AMATEUR ATHLETICS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26078, 15 February 1946, Page 7

AMATEUR ATHLETICS

TRACK AND FIELD TITLES CHAMPIONSHIP PROSPECTS The Otago track and field championship meeting, to be held at the Caledonian Ground to-morrow, will be one of the best athletic gatherings held in Dunedin since pre-war days. A number of former champions are back in competition after service overseas, and they will be fully tested by younger men who have graduated from the junior ranks. Good fields are engaged in the sprints, which always attract keen interest from the public. The 100 Yards title-holder, E. J. Peterson, who also holds the New Zealand University championship, will meet tough opposition from A. McAuliffe (Celtic United) and S. Dawson (Leith). Peterson’s winning time last season was 10 3-ssec, and Dawson was credited witli -10 2-ssec at Berwick at New Year and 10 l-ssec at the Caledonian Ground a fortnight ago. McAuliffe has not done better than 10 4-ssec since coming out of uniform, but he has put up some excellent performances in relays and appears to have been saving himself for the championships. K. Curran (Invercargill), who won three Southland titles last week, and I. K. McKelvie (St. Paul’s, Invercargill) will also be competing. The quarter-mile promises to be a keen contest. Curran and McAuliffe are among the competitors, who also include G. H. Davie (Anglican), F. W. Holmes (University) and E, J Flockton (Caversham). Davie is a former Otago representative, and one of his most memorable races was the half-mile “ leg " in the New Zealand Relay Championship at Napier against V. P. Boot in 1939. Holmes is a consistent performer and a trier all the time, while Flockton, formerly cross-country champion at the King’s High School, has developed into a good track man in recent years. B. McKernan (Civil Service), who holds four Otago titles—the 880 Yards and One Mile in both senior and junior grades—is entered for the Quarter Mile, but it is understood that he will reserve himself for the 880 Yards, in which Davie is also a competitor. E. Cameron (Celtic United), N. Edwards (Invercargill) and A. B. Seddon (University) are strong contenders for this title. The outstanding men in the One Mile and Three Miles are W. N. Burrows (Mornington) and H. F. Coombs (Celtic United), and some of the half-milers will also be seen out in the Mile. J. R. Hyslop (Anglican) appear' to be in a class of his own in the walks. • J. B. Graham (Civil Service) will be competing in two of the hurdle races. R. Gordon (Celtic United), a winner last year, and K. Howley (St. Kilda) are also possibilities in these interesting and spectacular events. One of Hie best of the field events should be the Pole Vault, in which A. L. Fagg (North Otago),' K. W. Paterson (University) and J. D. Baeyertz (University) should be prominent. Fagg vaulted 10ft 9in a week or so ago. and he will be hard to beat. Baeyertz is an all-rounder of whom a good deal is expected in the four jumping events. In the High Jump he may find the titleholder, J. Sherwood (Caversham), the hardest to beat. A former first-class allrounder, R. G. Pilling (University), should provide the stlffest opposition in the Broad Jump and the Hop, Step and Jump, and Dawson and E. G. Walker (Invercargill) are good men. Walker won four titles at Invercargill last week. The New Zealand champion, J. G. Leckie (Invercargill), threw the hammer 144 ft sin at the Southland championship meeting. He is outstanding in this event, the next best probably being A. L. Stevens (Hillside), who has done over 130 ft. The Shot Putt should provide keen competition, among those entered being K. J. Morgan (Anglican), a former New Zealand junior champion, Walker, the Southland champion, and J H. Opie (University), a former New Zealand champion. Morgan, Walker, Leckie and Opie should be prominent in the Discus Throw, and in the Javelin Throw the field will Include Paterson, who showed good form In this event before going overseas, and V. Newall (Anglican), a former provincial champion and an Otago Rugby and water polo representative.