Athletics.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7979, 9 December 1911, Page 17

Athletics.

By “Equitas/

December 13.—Pctono Junior A.A.C.; two open events.

December 16, —Wellington A.A, ClftTj afternoon meeting. Basin Jtescrvo.

December 20.—Karori A.A.C. evening meeting.

December 26th and 27th.—Australasian Championship Meeting, Athletic Park. January 1. Wairarapa Caledonian Society, at Maetorton; amateur events. January I.—Wellington Wheelers Club, Athletic Park, amateur events.

January 17.—Karori A.A. Club, evening meeting.

January 22 Wanganui Caledonian Society at Wanganui; aU running events amateur.

January 27.—Civil Service A.S. Club; sports meeting. Basin Reserve. February 10. Wellington Provincial Championships. February 21.—Now Zealand Championship Meeting, Invercargill. February 28.—Manawatu A.A. Club’s meeting, Palmerston North.

Next Saturday. Everything promises well for tho "Wellington Amateur Athletic Club’s carnival on the Basaii Deserve next Saturday. Tho appearanco of G. N. Hill, tho brilliant Auckland runner, has now been assured, and a three-milo ovent is being put on tho programme specially for him to attack the Australasian record for tho distance. Tho track on tho Basin Deservo—iu spite of all tho money our cricket friends spend on it —is, however, very uneven in places, ami does not lend itself to record breaking, but Hill can bo relied upon for a first-class performance.

Additional interest will be added to the meeting by the fact that quite a number of aspirants for selection in tho Now Zealand team for the Australasian championships will bo tried out, and others actually selected will bo competing. For tho high jump the council has nominated six “reserves," three of these being from tho Wellington Centre district. These throe, L. McKay, N. G. G. Wiukelmanu, H. A. Hodge, will probably he given a chance of snowing whether they are worthy of inclusion iu tho final selection. In addition several of the reserves for other events, especially in those cases where more than three have been nominated, will also bo asked to compete. Theso “tests” together with tho appearanco of a number of tho selected competitors^—McKay, Bissett, Hubbard, Cashman, McKenzie, Halligan and C. Pugh, should make tho meeting a most interesting one, and will give an indication of New Zealand's chances in tho big gathering at Christmas.

The New Zealand Defenders. Tho team to defend the Dominion's title to the Australasian Championship Shield has now been selected, with tho exception of men for one or two events. The names have already appeared in our nows columns and I will uot repeat them here. The team is an excellent ono, and in the writer’s opinion, is the host, with one exception, that could ho selected. This exception is that of D. Cashman being selected first reserve for the ono and three iniie walks in place of G. Turner. Turner proved himself a better man than Cashman last season, and was selected to represent the centre at tho Now Zealand championship meeting, death in his family preventing _him from competing. Both Turner and Cashman should, in the writer’s judgment, have been selected before Stubberfield, of Canterbury. Cashman and Turner are easily the matches of Fitzgerald, and the latter very decisively beat .Stubberfield ill tho last New Zealand championships. Harry Kerr can, however, be relied upon to turn out fit and well, so I suppose there is little need to worry about tho

“reserves." Still, you never know your luck in a walking race, tho judge always being a very considerable factor.

Jottings. G. P. Keddell’s performance of 15 3-10 seconds for 120yds hurdles at the Now Zealand championship meeting in March last has been passed by the Amateur Athletic Union of Australasia as an Australasian record.

Mr K. Coombes, president of the Amateur Athletic Union of Australasia, will arrive in Wellington on December 25th.

D. McGrath, who has been selected to represent Queensland at tho Australasian championship meeting, throw tho 161 b hammer 135 ft from a 7 foot circle, and put the 161 b shot 40ft 2in, It is some years since performances of such merit in these field events have been mado in New Zealand, and McGrath looks a likely winner of both events. Bissett, at' the Civil Service sports last week, threw tho hammer 122 ft, without much apparent effort. Ho says he can improve very much on that distance, and io confident of giving tho Queenslander a good "go."

“Equitas,” in common with others, has been under tho impression that the hop, step and jump was an _ Australasian championship event, as it S now included as a championship in the list of Now Zealand championships. It is not, however, an Australasian championship event, but a handicap event in which tho champions of tho various States will he competing, has been put on the programme for tho meeting at Christmas. Civil Service Tournament. Tho first annual Civil Service departmental athletic tournament took place on the Basin Reserve last Thursday week, and was a very successful affair. Tho fields, in almost every case, wore large, and tho competition keen. Tho management aro to be congratulated on the conduct of tho meeting Events wero got off to time, oven though tho rain at one stage of tho afternoon dislocated matters somewhat. i The regular active members of tho Civil Service Sports Club wore too well handicapped to show up much in the various events. Only in the 150yds sprint did they get into places. Coard won this event from 3iyds in 15 2-Ssec, Hubbard, scratch, being third. Coard is in fine form and is running better than his confrere Hubbard. There appear to bo tho makings of some good sprinters amongst the “unknown" of the service, and tho Civil Service Club should got hold of them and bring them out in open events. Pugh, who has boon selected as second string to Hill in the mile flat at tho Australasian Championship meeting, competed in the mile event, but was evidently out of form. His judgment, was also much at fault, for he waited too long before ho set out to make up the gap between himself and tho limit brigade. His time was 4min 49sec. The Post and Telegraph Department scored most points in athletic events. As the events wero all handicap, it can hardly bo called the “champion" department. In such a competition ns this, decided on handicap events, the chance of winning depends on tho manner of treatment in tho handicapping “department.” It was impossible for the handicapper, Mr Hoonan, to handicap all the competitors on "performances.” A number of them, in fact, who were unknown to tho handicappor, wero placed on the limit, so that there was a large clement of “luck” attached to the success of the winning department. ❖❖❖ Athletic Football-Club's Evening Meeting. Tho Athletic Football Sports Club got off three events at the Basin Reserve on Saturday evening. The meeting went off very successfully, a noticeable feature being the littlo timo lost in getting off the events, and the promptness with which the competitors lined up on their marks.

The 75yds club handicap was the first event, and “Dorrio" Leslie says he Ims never started such a likely looking lot

of new blood. G. Pearce, from the 6yds mark won somewhat easily, but all iho others woro very close together. Tho 880yds resulted in another win for V. J. Byrne, but I think that after his win last week at Karori ho was well treated by the handicappor, in receiving 10yds from Binnie. The other way round would have been a fairer allotment. Byrno is without dobut tho most promising of our middle distance runners, and as he is yet young, tho prospects in store for him are very bright. Jlis brother, J. P, Byrne again second, as was the case at Karori, with I). Binnie, from scratch, third. The 220yds event was a more even race. Iho winner turned up in J. W. Coard, who is, as X have stated elsewhere, in very good form at present, 1 suggest to the handicappers for the Wellington A.A. Club’s carnival that they should place Hubbard and Coard on the same mark in the sprints. It would provide semo interesting racing. R. J. Adams, who was just beaten by Coard for first place, is quite a new runner, this being liis lir*t appearance on tho track. With more training and experience, ho should do well in future races. J. Wilton, who ran from scratch, did not show up voy prominently.

Intending competitors arc given a final reminder that entries close to-day lor tho Wellington Athletic Club’s carniva* next and on Tuesday (December 121 h) for the Australasian Championship Meeting on tho 26th and 27th December.

Tho* Petono Junior Club’s Amateur Athletic Club is putting on two open events —120yds and half-mile—on its programme for Wednesday evening next. J. L. Davis, tho crack Victorian hurdler, will, it is stated, not be able, to obtain leave to visit New Zealand'for the Australasian Championship Meeting Davis's defection will rob tho hurdle events of a lot of interest, as they will now be almost a certainty for Keddell. Eraser, of New South Wales, promises, however, to give JCcdclell a good go in the quarter mil© event. Mr C. E. Bridge, manager of the' New Zealand team, has received a letter from W. A. Woodger in which the latter states definitely that ho will not be a competitor at ‘the Australasian Championship meeting. Hods at present employed in relieving work on tho at Shannon, and is unable to get facilities lor training and also leave to attend tho meeting at Christmas.