AMATEUR ATHLETICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22145, 26 June 1935, Page 19

AMATEUR ATHLETICS

VARIOUS CLUB RUNS NOVICE CHAMPIONSHIP CONTEST FOR KENNETT CUP Conditions last Saturday wore the [ worst encountered so far this season I for tlio harrier sport, all trails being very heavy, while constant rain squalls also made matters unpleasant. However, all clubs had large fields nnd there were some good performances registered. Tim Presbyterian harriers had plenty of hill work in a long run over Mount St. John, One Tree Hill and the country at the back of Penrose, and then bad a good run-in along the Great South Road. J. Neil again headed the fast pack, with Linfoot, Holden and Wildespin following close up, while 11. Young and J. Franklin were the first to finish in the intermediate and slow packs respectively. The Technical Club's run started near Three Kings and the trail followed a long course of road and broken country. All the fast pack were running well, with Harding again showing a lot of pace. In the other two packs, Cate9, Ohms, Gibbs and Wiltshire were prominent. University conducted its ajinual novico championship race over a difficult 4J- miles course around the Lake St. John district. The senior runners also had a race in conjunction with this event. E. Stephenson, a novice, was first home, and put up a good performance in winning the championship and defeating some older and experienced cross-country runners in Hooper, Ball and Tweedie, who finished in that order. A Good Race Wesley also conducted its novice championship in conjunction with an open race over a course of miles. There were 3-1 starters, and a good race resulted in M. Hewitson winning from I. Carter, who was the first novice to finish, with Russell, Chappell, Cole and Spooner following in that order. At the Domain the track was in a very bad stato for the 6000 yards steeplechase, for which the field was much smaller than usual. J. W. Savidan did not start, and, running from virtual scratch, A. G. Hill gave the best display to get up and win nicely by about 30 yards and easily register fastest time. W. Briggs was the next to finish, and lie was closely followed by Angelo, Dunn, Christie and F. Savidan. The winner ran his best race this season and he should show up well in the big event next Saturday. W. Briggs, of the Lynndale Club, had his second race with the Auckland Club in an endeavour to sharpen up his pace. After years of hard running lie is due to gain a good placing in the open championship race. 15. 11. Birtwhistle, who has been unlucky in his running this season, was out again on Saturday, but he was far from his best form. Close Finish in Sprint The 75 yards sprint on Saturday saw J. W. Murphy win a closely-contested final from P. E. Castle and J. B. Prendergast. The best performance in the field events was a throw of 100 ft. lin. by A. E. Sutton with the discus. A. J. Elliot, with 30ft. 10in., made the best effort in the shot putt, although on the handicaps he only dead-heated for second.

Canterbury's annual 3i miles Kennett Cup steeplechase was run at Riccarton on Saturday and the results were exactly the same as those last year. The Civil Service Club, of Dunedin, won the teams' race, while Lachie McLachlan, of that club, was first home. McLachlan has always proved a fast man in a short steeplechase race of this kind and he has often represented Otago across country, but lie has yet to fill a major position in the national championship event of o>\ miles. Nevertheless, he is a most likely candidate for the New Zealand team for Australia.

DAVIS CUP CONTEST AUSTRALIA'S ELIMINATION GREAT LOSS OF PRESTIGE The failure of the Davis Cup team in Berlin has civen Australia's tennis hopes a tremendous setback, says a Melbourne critic. This was to have been our year of tennis triumph, for we believed we had the men to bring back the Davis Cup. We have suffered a loss of prestige and confidence that may take years to re-establish. Never at any stage, until the first day of the match, was our defeat in Berlin anticipated. Wo were judged by the other nations as the most likely to challenge Great Britain for the cup. Even the Americans, while hopeful for the success of their team, realised that Australia was the greatest menace to those hopes. Now we are eliminated — and by a one-man team, for Germany's only ace was Gottfried von Cranun. Financially, too, we have received a blow. We were counting on gate money from the European zone final, the interzone final, and we hoped the challenge round. All that must be written off now. This loss must not be allowed to influence future teams. This defeat can serve a very good purpose, but only if we are sufficiently open-minded to learn from failure.

RANFURLY SHIELD VIEWS OF CORRESPONDENT With reference to the selection of the Auckland Rugby team for the Ranfurlv Shield match against North Auckland at Eden I'ark next Wednesday, a correspondent, "Well Wisher," Takapuna, writes: — "From opinions! hear expressed on all sides 1 feel certain that the public would prefer to see the Auckland representative fifteen chosen entirely from the many excellent footballers who are not going 011 the liritish tour. The public Avnnt to fee!, in looking at the match, that their men are playing with one hundred per cent pluck, determination and abandon. Only men who are not going on the great tour can do this, for it is quite impossible for any of the tourists to get out of his head the possibility of his being injured and so deprived of what a. member of the 1 !)()."> All Marks described as 'a glorious experience.' Wo are all delighted that these men of ours have gained a place in the Now Zealand side, and we would he very sorry if any of them, through misadventure, should lose the trip. "1 think the New Zealand Kugbv Union and all the provincial unions would be well advised to forbid all the selected twenty-nine players to play any more, football before they leave. Let them have a complete spell with a little light training until after they pass Panama, and then they will be fitter to carry on the heavy programme which does not finish until January, lfW6. Lot us have then a representative team picked entirely from our nontourists and it will 'certainly play far better than any tourists, with necessarily divided minds, could do."