SOLDIER ATHLETES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25306, 17 August 1943, Page 3

SOLDIER ATHLETES

CONTESTS IN CAIRO (N.Z.E.F. Official News Service) (Rec. 9 p.m.) CAIRO, Aug. 13. The New Zealand Division’s championship athletic meeting was held on a cinder track, encircling a green lawn. It was fully representative of all units, and was the second of its kind since the division's arrival in the Middle East. It had been intended to hold the meeting near Tripoli when the division was resting there, and special medals with a Tripoli design were struck as trophies. The war interfered, but the trophies were just as acceptable at the later date in more pleasant surroundings. The meeting was also attended by Lieutenant-general Sir Bernard Freyberg and many senior officers of the division. Lady Freyberg presented the trophies. These included the Stilwell Trophy, a model of a Maori warrior carved from New Zealand native woods by disabled servicemen, which was won by the Artillery as the formation scoring the highest total points, and the cup presented by General Freyberg for inter-unit competition, which was retained by the Fourteenth Light Anti-aircraft Regiment with the same number of points as the Twentieth South Island Battalion.

Entries were large, ranging from nearly 40 for the Three Miles to more than 100 for the 100 Yards event. The most outstanding performer of the day was Gunner C. E. Masters, who won the Hop, Step and Jump, was second in the Long Jump, won the 100 Yards, was second in the 220 Yards, and was a member of his unit relay team and the New Zealand relay team which won the Invitation Relay from teams representing Indian, British ajid South African forces. The principal results were as follows :

Hop, Step, and Jump.—C. E. Masters (41ft Bin) 1. R. J. Bain 2, D. Gibson 3. Hammer Throw.—D. Paterson (80ft 7in) I, R. J. Opie 2, T. Dalton 3. • High Jump.—G. Baker (sft 3Jin) 1, F. A. Finlayson 2, S. A. Poultney 3. Pole Vault—R. J. Opie (10ft 3in) 1, A. J. McLean 2, A. L. Fagg 3. Javelin Throw. —S. Hart (143 ft lin) 1, D. Gibson 2, Colomore Williams 3. Bread Jump.—S. A. McCartney (20ft 6Jin) 1, C. E. Masters 2, B. T. Robertson 3. Tug-of-war.—Maori team. Throwing the Discus. —R. G. Rivers (91ft 2in) 1, R. J. Bain 2, Abbott 3. Half Mile Walk.—R. M. Lamberton 1, K. Paterson 2. Time, 2min 21 3-ssec. 220 Yards Hurdles. —C. R. Bradwell 1, J. Phillips 2, H. Milner 3. Bradwell’s time was 28sec, which is two seconds faster than that of P. F. Sharpley, the New Zealand champion, at the last meeting.

Three Miles.—C. J. McCalman 1, Johns 2, C. R. Foulds 3. Time, 16min 43 3-ssec.

440 Yards.—R. N. Finlay 1, S. A. Poultney and Byrne (dead heat) 2. Time, 56sec.

120 Yards Hurdles.—C. R. Bradwell 1, F. A. Finlayson 2, M. Donnelly 3. Time, 17sec. Bradwell won easily. One Mile.—G. M. Cardwell 1, V. P. Boot 2, W. N. Burrows 3. Time, 4min 47sec. Boot took the lead after half a mile was covered, and led until the straight was reached, when the winner came up to beat him by several yards. 220 Yards. —W. P. McHugh 1, C. E. Masters 2, Sinclair 3. Time, 23 4-ssec. 880 Yards. —J. Johnson 1, C. A. Dickie 2, A. J. Cusack 3. Time, 2min 6 3-ssec. 100 Yards. —C. E. Masters 1, F. D. Morgan 2, W. P. McHugh 3. Time, lOlsec. Mile Invitation Relay.—Second New Zealand Division team (Finlayson, McHugh, Masters, and Johnson) 1, Indian Division team 2. The distances were 440 yards, two of 220 yards, and 880 yards. The New Zealanders won easily, and the fine effort on the part of the Indians in gaining second place after a poor start was greatly applauded.