ATHLETICS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 69, 20 February 1931, Page 9

ATHLETICS.

AMERICANS AT ‘WANGANUI. Per Press Association. , WANGANUI. Feb. 20. Not since the national athletic championships has there been such enthusiasm at Cook’s Gardens as that shown to-night, when Don Evans heat ltufus Kiser, the visiting American, by close on twenty yards in tho half mile, to brenk the New Zealnnd and Australian record for the distance by two seconds. Evans ran his own race lying last until about 300 yards from the finish, when he staged a phenomenal run to gain the lead on the last curve. The crowd fully appreciated the performances of the American visitors, Harlow Rothert in the shot-put. long jump and broad jump; Rufus Kiser in the half mile; nnd George Simpson in the 100 and 220 vards.

At the start of the record-making half mile, Kiser, running off scratch with Evans, set a fast clip. Evans was not to be bustled. He ran steadily and his tremendous stride covered the ground with the ease of a tuned machine. At the first curve, about 80 yards from the start, the American was leading Evans by 25 yards. On entering the straight, Kiser had the field in hand and a few yards later was in the lead. Evans was still running his own race, the distance between the two principal men having been increased. There was a big gap between Evans and the last of the others. At the end of the first quarter Evans was about two chains behind the American. When Kiser entered the back straight'Evans saw him lift slightly, and straight away he opened up and brought the crowd to its feet as he began to overhaul the field rapidly. In that straight he passed the whole field. Leaving the last curve, Evans had established a ten yards’ lead on Kiser, and the twenty-year-o'd Taihape bov straightened up from the curve to increase his lead and score a smashing win. It was announced that the time was lmin 54 4-ssec., thus beating the present record put up by Lloyd Hahn, the American, at Hawera, by two seconds. Kiser also beat the New Zealand and Australian records for the distance. Kiser’s first lap was run in 54 seconds. Evans, intended to run the same lap in 58secs. In the 220 yards. George Simpson bettered the Australian and New Zealand record by two-fifths of a second. He left the start with his characteristic bullet-like start and passed the field on the curve to lead into the straight by a yard. M. Strange, of Palmerston North, off five yards, was hanging on grimly and up the straight he lost only a yard. Tire American received an ovation when the time, 21 2-ssecs. was announced.

In the 100 yards, Simpson started in the final, to win in 9 4-5 seconds. Harlow Rothert, in an exhiibtion shot put, following his win in the event, with 90 feet, bettered his previous best in the Dominion by two and a half inches, with 50ft CAin. He won the high jump from scratch, jumping sft sAin. Immediately the meeting concluded, the three Americans left for Wellington with Mr Amos, delegate to the New Zealand Council for the Wanga-nui-Taranaki centre.