ATHLETICS

Otago Witness, Issue 4041, 25 August 1931, Page 50

ATHLETICS

CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING.

INTER-UNI VER SITY CHAMPIONSHIP.

The South Island Inter-university College Cross-country Championship was decided at Wingatui on Saturday afternoon, over a course of -four miles, Otago registering a comfortable win ever Canterbury. The conditions'underfoot were anything but ideal, but the runners faced their gruelling task very well, the individual winner being W. A. Stewart (Otago), who covered the course in 27min 1 3-stec.

The following were the teams: —Canterbury: A. G. A. Baigent, L. S. Bambery, P M. Jowett, W. K. Marshall, W. E. Parratt, and R. A. Young. Otago: W. A. Stewart, A. Rpss, T. J. King, J. B. Mackie, R. Mathewson, and F. Harris.

The course commenced in front of the grand stand, and the runners then proceeded over the two sod walls and up a steep hill on to Mr M'Pherson’s property, where they struck acros- a ploughed field to the Janefield road. The course then led back over Mr Gow’s property to -the racecourse,- the second half of the race taking place round the course, where the post and rails and the water jump were negotiated. THE RACE.

The runners went away to a good start, being despatched by Mr R. H. Cabot, and the front men made the pace a fast one. They slowed down, however, after passing the tod wall, which was crossed first by W. A. Stewart (Otago), who was closely followed by A. Ross (Otago) and L. S. Bambery (Canterbury), and when they passed the stand on the return from the hills there was no doubt that Stewart and Ross would contest first place. Shortly before the water jump was reached Stewart was about 20 yards in front of Rocs, but at the entrance to the straight the latter had made up the de-

ficiency, and they were practically running level. Stewart then came to light with a very effective sprint over the last 300 yards, which was too much for Ross, and the former went on to win by about 50 yards, T. J. King (Otago), R. Mathewson (Otago), and J. B. Mackie (Otago* filled the next three places, thus making Otago an easy winner of the teams’ race. INDIVIDUAL PLACINGS.

The following were the individual placings:— W. A. Stewart (Otago) 1 A. Ross (Otago) 2 T. J. King (Otago) 3 R. Mathewson (Otago) 4 J. B. Mackie (Otago) 5 L. S. Bambery (Canterbury) 6 F. Harris (Otago) 7 P. AL Jowett (Canterbury) 8 W. E. Parratt (Canterbury) 9 A. G. A. Baigent (Canterbury) .... 10 R. A. Young (Canterbury) 11

The winner’s time was 27min 1 3-ssec. W. K. Marshall (Canterbury) did not complete the course.

TEAMS’ RACE. Otago, 22 points 1 Canterbury, 44 points 2 This was the first contest to be held between the harrier teams of the two University Colleges, and the success that has attended it augurs well for the future, when it is lipped that the championship will be extended to embrace all university colleges in New Zealand. Next year the Otago University team will travel to Christchurch to defend the silver cup presented by the president of the club (Dr Carmalt Jones).

RUNNING RECORD BROKEN. VANCOUVER, August 22. Eddie Tolan, a negro, set a world’s record for 100 metres in 10 3-10 sec on

Saturday at an international track and field meeting. Frank Wykoff, of the University of. Southern California, was second. Percy Williams withdrew just before the race owing to muscle strain.

STAMFORD BRIDGE MEETING. LONDON, August 22. The outstanding feature at the Stamford Bridge athletic contest, at which England beat Italy by 83J to 621 points and 10 events to four, was the meeting of Lord Burghley with the’ Italian crack. Facilli. Lord Burghley won the 120 yards, blit Facilli was victorious in the 440, equalling Lord Burghley’s record with 53 4-5 seconds.