ATHLETICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2051, 15 June 1893, Page 33

ATHLETICS.

KOTES BY AMATEUR.

The following information was received by cable from Sydney on the 9bh inst :— " The New South Wales Athletic Association have adopted, with several alterations, the scheme passsd by the New Zealand Association on May 17 for carrying out the first of a series of Australasian championship meetings. The scheme has now been referred to the Victorian Association." Whether the New South Wales Association hive also adopted the proposal to hold the second Australasian championship meeting in New Zealand is not stated in the above. If it has not been done there is a probability of the proposed big athletic carnival falling through, as the following resolution passed at a meeting of the committee of the New Zealand SSsociation on Friday goes to show — "That this association is willing to recognise the proposed meeting of the Victorian Amateur Athletic Association, to be held in Melbourne next November, as the first Australasian Championship mef ting, only on the associations of New South Wales and Victoria agreeing that the second meeting be held in New Zealand in two years' time, this association being of opinion that it could not send a team to Australia twice in two years, and that it is on)y reasonable that if the first meetiug be held in Australia the second should be held in New Zealand ; that unless a satisfactory arrangement caa be arrived at before July 10 this association will j not send any team to Australia this year." The resolution, which was proposed by Mr Cuff, ip, I think, quite to the point, and very fair. It is out of tb.3 question to expect New Zealand to send a team to Australia twice running. The following gentlemen were present at the meeting at which the above resolution was passed — viz. , Messrs J. F. Grierson (South Canterbury), in the chair, D. Woodard and J. C. Cusack (Canterbury), C. H. Williams (Ashburton), N. L. Macbeth (Dunedin), C. H. Croxton (Auckland), and L. A. Cuff (hon. sec ). The secretary of the Wellington Athletic Club wrote stating that the net profit over the championship meeting was £79, which amount was to be divided between the association and that club. The following reinstatements were passed : — F. Murphy (Auckland), P. do Laney (Waikato), J. Kavanagh (Wellington), J. M'Alillan (Southbridge), W. H. Home (Tauranga). E. Patterson (Hakateramea) was asked to apply again in two years. J. M'Kendry (Christchurch) was asked to apply again 12 months from his last performance. H. R. Burton, a brother of the New Zealand champion walker, has joined the Sydney Amateur Walking Club, and " The Prodigal " (Referee) thinks he will prove an acquisition to the walking strength of New South Wales. The same writer states that a novel contest has justjbeen arranged between two well known athletes— namely, Mr W. L. Kerr, of the Sydney Bicycle and Sydney Harrier Clubs, and Mr R. C. Reid, of the Forest Lodge Harriers. The forme* undertakes to cover a mile on his patentysneumatic safety before the latter runs lOOOycTC. A six days' go-as-you-please was concluded at Bourke (N.S.W.) on the 27th ult. The competitors were W. J. Hackford, D. Malcolm, W. M'Keown, and H. Richardson, and the contest was for a £20 sweepstake each and the gate. The distances covered by the competitors were as follows : — Malcolm 34-Q_- miles, Hackford 270 mile 3, Richardson 242 miles, M'Keown 165 miles. Malcolm is an ex-New Zealander, and has won numerous events about Dunedin. In the Garrison Hall he won a 24 hours' walking match, covering 113 miles 7 laps in the time. The Candelo Athletic Club held its 23rd anniversary meeting on May 24. The Grand Handicap of £50 and a 10-guinea trophy was won by Sharpe (19yds) in 13|sec. J. M'Garrigal (3yds) won the Flying Handicap. The annual sports of the Sydney University Athletic Club were held on the Association Cricket ground on May 26 before a large number of spectators. The following aro the results of the principal performances :— looyds Champion Race, F. H. Gaden 1./ 220yd3 College Cup, W. L. Walker 1, F. H. Gaden 2. Time, 24sec. High Jump, H. B. Rowland (sft 6in — an Australian record) 1. 880 yds, Delhorey (45yds) 1. Time, 2min llsec. 440 yds, Uere wether (32yds) 1, de B. Lopez (scr) 2. Time, 53 4 ssec. One Mile, Craig (scr) 1. Time, smin 14sec. 1000 yds Visitors' Race was won by R. C. Reid (48yds) in 2min 26 3 ssec ; Dalrymplo (scr) finished fourth. A Five-mile Cross-country Novice Handicap took place at Oakleigh under the auspices t of the Melbourne Harriers on the 3rd June. There were 34 starters out of 51 entries, aud S. Ballantyne (lmin 30sec) turned out the winner, finishing a few yards in front of P. C. Long. The winner's time was 30min 58sec net. Two fine performances by Sid, Thomas relieved the monotony of a singularly flit meeting held by the London Athletic Club on April 15, the Ranelagh crack earning off the lOOOjds and the Three Miles, "in the latter race he started from the po«t of honour, and cut his msn iv very easy fashion. He was in front half a mile from home, e\eatually winning by 50yds in 14min 44§skc — never being fairly extended, in fact. Thomas's performance is the more meritorious as he had already a race in him. The^word race, however, is hardly applicable to the 1000 yds, in which the ten-mile champion had a sfc^rt of 45yds, and may be fairly said to have won all the way. He could have come on by himself had he co willed it, but he was content to canter home in front of E Wilkins, of the Ranelagh (30yds), in 2tnin 15 4-s?ee. Harold Wade, who was at scratch with H. E. Stilliard, of Oxford, was fourth in 2min lo^sec. On the same day the South London Harriers held a successful meeting at Kensington Oval. The sprint brought out C. A. Bradley, H. Smith, of Fincliley, Sinnott, Huson, Atlee, Veneer, and other noted meu, but tho champion had very little difficulty in wioning, although he looked a trifle rotund. The time (10|sec) may read somewhat slow, but the wind was dead against the men aud tke course, though hard, was rather bumpy. Bradley, both iv this race and in his heat in the handicap, did a \ard outside the time returned, and for Smith to get within a yard of him shows (remarks the Athletic News) that the Httlo Finchley Harrier, who promises to make a flyer, ia'improviog rapidly. Somo disappointment was caused by the nonappearance of Bacon aud Kibblewkile in the Four Miles at the Harrier.'/ meeting, but perhaps it i 3 just as well that they stopped away, as C. E. Wiilets, of Chr-lmsford, ran so well that it 13 a matter of doubt whether either of them could have beaten him. There wero some gond men competing, but none could hold him for 20yds, when he fairly set himself going, aud, lof-virg hi 3 field as ho liked, he came home 220 yds in front of R. J. Moran, of Balford, in 20min 4Jsec, a biggish feat en turf after a man has mudo the whole of bio own running. Once or twice the third man, C. W. Davies, of

the Birch-field, looked like catching Moran, but the latter always was equal to the occasion. A capital race took place between Heath and Cottrell for fourth place. The cross-country champion looked by no means fit, but he made a supreme effort in the last lap and got away from his plucky opponent. At the annual sports at Merchiston College, Scotland, a boy named G. 0. Turnbull exhibited remarkable form for one of his years. He threw the cricket ball 118 yds sin. In the long leap he covered 17ft lOin; did the Quarter-mile for boys under 16 in 58§sec, and for boys under 17 he did the same distance in 57 3-ssec. He put the ball 33ft l_-iD, and his time for the Hurdle Race for boys under 17 was 20£ sec. As a contemporary puts it, " there is bo gainsayiug the excellence of Turnbull's athletic abilities. For his age (15 years), he is a big, strong fellow, the very model of a lad who will develop into the grandest athlete Scotland has yet produced."