HARRIERS

Southland Times, Issue 25342, 22 July 1935, Page 4

HARRIERS

CROSS-COUNTRY TITLE CROWTHER’S SUCCESS Run from the racecourse enclosure in the warm sunshine of Saturday afternoon the Southland senior and junior cross-country championships were an unqualified success. Well over 50 harriers, including several from Otago clubs, took part in the race and the fair crowd of spectators present witnessed a first-class exhibition of long distance running. The course followed left the racecourse after the second jump, crossed the paddocks to East Road where a slant was taken across the turf to Mill Road and thence north-west to the end of Wilson’s road. The road was followed to the racecourse which was re-entered at the four furlong post and a good long straight was followed in the run to the judges. The seniors covered this course twice and the juniors once. The senior shield, presented to the first Southland club to get five men home out of a team of six, was won by the Invercargill club, while the junior shield presented to the club having the first three home, was also annexed by Invercargill. The winner of the senior race, run over the standard cross-country course of 10,000 metres (GJ miles), was B. Crowther, of the Invercargill club. Crowther is one of the most promising long distance men in Southland, but it is only recently that he has taken his training seriously. That this has been justified is evidenced by his splendid performance on Saturday. He ran easily throughout, never being seriously troubled, notwithstanding the fact that he had pitted against him some of Otago’s foremost cross-country runners. A. Hind, of the St. Paul’s club, another of the province’s leading distance men, was runner-up. He held closely to Crowther over the greater part of the journey, but could not cope with the winner’s long free stride over the last half-mile. J. Callister (Mornington) also ran well to fill third place. Testimony to the splendid team-work of the Dunedin competitors was forthcoming in the fact that the next four places were filled by members of the Caversham club. This club undoubtedly had the best team of the day, but were not eligible for the shield. The junior race saw P. G. McLauchlan (Invercargill), the ex-title holder for the Empire Public School mile, to the fore. McLauchlan ran his usual well-judged race and had the measure of the field from the outset.

Surprisingly good form was shown by J. Cross who filled second berth in the junior division. Running with McLauchlan until the last 50 yards was reached, Cross fell away only when the winner unleashed his famous finishing burst. Cross is a comparative newcomer to the sport, but by his showing on Saturday he should go far in distance running in more ways than one. The fact that he lost a shoe half-way round but still carried on bears tribute to his gameness. Energetic officials, headed by Messrs D. Dorman, G. McAnergney, and N. Anderson had all arrangements perfected and the races were run well up to schedule. The Races. The junior race was held first, a small field of eleven competitors, comprising entrants from the two local clubs and some Otago runners, facing the starter. When the pistol went the field shot off the mark as though for a hundred yards sprint. The levelheaded McLauchlan was the only one who failed to succumb to the prevalent desire for initial speed, preferring to move in to the rails and jog off at his own speed. Despite the rather heavy conditions under foot, the runners made good progress for the first half mile, at which stage they commenced to struggle. Stevens and McAlister, who had made the pace over the early stages, were passed by McLauchlan and Cross near East Road. Thereafter the positions were unchanged until the latter pair entered the straight together, some 18 minutes after the pistol had sounded. The two leaders ran steadily until about 50 yards from the judges, when McLauchlan clapped on the pace and gradually drew away from his game young rival to win by six yards. Well over 40 entrants made up the field in the senior division and, there being plenty of old campaigners in their midst, their start was less precipitate than that of the juniors. Nevertheless, they quickly settled into a smart pace, Imbs going into the lead for the first half-mile. At this stage Crowther, Hind and Barr went to the front, where they were later joined by Callister.

At the end of the first lap Crdwther was in the lead, running in seemingly effortless fashion, with Hind close on his heels. About 50 yards further back came Callister, followed closely by Metcalfe, Barr, Donovan and Imbs. The rest of the field straggled past a few minutes later, about six seeking the shelter of the pavilion in preference to braving another round. Over the second lap Crowther gradually drew away from Hind and finished strongly with about 70 yards to spare. Hinds appeared more distressed than the winner, but finished with a good burst of speed. About 50 yards further-back-came Callister, a Dunedin runner, followed at intervals by three other Otago men, Barr, Hebbard and Donovan. In the details of the races club names have been contracted as follows:—lnvercargill (Inv.); St. Paul’s (St. P.); Caversham (C); Mornington (M). In assessing the points in the shield contest J. Callister, an individual competitor, is not counted. Following were the results:— TEAM POINTS. SENIOR. Caversham (Barr 3, Hebbard 4, Donovan 5, George 6, Gerrie 10) 28 points 1 Invercargill No. 1 (Crowther 1, Metcalfe 7, Canning 8, Imbs 11, Calder 14) 41 points 2 St. Paul’s No. 1 (Hind 2, Dunlop 9, Dorman 12, Clark 13, Walker 15) 51 points 3 JUNIOR. Invercargill (P. McLauchlan, J. Cross, R. Whyte, Heslin, W. Tait, Cavanagh, J. Johnston) 8 points 1 St. Paul’s (B. A. McAlister, A. Stevens, N. J. Dorman, A. Adamson, C. Flaus, A. L. Fraser, M. C. Burley, R. Jenkins, G. C. Alington, J. Drummond, S. W. Walker) 13 points 2 [Points were awarded for the first three men in each club.j INDIVIDUAL PLACINGS. SENIOR. B. Crowther (Inv) 1 A. Hind (St. P) 2 J. Callister (M) 3 H. J. Barr (C) 4 A. G. Hebbard (C) 5 L. K. Donovan (C) 6 I. George (C) 7 J. Metcalfe (Inv) 8 H. Canning (Inv) 9 H. Dunlop (St. P) 10 Time, 38min 21sec. JUNIOR. P. G. McLauchlan (Inv.) 1 J. Cross (Inv) 2 B. A. McAlister (St. P) 3 ,

A. Stevens (St. P) 4 R. Whyte (Inv) 5 N. J. Dorman (St. P) 6 Time, 18min, 47sec. N.Z. CHAMPIONSHIPS. SAVIDAN’S SUCCESS. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, July 21. The New Zealand cross-country championships were held at Lyall Bay in bleak conditions on Saturday afternoon and resulted as follows: — Teams Championship. Auckland' (Savidan 1, Cooper 2, Briggs 11, McKenzie 14) 28 • points) 1 Otago (Pullar 3, Geddes 6, Stewart 8, Barnes 16) 33 points 2 Wellington (Stevens 4), Riddington 41, Bagnall 13, Roberts 17) 39 points 3 Canterbury (Watson 7, Park 12, Fox 18, Rogers 25) 62 points 4 West Coast, North Island (Johnston 9, Wilier 10, 'Smith 20, Bills 26) 65 points 5 Hawkes Bay-Poverty Bay (Lord 19, Ready 24, Wright 27, Denford 33) 103 points 6

*Tied for fourth place. The race resulted in a further triumph for J. W. Savidan, of Auckland, who won the title for the sixth time when he ran home the winner by some 120 yards from his team mate N. Cooper, who comfortably defeated W. Pullar, of Otago. Contrary to expectations Auckland defeated the holders, Otago, in the teams’ championship in I which Wellington, finishing third, made a very bold showing. Savidan ran to the front shortly after the start, followed by Pullar, Weller. Watson, Park and Cooper. For the first mile there was no change in the order of the leading men, although Savidan was slowly but surely pulling away from the field. Leaving the flat and getting on to the hills for the first time the Auckland athlete continued to make every post a winning one, although he lost a considerable amount of ground,; as did quite a big bunch who followed him, by running off the course and. climbing rather more of the hill than necessary. The mistake, however,

made no real difference to the result either at this stage or ultimately, since j ■ the field eventually merged. At this stage the Auckland team was well up, . having four men in the first dozen, while Otago and Wellington, too, were I showing very encouraging signs of good team work. When he entered the road a mile from home Savidan was a good I 250 yards ahead of Pullar. Half a mile I from home Cooper went away from I Pullar and the three finished in that order. NEW ZEALAND TEAM. The following cross-country team has been picked by the joint selectors, Messrs B. R. McKeman and A. Croker, to represent New Zealand at the Australian Championships at Sydney on August 17: J. W. Savidan (Auckland), N. F. Cooper (Auckland), W. A. Pullar (Otago), A. L. Stevens (Wellington), J. Riddington (Wellington), A. R. Geddes (Otago). G. H. Watson (Canterbury) and W. A. Stewart (Otago) have been selected to replace any of the above unable to go. On Saturday 1 night Savidan, who announced on Friday that he would not be able to make the trip, said last night that he was still very much in doubt and unless financial arrangements could be made there was little prospect of his going.

Individual Championship. J. W. Savidan (Auckland) 35.43 1 N. Cooper (Auckland) 36.5 2 W. Pullar (Otago) 36.2 3 *A. Stevens (Wellington) 36.27 4 *J. Riddington (Wellington) 36.27 4 A. Geddes (Otago) 36.38 6 G. Watson Canterbui-y) 36.41 7 W. Stewart (Otago) 36.44 8 W. Birtwistle (Auckland) individual 36.47 9 W. Johnston (West Coast, N.I.) 36.55 10 W. Weller (West Coast, N.I.) 36.56 11 W. Briggs (Auckland) 37.3 12