ATHLETICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11825, 30 November 1901, Page 7

ATHLETICS.

Intending competitors are reminded that entries for the Now Zealand Amatour Athletic Association's championship meeting, to be held on the Domain Cricket Ground, Auckland, on December 18, close on Saturday next, December 7, with Mi. F. J. Ohlson, secretary of the Auckland Amateur Athletic and Cycle Club. In addition to the championship events, there will bo two bioyele handicaps, half-mile and two miles. A test meeting was hold at Christchurch for the purpose of giving the authorities an opportunity of selecting representatives for the Now Zealand championships. The exAucklander A. O. Keating won the 100 yds and 220 yds events, E. I. Harper the quar-ter-mile flat, and W. P. Simpson (he mile. No doubt others will be selected to represent the Southern club, including probably Bradley (shot-putting) and one oi two more distance men. J as. Te Paa, the native pole vaulter, has Written Mr. Ohlsou from Northern Wairoa intimating his intention of competing at the championship meeting next month. With Te Pan and C. C. Laurie to represent us in the pole jump the Auckland club should take both first and second places. H. A D. Anderson, the well-known amateiu' distance runner and member of the Auckland A.A.A. and C.C., who has been away on the goldfields, returned to town

last week. He will remain over the championship meetings in December and ■will undergo a special preparation for the halfmile championship. Otahuhu Athletic and Cycle Club's sports at Otahuhu this afternoon. The name of the New Zealand crack, L. W. McLachlan, figures in the entries for the pedestrian events, but ho is still in Australia, and likely to remain there for some weeks yet. L. B. Webster, the young New Plymouth sprinter, intends competing at the Wellington Amateur Athletic Club's sports ou Saturday next. In view of the forthcoming championships his'performances in the sprints will be awaited with considerable interest. Mr. J. H. Hempton has been paying attention to Webster in hie training. The championships under the auspices of the Association of Caledonian Societies will bo competed for at the sports of the Oamaru Caledonian Society on January 1 and 2. 1902, and the sum of £400 has been voted for prize-money. Chatting to Claude Motion, a competitive member of the A.A.A. and CO., at present farming at Waiuku, during the week he informed mc that D. Wilson in!ends coming to town, if possible, a couple of weeks before the championship meetings to finish off his preparation for the heel-and-toe events.

At the South Sydney A.A.C.'s evening meeting recently A. A. Oxlade, who will represent New South Wales in tho quarter and half-mile events at the Australasian championships, established a fresh • ocord for the State over 300 yds in a handicap. Oxlade, who started too slowly, finished in rare style, beating the existing record (33|s. by the late W. C. Rush) by hall a second. The three watches read as follows: Mr. W. T. Kerr'f, 335.; Mr. C. Sharpo's, 32 4-53.; Mr. H. M. Henderson's, 335. The official time was given as 335. At a recent committee meeting of the Dunedin Amateur Athletic Club Messrs. R. Martin (hammer-throwing) and C. A. Cuff (quarter and half-mile) were selected ro represent the club at the New Zealand championship meeting. Probably Stalker, who won the sprints in the trials tho other day, and J. Gow (walker) will bo among tho other representatives of the , Southern club. Natives seem to take to jumping and polevaulting like duoks to water. At the Te Ante College sports recently a Maori named Tanara won the broad jump with 21ffc 4iin, Rateno pulled off the polo vault with 10ft 3in. and Matien gained first place in the high jump with sft. 6in. II members of an amateur athletic club, an effort should be made to send them up to the New Zealand championships. The Pioneer Amateur Athletic and Bicyolo Club's sports were held on Saturday last, but the performances, on the whole, we.ro only moderate, though a strong castwind appears to have interfered to an extant with the times in some of the events. Th<3 details to hand are vary brief, and it is therefore impossible to say whether A. O. Keating, who is on present form about the best sprinter in Christ-church, competed, out if so he failed to got a. place in the lOfiyds or 220 yds, won in Us. and 24 3-ss. respectively, by men well up to the limits. Tho combined New South Wales, Vic torian, and Queensland teams for the Australasian championships leavo Sydney in the s.s. Mararoa on Wednesday. December 11, at four p.m. She is due to arrive in Auckland on the afternoon of Sunday, December 15.

According to latest Australian files to hand there seems somo probability of a match being arranged between the New Zealand crack, L. C. McLachlan, and D. Smith, of Bundaberg, over half-a-mile.

From a letter by A. O. Barrett, the wellknown Victorian walker, to "Prodigal," of the Sydney Referee, I gather that there is very little Hkelihood of the heel-and-toe exponent figuring among the competitors at tho Australasian championships. He appears to have retired from, track-walking.

Entries for the Public Schools' Amateur Athletic Association's fourth annual sports, to be held on the Domain Cricket Ground on Thursday, December 19, close with the hon. secretary, Mr. F. H. Brown, to-day. These sports are becoming very popular, not o"ly with the children, but also with the general public. Already 24 schools have affiliated, including several country schools, and every effort is being made by the secretary to indue© others to do so. A special feature of this year's meeting will be the numerous displays by the girls and competitions in physical, manual, and bayonet exercises by the cadets. The heats are to bo run off in the morning', the afternoon being reserved for tho finals and the displays. Country children will be enabled to finish their races in ample time to catch their trains.

WEBSTER DISCUSSES WEBSTER. In a recent issue of the Sydney Referee " Prodigal" made reference to a letter received from a New Zealand correspondent, in which the latter stated that. L. B. Webster, the New Plymouth sprinter, was sure tc beat Stanley Rowley over 440 yds. This appears to have tickled Mr. K. Webster, an elder brother of the runner mentioned, who, in the course of a letter to the Sydney writer, spjys:—""Sou mention that someone had written you expressing his opinion that Webster would 'beat Rowley over a quarter-mile. Whoever wrote you to that effect can know nothing whatever about athletics, or he would not compare them over 440 yds, that being a distance, as you mention, unsuitable for Rowley. I can assure you that anything in the way of comparing Webster with Rowley did riot come from anyone directly connected with him, and therefore the person with the above opinion i 3 not really ; n a position tc form a correct estimate of his capabilities. Before going further 7 would mention that 1. am personally acquainted with Rowley, having met him during his visit to Auckland, and also saw him defeat Patrick and Smith in the 100 yds and deadheat with Patrick over the 250 yds. I consider Rowley a two to three yards better man than either Patrick or Smith on Auckland running, and as I gave him some attention in his training, I know he was far from being strung up at the meeting. If Oxlade and Shea are good men they will most likely beat my brother, who is only a young runner (21 years). However, we will see in December how they get on. Thero has been considerable talk in New Zealand over Smith v. Webster over the three distances (sprints). Having seen Smith run, I think it would be a good race over 100 yds, but rather fancy Smith would win, but I consider he would be beaten over the other distances, as I don't think he can run much over 100 yds. I oan assure you all this ' fluting' does not come from any one of us, and must say it is very unfair to my brother. I would ask you not to publish any more such absurd opinions, for the originators really don't know what they are talking about. _ With regard to his chance at the championships, wo expect him to run well, and perhaps he will have best chance in the quarter."

THE AUSTRALASIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS. The following from tho pen of "Prodigal" gives tho latest concerning the teams to represent tho New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland Associations at the forthcoming Australasian championships, to bo decided on the Auckland Domain on December 20 and 21:—1 am in a position to give some additional information as to the likely personnel of the various teams from New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland, and the news should prove interesting to my readers, especially those in New Zealand. Eiv3 members of the New South Wales team have been selected, the personnel at present being as follows: — W. O'Reilly (hammer and shot). W. Lindsay (hurdles and broad jump). S. W. York (mile and three miles). A. A. Oxlade (quarter and half-mile). H. Henderson (sprints). Until A. L. McAlister has done his "test" running high jump (it is to take place before a local committee at Goulburn this week) the selecto* canribt determine whether to select a high-jumper or a walker for the sixth place If funds would admit of it. and the jump is satisfactory, it would be advantageous to send both MeAlistei and Penny. Tho selector (Mr. 11. Coombes) has asked Mr. E. S. Marks (who was honorary manager of the New South Wales 1895 team) if he could see his way to ivot as honorary managei. The Victorian team, it is announced, will not include a ham or shot exponent, or a polo vaultcr. With S. Duncan unwell, and W. Gumming very doubtful, I think it pretty safo to assume that the team will include all or most of the following: — G. A. Moir (sprints). W. Shea (sprints). H. 11. Hunter (sprints, hurdles, and broad jump). E. W. Mitohell (440 yds and 880 yds). IT. Sutton (mile). Geo. Blake (one and three miles). C. 11. Gardner (hurdles and broad jump). D. M. Maopherson (hurdles arc) broad jump). H. MoL. Duigsan (high and broad jumps). It. Purbricli (walks). Other possibles arc A. H. Wills (middle distances) and A. O. Barrett, who might be induced to go foi the three-mile walk. The Victorian team will bo 9 very strong one, and will have the advantage ol duplications in a number of events.

The Queensland selectors are now busily engaged in theL task. The selectors (Messrs. Pritchard, Burton, and Crawford) have definitely chosen the following: — Geo. Hawkes (hammer and shot). D'Arcy Wentworth (440 yds, 880 yds, and one-mile). P. i\ Oorrigan (walks).

I have seen no mention made of A. B. Wilcox (Bundaberg), one of Queensland s best-known performers, but C. Campbell, or Mary borough, is to be offered the opportunity of being "tested." Chas. Campbell, ex-440yds and 880 yds amateur champion oi Australasia, and present 440 yds amateur champion of New South Wales, is certainly one of Australia's representative champions, whilst anyone who saw Wilcox do 6m. Msfor a mile at the North Sydney A.A.U sports, fair heel-and-toe, under the new rules, must admit that n it would be hard -o pick a walker in Australia to equal the performance under the severe conditions imposed by the new code. The Selection Committee have arranged to hold a series of test races at tho Exhibition Grounds at half-past four n.m. on Friday afternoon next, and have invited the following runners to compete in the 100 yds, 220 yds, and 440vd3 events:—C. Campbell, A. J- Scan' lan; A. Scott, G. J. Bennett, J.. J. Cummins, W. J. Oilier, and H. B. Radford. Furthermore, J. P. Mahony, C. C. Saunder son, C. Campbell, H. B. Radford, and A. Wildman have been invited to compete in tho 880 yds events. A week later Mahony, Saunderson, and Wildman have been asked to run a three-milo test race.