AMATEUR SPORTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23577, 10 February 1940, Page 16

AMATEUR SPORTS

MEETING AT LYNNDALE t - •" - . ~ • - - FIRST CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS SOME GOOD PERFORMANCES The first club amateur athletic championships of tho season were decided Inst Saturdnv, when the Lynndale Club conducted the first half of its programme. Conditions wore 1 not •good/ tho tlnmp clay on the surface of the cinders flogging the spikes of the athletes, while a stiff wind faced them in the straight. ■■ In an exhibition javelin throw C. Clegg, University and ox-New Zealand champion, gave tho finest .performance of his career, his best throw measuring 205 ft. It is only rarely that these figures are reached in New Zealand. A back injury, from which he has now completely recovered, j j)revented Clegg from competing last Reason; and, as he has as yot had no competition, there is a possibility of his improving even on tho above figures. \ The sprint championships provided no surprises,. both the 100 and 2'JO yards being won by H. Emus; provincial furlong champion. In the short r:\co ho was a clear two yards ahead of K. Ss-iitb, rnnncr-up Iti each of these events, but S'liiith appeared to better advantage in the 2io yards and finished cJoso up. The time for the 'JOO yards, JO !.-*>«, was checked by two watches, ami, us tho race was run Into tlio wind, it wis a fine performance, indicating that Emus is faster 'this season than in th<4 past. The 880 yards drew the be&l fiold ot tho day and tho race was hard-fought a" tho way. T. Collins led in the first stages, but Boon gave way to R. Jones, a last year's junior, who drew steadily out to a lead of i-ight yards to win by this distance. Ho was challenged in the last lap by Ai Anderson and E. Olson, the latter a new and improving youn £ runner, but Jones, in ',a plucky and determined effort, staved off Uto) opposition and clocked 2m 4 3-os, which- is good time considering tho conditions. The mile, as was expected, was , won by A. Browne, who will be seeif to bitttcr advantage later on in the threo mites. Tho time was slow. \ The! defeat in the three miles walk iof the loriK-standing club champion, C. May, wtas ono of the surprises of the meeting. The winner, J. Alexander, who clung to May's shoulder throughout the distance and then outsprinted him, is a first-year walker of decided promise. Both junior sprints' wero won by L. P. McKoy, who has a trood record of successes in both open and club events, and whose time into (lie wind - was just outside tho standard. The leading junior half-miler, R. MeGeehan, clinched his many club successes by taking the championship, although an attack of stitch during the run called upon all his resource's of pluck and determination. The ladies' TOO yards championship was won by Miss M. Justin, who was making iier first appearance in dub events, but the fullest credit must go la Miss S. Richardson, the scratch lady runner of the club, whose run was interfered with by another competitor boring across her course. Miss Richardson, the most junior of the competitors, finished a close second. There were some fine performances at a counbined meeting of the Auckland and University Clubs at the Domain. One of the fastixst three-lap races run in Anckland for some time was won by the provincial and ex-New Zealand mile champion, S. ,T. AVade, who registered 3m 10s from scratch. AVade has be*>n invited to AVellington to compete in a spocial Centennial mile race to-morrow. He will meet such redoubtable opponents as AY. Pullar, the present national champion, C. Matthews'..and V. P. Boot. British Empire champions,' and C. Dickie, Canterbury champion. Altbmisrli AV:ide docs not <>xppct to reach ton form tnitil about the end of February, his very fine record and his present condition indicate that ho will jrive a good account of himself. Hfl finished a close third in the last .national championships, being beaten by Boot by inches only. A. new and 'very fine sprint runner, R. Nurse, has come to the fore in the Auckland Club. Although his stnrts havo been steadib' reduced, until ho is now a backmarker, he has won nearly every race in which be has started. At the finish of tho 220 yards, which he won from the six yards maTk, he was continuing on much faster tlian the remainder of the runners. In the mile event the same evening N. Ambler gave his best exhibition so far this senson. He won in the fast time of 4in 27s from the 20 yards mark.