Australian Athletes Break Two Dominion Records at Napier

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22883, 1 March 1949, Page 6

Australian Athletes Break Two Dominion Records at Napier

(P.A.) NAPIER. Feb. 28. New Zealand records for the 220yds. hurdles and the 220ydsd. flat were broken by the Australian athletes at McLean Park, Napier, on Saturday afternoon. M. Curotta won the 220yds. flat by seven yards in 21.35ec., which was 1.10 sec. faster than John Treloar’s record also established at McLean Park two years ago.

Curotta easily won the 100yds. In 9.6 sec., equalling the New Zealand record, but as he beat the pistol there will be no claim for official recognition G. Avery (Australia) won the hop, step and jump with a distance of 46 ft. 5Un., but was fully extended by R. Meban (Gisborne) in the long jump, and won by only a quarter of an inch with a leap of 20ft. 7in. The Australians won each of the seven events in which they competed. Brian Derwin (Napier) created a new Hawke's Bay Poverty Bay junior twomile record in a special attempt. He covered the distance in 9min. 48.75ec., 22.35ec. faster than the previous time and 6.3 sec. outside the national junior record. Results:

100 yds. Short Limit Handicap: M. Curotta (Australia), scr., 1; R. Meban, scr., 2; R. Johnson. 2yds.. 3. Time. 9 6 sec.

220vds. Invitation Hurdles: G. Goodacre (Australia), scr., 1; J. Holland, scr., 2: R. Meban. scr., 3. Time, 24.25ec. BSoyds.—D. White (Australia), scr., 1; J. D. Sinclair, scr., 2; J. Sweeney, 20 yds., 3 Time, Imin. 56.55ec 220yds.—M. Curotta. scr., 1; R. Johnson, 6yds., 2: R. Meban. 4yris., 3. Time, 21.3 sec.

410yds. Hurdles: G. Goodacre, scr., 1; J Holland, scr., 2: C. Craven, 10yds., 3. Time, 54.65ec.

Hop, Step and Jump: G. Avery (Australia), scr., 46ft. sJin.. 1; R. Johnson, scr. 44ft.' 2Jin., 2: K. Laws, 2ft. 6in., 43ft. Bin„ 3 .

Long Jump: G. Avery (Australia), scr.. 20ft. 7in., 1: R. Meban, scr., 20ft. 63in., 2.

Competing in most of the events against senior runners, R. Meban, the Gisborne junior champion, acquitted himself particularly well, although he gained only minor placings.Off the scratch mark with M. Curotta in the 100yds. Meban ran second to the Australian, whose time equalled the New Zealand record.

The Gisborne youth was given 4yds. on Curotta in the 220yds. flat, but was beaten into third place by the Australian, and R. Johnson, a Napier junior, who was off the 6yd. mark. G. Goodacre, Australia, and J. Holland, the New Zealand Olympic representative, and Meban, were all off the scratch mark in the 220yds hurdles, and finished in that order.

Only a quarter of an inch behind G. Avery, Australia, in the long jump, Meban proved that he can excel in field as well as track events.