are made on regulation lornts. which are obtainable from the secretaries, or at Wades shop, hut should any competitor lie so situated I as not to have access to these, his entry may he sent along in the ordinary way with performances added in terms ot the conditions on the programme. A good field of cyclists is competing in tlic (iieymouth-l’aroa road race to-mor-row afternoon. There are some new entrants for this race, including the veteran Blackmon, who used to be such a fine track rider some years back when cycle racing was booming. To-morrow s race will be most interesting, and in addition to the ordinary prizes a gold medal will be presented to the winner, while there are. two prizes for the fastest times put up by riders in the division up to half-way - in the handicap, and also for the. rider • doing fastest, time in the division on tho limit side of half-way. Rotomanu and Stillwater (Tubs have two ( fine programmes advertised, and it speaks ( well for the enterprise of these two ■ country clubs that such good programmes ‘ have been arranged. Wo wish their | meetings every success, and recommend j athletes to read carefully the list of events ; as advertised. < - 1 To show what a- tremendous revival has ’ taken place in athletics on the- Coast it < will suffice to mention the fact that meet- < ings are now being held at Ngakawau, ] Granity Creek, Mawhera-iti, St if water, Runanga. Aloana, Rotomanu, Murchison, ' Greymouth, and Hokitika. This speaky for itself. The following from a programme of the 1 first Greymouth Athletic Club away back .- in 1885 will be. of great interest at tho • present juncture : —“300 yards flat race— ‘ J. Brislane (21yds) 1, George Moss • (17yds) 2, R. King (20yds) 3. The. winner j was nearly losing tho race through look- j ing round.” It is most pleasing to note r that the two gentlemen who figured first and second arc still well known and active citizens of Greymouth, thirty-seven years after the event set out above. A tribute to the fine effect of athletics. The ol

running high jump at the same meeting resulted as follows: —E. Ashton (sft 4£in) 1, J. R. McGregor (sft 2gin.) 2, A. Ashton (sft 2in) 3. “Young Ashton jumped remarkably well.’’ Those acquainted will

recognise in “Young Ashton’’ Mr “Ted’’ Ashton, who is still alive and well, while - “A. Ashton” is Mr Alf Ashton, his bro- ) ther, now of Westport, and the first white - child born in Greymouth. 440 Yards’ t Race.—G. Moss (28yds) 1, J. Brisbane c (30yds) 2, R. King (27yds) 3. “This was a 1 splendid race, Moss just managing to breast the tape about a foot in front of 1 Brisbane. ” Both first and second are still ! “going strong.” > > Tn mentioning the names of prominent Coast athletes of other days I naturally omitted the names of many, in addition to those already mentioned in this column. Here are some more Messrs Thomas Letcher (now of Reefton). Teddy Smyrke (Napier), Mark Doran (standing high jumper, for many' years in Blackball), J. Vaughan (splendid mile runner), “Jimmy the Ranger,” the Twohill Brothers (Dave, I’at and Dan), Joe Heaphy (fine jumper), William Heaphy’ and Edward Heaphy. the Longs, Martin Fraser, “Jimmy” Doyle (now City Inspector in Wellington), Jack Giblin (rower), the Firths (rowers), Bill Howe (rower), and Tom Aldridge (rower). The latter was many years with the late Dr Morice. In addition there were two splendid runners I omitted to name:— “Squire” Hill (now of Brunnerton) and the late Brigadier-General Charles Brown who ran matches against “Jim” Macfarlune and “Bob” Cochrane, both of Recf-_ ton. A further list includes Charles Buckley, of Coal Creek (trainer of many good athletes), Harry Lyons, W. Cochrane (now of Greymouth), Dave Cochrane, Tom Cochrane, Tim Williams (150yds champion, now in Reefton), Bob and Jim McFarlane, Teddy Webber, Sam Furness (champion wrestler, and father of “Redwing,” our Coast boxer), James McGregor, Refer McGregor, Bob McGregor and Frank McGregor (of Hokitika).