NELSON DEFEATED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26530, 4 August 1947, Page 7

NELSON DEFEATED

Harriers

NATIONAL TITLE TO WELLS AUCKLAND WINS TEAMS’ RACES P.A'. AUCKLAND, Aug. 2. Running effortlessly and with fine judgment, W. J. Wells, West Coast, North Island, won’ the New' Zealand Cross-country Championship with surprising ease from the titleliolder and Olympic prospect,. W. 11. Nelson, of Otago, at Ellerslie racecourse on Saturday. Wells outclassed a field of 47, and finished lmin 20sec ahead of Nelson, who filled second place. The Junior Championship was won in equally decisive fashion by the Auckland champion and New Zealand junior two-mile record-holder, G. W. Hoskins, who led throughout the three-niile race. Auckland won both the senior and junior teams’ races, and now holds every centre trophy available in athletip competition in New Zealand. Wells set a fast pace from the start of the race, and after the first lap only he and. Nelson were in the hunt. After three miles and a-half Wells began to force the pace, and Nelson showed signs of distress as he began to lose ground yard by yard. Wells put on a great spurt approaching the. hill for the last time. He took the hill comfortably, and ran home a winner by just on a quarter of a mile. Following are the results: — Senior Championship. —W. J. Wells (West Coast, North Island), 38min llsec, 1; W. Hii/Nelson (Otago), 39min 31sec, 2; J. Rig Clarke (Canterbury), 39min 50sec, 3, R. Crabbe (Auckland), 40min 57sec, 4; M. Lousich (Auckland), 41min 6sec, 5; D. Griggs (Wellington), 41min 26sec, 6. Senior Teams’ Race.— Auckland (Crabbe 4, Lousich 5, A. Darroch 7. N. H. Ambler 9), 25 points, 1; Waikato, 47 points, 2; West Coast, North Island, 53, 3; Otago, 59; Wellington,. 66; Canterbury. 86; Hawke’s BayPoverty Bay, 116. Junior Championship. —G. W. Hoskins (Auckland), 19min 55sec. 1; B. White (Auckland), 20min 5 2-ssec, 2; J Sloan (Hawke’s Bay), 20min 14sec, 3. Teams’ Race. —Auckland, 18 points, 1; Canterbury, 35, 2; Otago, 44, 3.