ATHLETIC NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20962, 27 February 1930, Page 4

ATHLETIC NOTES.

By Amateub. NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIPS. The question of Auckland's representation at the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Championships was discussed at some length at a recent meeting of the local centre. In past seasons Auckland has not been strongly represented, numerically, and the team for Wanganui this season may possibly be even smaller.

the difficulty in raising finance places, the centre at a disadvantage. There is' no doubt talent worthy of nomination, and there are several promising runners who would, benefit considerably by competition under championship conditions. The centre hopes to get sufficient funds from the overseas athletes’ carnival on March 8 to send at least four competitors.

The first selection will fall on A. J. Elliott and J. W. Savidan, holders of the sprint and long distance titles respectively. Elliott has displayed his best form of late and there seems every possibility of his again winning the sprint championship,. Savidan is outstanding among the mile and three miles runners of recent' years, and by March 14 he should be in his best form. A team chosen from the • following would do the province credit (says the New Zealand Herald): —Sprint, A. J. Elliott, L. H. Meredith; one and, three miles, J. W. Savidan;. 440 yards, ’flat and hurdles, T. E. Henry; 880 yards, T. Montgomery It is almost certain that J. Lynch, the Auckland. broad jump champion, will be a competitor at Wanganui. Lynch is keen to win Dominion honours, and three times has been disappointed on the day by not “ fetching ” the jump board. He has a very fine jump of 22ft 4in to his credit, and such a performance would probably win the New Zealand title. Judging from the way some of the province’s stars are running at present Isays the Christchurch Sun). Canterbury should be able, to field the strongest track team in years at the Dominion Championships with two sprinters, two or three quartermilers, two or three half-mil'ers,.'and a miler with good chances - of bringing home honours. In addition, two ,or three cyclists and three or four field men are likely to merit selection. The centre is likely to find that at least 12 competitors should be sent to the New Zealand'Championships, but it will cost about £IOO to send to Wanganui such a team. LERMOND-GOLDING MEETING. The reports of the outstanding capabilities of Lermond and Golding which reached Dunedin in advance of the runners themselves proved to, have been in no way. exaggerated, for both men showed conclusively on Saturday that they can claim to be in the world’s best class. Both proved much too good for the opposition, winning their respective races quite comfortably. . Golding was probably the more impressive of the two visitors, his brilliant run in the 440 Yards Short Limit Handicap pleasing, the spectators immensely. He has an immense stride, and a very pretty style, getting the maximum in the way of results with a minimum of effort. His time of 50 3-6 sec was - exceptionally good when the conditions are’ taken into consideration. The track was in as good condition as human effort could make it, but still it was not conducive to fast, times, and a strong wind off the harbour made matters unpleasant for the competitors. Golding was conceding liberal handicaps, but he made-up ground in a remarkable manner down the back stretch, and soon placed the issue beyond doubt. His finishing effort’was a very pleasing one. . M'Lachlan, who finished second, ran a good race, but A. W. Findlay, the New Zealand champion, tired badly over the last stages, after having been fairly prominent.

Lermond had an easy task in the Mile Invitation Scratch Race, which was run at a slow pace for the greater part of the journey. None of the local men seemed inclined to put on the pace, and the American was content to stride along comfortably 'behind the others, but always handy to them. It was, only in the last lap that he was seen at his best, but when he clapped on the pace his superiority quickly became apparent. J G. Barnes (Canterbury) made a game effort in the straight, but could make no impression on the leader. He showed, however. that he is in better form than any of the local milera at present. The two overseas visitors were seen in action later as members of a relay team, in' which they were associated with Barnes and Dr Brownlee (Canterbury). Lermond ran a sterling quarter-mile, and Golding again shaped brilliantly over 200 yards. The field events produced some very fine displays. R. 0. Johnson’s effort of 45ft SJih in the Hop, Step, and Jump, event was the best yet recorded in Otago, and was just a shade over 2ft better than the winning performance at the Wellingon championships on the same day. A good performance was recorded by* Easton, who cleared 44ft 7in. Provo was in excellent-form in the Pole Vault, which he won by celaring 10£t Gin, almost a foot better than the winning effort in Wellington. Against the wind, J. G, Leckie won the Hammer Throwing event, with 136 ft 7in. but he did even better in an exhibition throw, in which he covered 142 ft Gin. On present form Leckie, Johnson, and Provo are well up to New Zealand championship standard . On Saturday evening Lermond and Golding were entertained by the Otago Centre at the Brown House, and on Sunday they were taken for a motor tripround the Peninsula. At Portobello., where afternoon tea was provided, Mr P. W. Breen, on behalf of the centre, congratulated both Lermond and Golding on the performances they had put up, and for the willingness they had shown to impart their knowledge to the local athletes. He was sorry Lermond had not been more fully extended, but so far as Golding was concerned, he did not think he had ever seen a finer specimen of athlete. His 50 3-ssec on a dead track was really a, wonderful effort.

In acknowledging the complimept, Lermond stated that he was pleased to have had the opportunity of visiting this beautiful country He added that Lloyd Hahn, the famous American distance runner, had spoken more about New Zealand than any of the other countries he had visited. It was difficult always to produce one’s best form when one was travelling, but he always did his best. —(Applause.) Golding also returned thanks for the hospitality extended to them during their stay in Dunedin, and said that he bad found the New Zealand athletes to be great sportsmen.

WELLINGTON - CHAMPIONSHIPS. Quite a. number of titles changed hands - at the Wellington championship meeting on Saturday. In some cases the perform-, ances were a shade-better than those recorded last.year, but in-several they "were not quite so good. C. H. Jenkins retained his title to the 100yds and 220yds, but in each case, his time •was a’fraction - of a secbnd slower . than ; that put up by him in 1929. L. C,. Veitch, who won the quarter-mile championship last‘ year, had to take third place - on Saturday, being defeated’by T. Pickering and J. Fleming. This race was won in 50 4-ssee, as compared with 51 3rssec a year ago. The half-mile title passed from C. M'Donald to L. Hack, the wellknown Masterton runner, who . beat H. M'Donald and W. Ogg in’ 2min I 2'-ssec, which was nearly 3see slower than last year's winning effort.', G. Bayne retained the mile • championship) '•which he won in 8 3-ssec better time than he put up. in 1929. Savidan won the three-mile event in 30 2-ssec better time than that recorded at the previous championships, but as he cannot hold the title if will be ret tained by F. Silver, who finished second. The ladies’ 100yds title passed from Miss M. Barron to Miss Norma Wilson, whose time was equal to that put up last year, but not quite equal to Miss Martyn’s time at the Dominion championships. A. Hill retained the one-mile walking championship, and also annexed the three-mile title, , which was previously held by W. Tonkin, In the mile event Hill improved on last, year’s time by I-ssec, but the three-mile race took 14 4-ssec longer this year. In the absence of R. W; Lander, F. S, Ramson's double win in.the hurdle events was-not surprising. In the 120yds event the time was 17.1-ssec, as compared with 1.5 4-sseo in 1929, but in the 440yds race, in which the winner retained his title, last year’s time was improved uppn by 4-ssec. The 100yds junior title passed from N, .Glover to A. Lawson, while .the 440yds-junior championship was - retained ; by W. Killeen, who also won the halfmile junior title. As usual, P. Munro, J. W. M‘Holm,~ cud E. G. Sutherland showed up well in the field events. . Munro won.two championships, and each of the other two one each. F. Brady retained the high jump ! -title, negotiating sft 8 In, as compared - with sft SJin a year ago. The long jump '? was .won by. Barber (20ft Tin)), who .1 secured the title gained by G. White ' with 21ft last year. The new holder of ' Me hop, step, and jump championship is : D- Parata, who equalled G. White’s win- ~ dirfg effort a year ago. In the pole vault B. Roberts defeated F. Brady and E. G. Sutherland, but the standard was not • equal to that attained by the last-men-tioned when he won in 1929. M'Holm retained the hammer throwing champion- . ship, showing improved form. His best effort on Saturday was 138 ft Tin, whereas hfe won with 133 ft Sin last year. The discus title passed from. D, Brown who won with 114 ft Sin last year, to P. Munro, ' who .made a brilliant throw of I39ft 2in, beating his own six-year-old Australian and New Zealand record. The shotPutting Championship also passed from Brown to. Munro, who improved by nearly two feet on last year’s standard. Sutherland again won the' javelin event, with a performance which eclipsed his best effort last year by 9 Jin. , Honours in the A grade cycling events were fairly ev|ply divided. T. Oakley, who won the mile and three mile events last year, retained the One Mile Championship, but had to be content with third over the longer distance, in which ha was beaten by J. Foote and M. Gane. T The- last-named won the half-mile event, ■ which was annexed by C. L. Osborne last . year. NOTES. The second meeting arranged for Ler- ' mond and Golding in Christchurch had to be abandoned on account of bad Weather., . The Christchurch Sun states that there ■- Mst a chance that C. H. Jenkins, of mgton, will take up his residence in Christchurch. Lermond. in paying a recent tribute to ; Randolph Rose, said that he was one of the greatest runners in the world at. the’ present day. * The Christchurch Sun regards Golding as the. greatest quarter-miler seen in New Zealand since L. 6. Parker raced in 1914, and probably the finest ever to visit the Dominion. If the recommendation of the Otago Centre that the Roslyn Presbyterian Harrier and Amateur Athletic Club be granted affiliation is approved by the New , Zealand Association, the number of clubs - linked up with the controlling body here " will be 22. TheOamaru Club has ceased - to function. i

Entries for the Otago Championship • meeting, which will be held on the Cal e- ! donian Ground on March 7 and 8, will ; c Jose on Saturday. . The preliminaries in i the field events will be decided on Friday J evening. March 7. The Otago Centre has decided that in the event of the field being cumbersome it should be left to the discretion of the , sports secretary to run the Otago 440 - Yards Championship in lanes. Should ) that be decided upon, the heats will be • run on Friday. March 7, and the finals ■- on Saturday. March 8, five runners quali- ; fying for the final. Great things are expected of D. Evans, \ a Taihape half-mile runner, who went to • Wellington to compete at Dr Peltzer’s . carnival. Evans, however, disappointed,' ' and he was outclassed by four Welling- : ton competitors. His form is said to be promising and many keen enthusiasts ex- ' pect him to Win the 880 Yards New Zealand Championship.

J. Wills, of Motueka. waaf expected to do' well in the Three Mile Championship at Wellington last Saturday, but he had to be content with fourth place. He is a brother of Wills, the Queensland cham- - pion, who ran prominently at the recent Australian championships. The Motueka f Club runner also competed when ,in Queensland, where he was a prominent harrier. The Palmerstoh-Waihemp Amateur Athletic Club, which was formed recently, intends to hold a sports meeting on Satur- / day. when the following events will lie decided: —Half-mile Handicap. One Mile, Two Mile. Three Mile Cycle Handicaps: One Mile and a-half Cycle Scratch Race: 100 Yards, 220 Yards, 440 Yards. 880 Yards. Hep. Step, and Jump, and Loug Jump Handicaps; Half-mile Ladies’ Cycle Race; 100 Yards Ladies’ Race; Ladies’ Relay Race; Quarter-mile Boys’ Walking Race. Entries will close to-day. *■