AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19953, 23 May 1928, Page 15

AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

CROSS-COUNTRY EVENTS. NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIPS. TO BE HELD AT WANGANUI. The New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association has allotted the 1928 Dominion cross-country championships to the Wanga-nui-Taiaiiaki Centre, and the meeting will bo held at Wanganui on Saturday, July 21, a little over eight weeks hence. The date fixed is somewhat earlier than was anticipated by Auckland harriers, some of whom have not yet got seriously under way. J. W Savidan (individual champion of New.Zealand), G. Kells and N. F. Cooper, three of the four members of the Auckland team sent to Christchurch last winter, are now in active commission, but C. Scown ha 3 had several setbacks owing to an injury, influenza and dental trouble. However, he expects to take his place in the pack on Saturday when the run will be over Mr. T. Scown'a farm, near Mangere Crossing, Otahubu. It was the intention to decide the Auckland cross-country championships toward the end of July, but it will be necessary to bring these events forward so as to assist in the selection of the team for Wanganui. Jn addition to the usual pack seen out at the Saturday afternoon winter competitions, there are some promising men in the Waikato, and with G. Prosser showing gcod form, he, at least, should find his way ir.to the Auckland representative team. The New Zealand cross-country championship race is an annual event, to decide the individual and interprovincial teams championships, and is contested over a distance of 6i miles. No competition shall take place unless two centres are represented by teams, such teams to consist of six runners, four to couiit for points in the teams race. Two individual competitors may be also allowed from each centre. Last year was the first occasion on which each centre in New Zealand was represented in these championships. ,T. W. Savidan was first man home at Cashmere Hills. Christchurch. and the Otago team won the teams championship. Auckland, the holders, had bad luck in that Gordon Kells (champion of 1926) was taken ill with influenza two days prior to the meeting. Ho competed in order to make up the team, and gamely struggled home in fifteenth place, but too far back in the order of finishing to save tho teams title for Auckland.