DOMINION TOUR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26349, 2 January 1947, Page 2

DOMINION TOUR

AMERICAN ATHLETES POPULAR The tour of the Dominion to be undertaken during the next two months by three American athletes— Don Campbell, John Fulton, and A 1 Hershey—serves to recall other popular Americans who have toured New Zealand under the jurisdiction of the Amateur Athletic Association. In the 1913-14 season Mr E. M. Piexotto, supervisor of athletics in the San Francisco Public Schools’ Department, managed a team comprising R. R. Templeton, an all-rounder from Stanford University; J. Powers (Boston), the American one-mile recordholder, who had beaten Abel Kiviat, who filled second place, for the United States in the 1500 Metres at the 1912 Olympic Games at Stockholm; G. L. Parker, of California, who had beaten all the American crack sprinters just before leaving for New Zealand, and E. R. Caughey, also of California, a field events man. The Americans raced on the Caledonian Ground on December 20, 1913, and after a week’s rain the track was sodden. Discus and javelin-throwing were novelties in Dunedin at that time, and Caughey gave exhibitions. He threw the discus 100 ft 6in and the javelin 122 ft Bin, Putting the shot, Caughey recorded 42ft sin—a New Zealand record—and also exceeded the English amateur record by 3in. Unfortunately, the shot was found to be 2oz under-weight. Templeton and the New Zealand champion, G. P. Keddell, were on the scratch mark in the 100 Yards Hurdles, but the American, who had won his heat, did not start in the final owing to the slippery ground, and Keddell won, The High Jump was noteworthy for the peculiar “ diving ” style adopted by Templeton, but he was handicapped by the bad take-off, and could clear only sft lin, the event being won by F. M. Reid, who later represented Otago on the New Zealand Amateur Atheltic Association’s Management Committee. The tour of the Olympic winner. Jackson Scholz, and Lloyd Hahn, in 1926, was noteworthy for the many fine races between R. A. Rose and Hahn. The American beat Rose at their first meeting, but that beating taught the New Zealander that Hahn liked a slow third lap in his mile races, and at subsequent meetings Rose forced the pace at that stage and was able to beat his rival. Accompanied by an Australian quarter-miler, George Golding, another American miler, Leo Lermond, toured New Zealand in 1930. The Dominion was well supplied with distance men at that time, Rose, J. W. Savidan (Auckland), and J. G. Barnes (then in Canter- " bury) being among the men he met. On one occasion Lermond showed his quality by beating Rose in 4min 21 l-ssec, but Barnes beat Lermond and Savidan 1 ' in Christchurch. A very popular team which toured in 1931 comprised George Simpson, joint holder of the world’s record for 220 yards (20 3-ssec), Rufus Kiser, a miler, and Harlow Rothert, a wonderful feld events man. Simpson beat all the Dominion’s sprinters, including Malcolm Leadbetter, C. Jenkins, and the All Black George Hart, and New Zealand records of 9 4-ssec (three times) for the 100 yards and 21 l-ssec for a straight 220 yards -.still reniain to his name. Kiser, like former distance men. found the opposition strong, among those he met and followed home being the then New Zealand mile champion, G. Bayne (Wellington), Barnes, and J. E. Lovelock, at the beginning of his career. . , ~ Rothert performed consistently throughout the tour, and New Zealand records still standing to his name are 51ft 6fin with the shot and 144 ft 6£im with the discus. This team gave great service coaching athletes during its tour. . . . The team which is to arrive in Auckland on Tuesday, comprising a sprinter a middle-distance man, and a field events exponent, is well suited to New Zealand’s requirements, and the tour, which includes appearances at Invercargill on February 5 and at Dunedin on February 8, should be a successful one.

SOUTHLAND BATSMAN IN FORM J. Wood proved to be the most effective batsman in the Southland side against Otago in the match for players under 25, his 13 and 76 being easily the • highest aggregate among the southerners. His display was a sound one, and his batting at one stage threatened to deprive Otago of a win, but when he was bowled by E. Watson, the rest of the side failed to hold out. Wood is essentially a driving batsman, and his strokes were all welltimed and usualy forceful. He went in third wicket down and was eighth out His score in the second innings was the highest of the match.