Strong Grey Team Seeks Canterbury Titles

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 February 1947, Page 9

Strong Grey Team Seeks Canterbury Titles

The failure of West Coast senior athletes to annexe a Canterbury title earlier this month should be fully compensated for next Saturday when the leading Greymouth junior men and women athletes will compete in Christchurch. The team was prominent at last year’s championships, but this year may be even stronger, and it will be most surprising if a good proportion of the dozen or more members of the team do not bring back championship titles.

Best hope, of course, is L. McDougall, who has been unbeaten in scratch races this season, and has equalled the New Zealand junior 100 yards record of 10 1-5. He should receive plenty of support from H. Hill. J. R. Steel, though this will be his first appearance in a high-class field, should acquit himself _well in the 440yds. The Grey Club’s diminutive miler, G. Watson, will probably find himself confronted with a difficult task at Christchurch on Saturday, but he has overcome apparently insuperable handicaps in club events by sheer stamina, and even if he fails to take majoi' honours this youngster should benefit by observing the style of .the leading Canterbury runners. In the mile event run last evening, Watson won splendidly in 4.52 2-5, which was three-fifths of a second faster than the time recorded by the senior winner, J. Fitzgerald, who ran off the same mark.

Good Prospects.

The West Coast will have strong representation in the field events. The two outstanding will be V. Hahn and M. Eder, Canterbury champions last year, and they should repeat, for both have improved. Eder has thrown the javelin over’ 140 feet, and if he can do this again he will be certain to represent Canterbury a

the New ' Zealand championships again. Hahn, who also competed at the New Zealand championships last year, has good prospectsun both the shot putt and the discus throw. A. Blackie, who is expected to do well in the high jump next season, will compete in this event at Christchurch, and even though his performance might be good enough to earn him a place, the main benefit will probably be the experience gained. Women’s Team Good. The women’s team is smaller, but all have excellent prospects. The holder of the West Coast 100 yards record, Miss D. Perrin, has not been running particularly well of recent weeks, but a return to her form of last month should assure her of a win. Last month she defeated both the Wellington and Canterbury champion sprinters. Main competition in Christchurch on Saturday will come from Miss C. Radcliffe, who has been beaten by Miss Perrin, and Miss H. Rountree, last year’s champion, who is reported to be returning to form. Canterbury is unusually weak m the field and West Coast strong, so the visitors’ previous superiority in this section should not be disputed this season. A newcomer to athletic ranks, Miss D. Hill, and Miss L. Acker, who won a Canterbury title last year, should share the majorhonours in the javelin and discus throws. Misses P. and M. Power will contest the high jump and should do well. Miss P. Power has been runner-up for the Canterbury title for this event for three , years now, and was runner-up at the NewZealand championships. Miss Power may also do well in the shot putt. With a team of this calibre to represent the province, the West Coast should be more than well to the fore fin Saturday.