ATHLETICS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23370, 9 December 1937, Page 4

ATHLETICS

By Amateur

FIXTURES December 13 and 20. —Centre’s evening meetings. December 11.—Dominion Empire Games trials, at Wellington. Athletic events at Otago Power Boat Club’s gymkhana at Tahuna Park. December 18. —Dunedin Amateur Cycling Club's sports and special athletic events. December 27.—Roxburgh Club’s sports. January I.—Alexandra Club’s sports meeting. January 15. —Farewell meeting to Otago athletes for Sydney. February 5-12.—British Empire Games at Sydney. February 10, 17, and 24.—Caversham and Civil Service Clubs’ championships. March 5. —Otago track and field championships. OTAGO ATHLETES FOR WELLINGTON The New Zealand selectors have invited W. A. C. Pullar, T. Allen, H. J. Tyrie, A. R. Geddes, and Miss Betty Forbes to attend the Empire Games trials at Wellington on Saturday. There is no doubt but that these five champions are the most likely Otago candidates for the New Zealand team for Sydney, but it seems a pity that the invitation could not have been widened to include R. G. Pilling and C. McGregor, although these athletes will probably participate at their own expense. The writer does not intend to go to great lengths in describing the recent form of prominent athletes and their chances of running prominently next Saturday. So much has been said already by nothern writers, who have based all their prophesies on compari-

sons of times. Such an undertaking is full of pitfalls, for conditions vary considerably—tracks may be heavy or rough, and the weather may be inclement. However, it seems almost a certainty that one athlete—A. R. Geddes —will make the trip to Sydney. There is no one to equal him in the six miles, and he should make an excellent second string to Matthews in the three miles. T. Allen also stands a strong chance, as he is a useful man in both the half-mile and the mile. If Boot is selected for the half and W. A. C. Pullar for the mile, then Allen should certainly go as a second string. As regards Pullar, the writer has great confidence in the champion’s race temperament, and he feels sure that the selectors cannot overlook him. Regarding the other athletes going to Wellington, their selection cannot be predicted, but Miss Betty Forbes should stand the best chance of going to Sydney. Naturally, there can be little accurate prophesying until the number of athletes the New Zealand Council intends to send is available.

GEDDES AND ALLEN’S NIGHT Honours at last Monday’s evening meeting certainly went to A. R. Geddes and T. Allen, who were right on form.

By winning the Three Miles in 14min 48sec, Geddes established a track record for the Caledonian Ground, clipping four seconds off the previous best time, established by W. A. C. Pullar. While the Otago man’s time is much slower than that recorded by C. H. Matthews on Lancaster Park last week, it must be remembered that the track was extremely uneven and the atmosphere heavy, and also that Geddes received no assistance from the field. The way he finished suggested that he could clip a great deal off this time if extended. Certainly there seems to be no one, apart from Matthews, who prefers the Three Miles, to equal the Otago man, and, as is stated elsewhere, he seems a certainty for the trip to Sydney.

Allen, by his defeat of W. A. C. Pullar in the Special Mile on Monday. showed that he will have to be reckoned with in the Mile at Wellington. His time of 4min 20 2-ssec on the Caledonian track is fast going, and the big race should be a memorable one, with such stars as Pullar, Boot and Allen, all of whom are capable of recording under 4mm 20sec. H J. Tyric, in the Quarter, was somewhat disappointing. For, after a fast furlong, he faded badly m the last 100 vards to finish unplaced. He will have to show improvement on Saturday to beat Sayers and Broadwav.

PULLAR UNABLE TO ATTEND TRIALS Advice was received by the writer last night that Pullar is unable to obtain leave to participate in the trials on Saturday. It is la be hoped that his absence will not prevent the selectors from choosing him in the New Zealand team. TOKO CLUB NOTES The Toko Club opened its summer season on Wednesday of last week with a programme of track and field events. Large fields in all events and excellent public support augur well for the success of the coming season. The Women’s High Jump was w'on by Miss L. Martin from 10 competitors, and Misses Lillicrapp and Kreft provided an excellent finish in the sprint event, Miss Lillicrapp winning by a foot. There were 10 starters in this event, too. The open events were well supported. There were 12 starters in the sprint and 10 in the Half Mile, the successful competitors being the High School boy R. Fraser and A. L. Fagg respectively. R. McCallum won the Broad Jump from nine opponents, while the junior’ discus thrower R. Carruthers was in good form for that event. Consequent on the early date of the meeting, the club was represented only by a small team in the women’s and junior championship meeting at Dunedin. but achieved good results on a small amount of training. The club extends congratulations to R. Martin, the only member to win a champion shin. He ran an excellent race and finished well to stave off a determined challenge in the straight. A. Martin, second in the Mile and third in the Half Mile, J. Hand, third in the Mile, and I. Whitson second in the Pole Vault, were other place-getter? among the juniors, and Miss S. Krex < was placed second in the Women o 100 Yards Championship. FORTHCOMING PRL GRAMMES The following are the programmes for the Otago Centre’s next two eveninM™ndayn Evening Next.-100 Yards, 880 Yards, 220 Yards Junior, 880 Yards Junior, 75 Yards Women, High Jump (women), 220 Yards (under 14), Pole Vault, Throwing the Hammer, Women s Relay (4 x 110 yards), Men’s Relay (4 x 220 yards). Entries will close on Saturday. , . „ _ Cycling Championship Meeting, December 18.-220 Yards. 1320 Yards, 100 Yards (women), Men’s Relay (4 x 220 yards), Women’s Relay (4 x 110 yaras), 10 Miles Scratch Race (attempt on the New Zealand record of 55mm 53sec by A. R. Geddes). Entries will close on Monday next. MEETING AT ALEXANDRA The Alexandra Amateur Athletic Club has arranged an excellent programme for its meeting on New Year s Day. The running events for men will comprise:—loo Yards Maiden Handicap. 440 Yards Open Handicap, 120 Yards Hurdles Handicap, 880 Yards Open Handicap, 440 Yards Low Hurdles Handicap, 120 Yards (Alexandra Challenge Cup), One-mile Goldfields Handicap, 120 Yards Central Otago Handicap (residents only), 220 Yards Ladies’ Bracelet Handicap. Interclub Relay Handicap (4 x 110 yards). The events for women will comprise 75 Yards, 100 Yards, High Jump, and Relay Race (4 x 100 yards). The field events will be as follows: Putting 161 b Shot Handicap, Throwing Discus Handicap, Broad Jump Handicap, Pole Vault Handicap, Hop, Step, and Jump Handicap, Throwing the Javelin Handicap, High Jump Handicap, Throwing 161 b Hammer Handicap. _ Entries will close at 8 p.m. on December 17. Mr A. W. Findlay is the secretary this year. Arrangements are being made for the transport of Dunedin athletes to Central Otago. CANTERBURY MEN IN FORM

Athletes looking for places among the Canterbury nominations for the British Empire Games had their last opportunity to impress the selectors at an interclub meeting on the Lancaster Park oval on Saturday afternoon. Ram in the morning had made the tracks rather heavy (says the . Christchurch Press), and the times recorded were consequently not as fast as they might have been. Even so, the Olympic representatives, V. P, Boot and C. H. Matthews, both went within striking distance of New Zealand records. Boot ran a half-mile in Imin 54 3-ssec —only a second outside his New Zealand record. His form indicated that if he were really extended he could cut this figure down by a full second at least. The rest of the field gave him little assistance in the way of pace, and the event was a time trial rather than a race. . , i , Matthews proved again that he is in better form than ever this season. His three miles in 14min 23sec was only six seconds outside the New Zealand record, held by Kohei Murakoso, the Japanese, and four and three-fifths outside his own best. He is running now with a more easy style, and with a very even stride. Had he covered the first stages of the race more quickly, as he could have done, his time would have given a more correct indication of his ability over three miles. He has every prospect of breaking the record this season. Matthews, the previous Tuesday, ran a mile in 4rnin 17sec. It was easily the best mile of his career, and only twice has a New Zealander in this country returned faster winning time. The furlong sprint drew most of Canterbury’s best. J. D. Carmichael was clearly superior, but he should be able to reduce his time of 23 l-ssec. The former New Zealand champion and Centenary Games representative. J. B. MacFarlane, was out again, and beat G. C. Gordon in 23 3-ssec. Over the 220 yards low hurdles, C. R. Bradwell comfortably beat E. P. Newburgh in 26 2-ssec. The 440 yards hurdles was a disastrous event for A. T. Anderson, who was in need of good figures over this distance to establish his claims to selection. He fell coming into the straight after giving a display that was not his best. In the pole vault. W. Kane cleared lift, and in an attempt at lift 6m. which would have been a New Zealand record, he cleared the height, but knocked the bar off coming down The women’s fields included two South Canterbury nominees, S. Oliphgnt and D. Strachan, both of whom beat the former New Zealand champion. K. Callinan. The Canterbury selectors have nominated the following five athletes as their first preference for the national trials to be held at Wellington on Saturday:—V. P. Boot, half-mile and one mile: C. H. Matthews, one mile and three miles: T. G. Broadway, quar-ter-mile; S. Oliphant, women’s 100 yards and women’s long jump; and A. T. Anderson, quarter-mile hurdles. Athletes nominated with second preference are: —G. C. Gordon. 100 yards and 220 yards; J. D. Carmichael. 220 yards and 100 yards: H. W. Wilkins, high jump: N. B. Manssen and W. Kane, polo vault: C. R. Bradwell and E. P. Newburgh, 120 yards hurdles; D. Querec and R. D. Thompson. 440 yards; D. Strachan and K. Callinan, women’s 100 yards. STARTING BLOCKS Something new to Wellington athletes (says the' Sports Post) are the starling blocks which sprinters have been using under the eye of A. L. Filch, the American coach. Fitch has brought out several sets, but there is nothing to prevent them being made locally. They are very simple in design. The rear block has a face of 60 degrees, and the front one a face cut at about an angle of 45 degrees. Each block has a short spike attached, and thus can be held in position when a runner puls the pressure on. All runners who have used the blocks speak very favourably of them. They feel that they can make a much better start than they can from holes. The blocks are widely used in America. They are not, however, permitted at Olympic trials and at the Games themselves. There seems no reason why they should not become universal in New Zealand. They would be a boon to sprinters on grounds where the digging of starting holes is not permitted.