PROFESSIONAL ATHLETICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2913, 12 January 1910, Page 67

PROFESSIONAL ATHLETICS.

It is stated on unimpeachable authority that several well-known 'ocal amateur runners (says an Invercargill writer) intend going- over to the cash ranks, with the intention of competing at the forthcoming meetings of the Clifton, Woo den d, and Bluff A.C., Irish Athletic Society and Gore Athletic Society, which gatherings will form the autumn circuit of fixtures unfer the Southland Centre of the N.Z.A.U.

George Campbell put up a great performance at the Tima.ru Caledonian sports. In the. high jump he won with 6ft lin, in the vaulting with 10ft 4in. and in the lonsjump with an actual leap of 18ft lOiin, and" a handicap of 24in. Connell, off scratch, went 19ft S^in. The pole vaulting at Timaru on the first day was won with a vault of 10ft 4in, while at On the second day the respective heisrhts were 10ft 3in and 9ft L. Hamilton taking the first prize with the latter. It is reported that the Gore pedestrians, Messrs W. F. Trembath and J. D. Forbes, will journey to Greymouth to take part in the N.Z.A.U. championship fixture on March 16 and 17! under the auspices of the Greymouth Hibernian Society. J. Roddick, tho representative- footballer. won the open Cumberland wrestling and the 161 b stone with an actual put. of 38ft at the South Canterbury Caledonian Societv's snorts meotinsr. H. H. Binkman, of Christchurcb the 100 yards professional champion of New Zealand, has given up running, and will not defend the title at the New Zealand Athletic Union championships at Greymouth in March.

The chief feature of the Temuka Caledonian Society's gathering on December 27 was the fine performance of D. O'Connell, of the Levels Plains, '>n the jumping events. He >von the whole four, and his day's record runs: —High Jump. sft lOin ; flop-sten-and-jump, 45ft lin; Pole Vaulting. 10ft sin : Long Jump, 21ft 6in. " With such performance's O'Connell .can rightljr claim to be the champion jumper of New Zealand. He is only a small man, about sft 6in. but is a '■' bundle of eprines." He will be competing at the Athletio Union's championships at Grey.mouth in March.

The Australian champion. A. B. Postle, is evidently not running in his best form in England. Following his -defeat by Hollway in a race over 220 yards, he lias fallen a victim to i.he American cx-amateur 220 yards .champion, Nat Cartmel!. The Australian met Cartmdl ir a three-dis-tance match of 130, 200, and 400 yards, for £2OO. The first event took place on December 18, and Carfcmcl! won by three yards in 21-gsee, or two seconds outside the world's record. In meeting Cartmel 1 Postle has an opponent whom English critics say is one of the finest runners that ever crossed the Atlantic. He is 26 years of age, stands sft ll|in, and scales, when in condition, 12st. In the States Cartmell has held the Inter-collegiate Championships at 100 and 220 yards, being credited with 9 4-ssec and 21 4-sscc as his best times: but_ he has 'never 1 won the A.A.IT. Championship, although be was first man home in the Eastern trials for the Olympic Games last year, covering the 200 metres in 22 4-ssec. In the 1908 Olympic Games he was a finalist both in the 100 and 200 metres, and a member of the winning relay team. He visited England a few months ago for the A.A.A. Championships, and won the 220 in 22? e championship record—after running the closest of seconds ir the 100 yards to R. E. Walker. He has this season shown. lOsec for 100, 22sec for 220, 31 3-ssec for 300, and 50 2-ssec for 440, amongst other performances. MIDDLEMARCH SPORTS. The following are the concluding events : Running High Leap (four entries). —T. Ma&se-y sft, 1; H. Pearce and W. Massey (a tie), 4ft lOin, 2. School Race Handicap (seven entries).— A. Bennett 1, B. Thompson 2, A. Spratt 3. Consolation Handicap, 150yds (five entries).—F. Burgess, ecr, 1; Joe Wroble, 9yds, 2; M. Massey. 9yds, 3. The Hon. Thomas Mackenzie and some visitors were on the grounds, and they much appreciated the trip.