AMATEUR ATHLETICS

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 20 February 1932, Page 10

AMATEUR ATHLETICS

TRACK AND FIELD (By “Limit.”) COMING EVENTS. To-night.—West Coast eC-ntre Championships, Wanganui. February 24.—Evening meeting, Eltham. March 3.--Evening meeting, Stratford. March 10.— Evening meeting, Hawera. NEW PLYMOUTH CARNIVAL.

Conditions were ideal for the second electric light carnival held under the auspices of the New Plymouth Amateur Athletic Club, at Pukekura Park, on -Saturday last, when competitors from all parts of the province gathered to. present an excellent, diversified programme. TJie track was very fast and the absence of wind made excellent times a feature of the evening. Loud speakers added materially t-o an attractive meeting and Announcer G. S. King kept an interesting fire of comment throughout.

RUN IN EVENS

BLACK S FINE 220.

Running with wonderful freedom, S. A. Black (N.P:), present Taraenam sprint champion, clocked 22sec in his heat of the 220 yards handicap, and was. very close up in, the final whicn was won m 22 f-osec. Black was at the top of his form, running second to G. Sullivan (N.P.) 3J- yards m his heat of the 100 yards in 10 secs, and competing m the final, before making his. splendid dash in the 220. On ills present form this runner .should make his presence felt at the New Zealand championships this vear.

What promised to be an excellent quarter was spoiled, by a considerable amount of jostling which took place n the, back bend, and at the entrance to the straight. T. K. Gamble (It., from scratch, overhauled the field nicely, but was jostled badly pn the last bend and lost ground, and lacked, a strong finish, running third, five yards back in 51 secs. Cambie sprang a surprise earlier in the evening by winning the hop, step and jump handicap with the greatest of ease, clearing 41 ft 7in.

The BSO yards handicap went to H. Hooke (N.P.) off 20 yards in 2min 2 2-osec. Hooke ran a solid race and gave a splendid- demonstration of the valuq of a strong finish, sprinting, the final 250 yards to win by two yar.d:from R. J. Stewart (N.P.) who started off 55 yards.

R. P. Hoby (N.P.) ran a well-judg-ed race to win the mile off ICO yards in 4niin 33see from K. J. Brown (N.P.) 30 yards. Hoby was scratch man in the half-mile event, but appears to be better over the longer distance.

Promising talent was seen in action in, the secondary schools ICO yards championship dash, won by .J. Outred (N.P.) with I. D. Mcßeady (S) second and J, Carool (N.P.) third. Outred clocked 10 4-ssec in his heat and 11 sec in the final, winning by inches, only from Mcßeady, who finished with a great burst.

FAST MILE WALK. The time recorded by D. Wills (H) in the mile was the best walk recorded in Taranaki by an amateur.. Fills from scratch, made the pace solid from the gun, finishing with his characteristic half-lap burst in 6min 45 sec, this being 21sec better than Ids own Taranaki record and osec .faster than the New Zealand standard. The centre champion is in fine fettle, and is improving with every race. 13. Griffin (H) and the Coleman' brothers (E) also performed very creditably Taranaki has now a fine quartet of walkers, and it is pleasing to note that more interest is being stimulated in these events, the places on Saturday last going to three voung New Plymouth boys who are very keen to do well later on. An exciting race was provided by the ladies’ 440yds inter-club relay, won by New Plymouth, with Hawera second. In the' final dash. Miss A. O’Byrne (N.P.) led Miss Y. Allan (H) by a comfortable margin at the changeover, and took matters lightly for the first few yards, to be surprised into her verv best effort in order to hold off the Hawera girl who ran tsplendidly. With Proper training, Miss Allan will develop into a fine runner. REED RIDES WELL. R. L. Reed (N.P.) rode strongly in the three-mile bicycle handicap, gaining second place, only a length behind W. A. Ludlam (S) 200 yards, in Tniin 37 2-ssec. Reed’s performance, is creditable in that, the present jTaranaki record held "by H. G. R, Kelson since 1930, is Bmin 6 2-ssec. G. Lithgow (O') won the half and two-mile events while W. H. Ludlam (S) won the one-mile and the threemiles handicap. The cycling was of. an improved -standard and times were good. OUR RENT COMMENT.

The West Coast (N. 1.) championships at Wanganui to-night will take the form of inter-club competition and not of sub-centre competition as was originally intended. A strong team from Hawera will be competing and a largo share of points should he annexed by the Hawera Club.

T. K. Cambio has been dividing his attentions of late and seems to he. dabbling at everything. After winning the hop. step and jump in New Plymouth on Saturday last, Cambio has been nominated for the 440 yards hurdles in Wanganui to-night. It- is well-nigh time that this athlete found his host distance or event and concentrated liis attetion.s thereon.

N. G. Stratton should prove a valuable aquisition to the Hawera Club in a season or two. He jumped 40ft 3jin in the hop, step and jump at New Plymouth last week and should improve, on this with training. Gi. Brown is improving over the hurdles and is very fit at present. Just what line will find Brown at his best is hard to select as yet, though he has a physique admirably suited to field events.

J. Richards is training consistently and appears to be getting into form again. Richards lias run some good times and it is hoped that he Fill regain his old dash. R. Walker and S. Riley have not been quite so regular in their training of late and though precautions should he taken against over-training, the time has now come when hard work should he the rule on the track.

D. Wills is in consistent training and Len Barton seems to have him at the ton of his form at present. Miss Betty Stevens is regaining her old form as evidenced hv her 14sec

for the 120 yards dash in New Plymouth last week. Miss Stevens will be'.hard to beat at Wanganui to-day. An enjoyable day was spent- on Sunday last, when members of the Hawera Club travelled to the Ivaup-oKonui beach for the club’s annual, picnic Swimming was indulged in by all and the fine 'weather added materially to an enjoyable outing.

WELLINGTON ACTIVITIES.

EX-TARANAKI ATHLETE’S

SUCCESS.

In winning the 100 yards Invitation scratch race in the Dewar Shield, corepetition on Saturday last, G. Hamilton, formerly" of. Stratford and last year’s 100' ‘yards centre champion, created a surprise in Wellington athletics. Hamilton is an adept at getting off the mark and is described as leaving, the mark last Saturday like a streak of lightning. C. Jenkins, of Wellington, 220 yards New Zealand tjtle holder, was second and G. Hart, Canterbury, present New Zealand 100 yard title holder was third. The excellent time of lOsec was recorded* The sprinting results of late provide some interesting speculation as to the results in the forthcoming New Zealand championships which are to be held early in March. Hamilton’s surprise win places him among the foremost contenders for the 100 yards title, while S. A. Black’s fine running brings him well within striking distance of the 220 yards title. J. Elliott, of Auckland,' New Zealand’s Empire Games representative, is training consistently and hopes to regain'bis titles this year. The Auckland meeting will undoubtedly see some very fine sprinting.