SPRINTERS SHOW GOOD FORM ON LABOUR DAY

Southland Times, Issue 23652, 29 October 1938, Page 15

SPRINTERS SHOW GOOD FORM ON LABOUR DAY

By

SPIKE

For the first meeting of the season, the standard of performances at the Labour Day sports at Otautau was unusually high. In every event from the 75 yards to the quarter mile, competitors showed themselves to be full _ of dash. There appeared to be no instances of runners holding themselves back in the hope of getting better marks later in the season. Some competitors were obviously not in best form—there was no reason why they should be, as the season does not get properly under way until December 24—but everyone appeared to give of his best Of the middle distance events, however, a different story must be told. Here the standard was poor. The entries were small in both the half mile and the mile—there were eight in the half mile and six in the mile —and in each race the competitors began at a jog and finished at a half-hearted lope. At what pace the events were run can be judged from the fact that the half mile was won, from the 35-yard mark, in 2min 4 3-ssec, and the mile, from the 65-yard mark; in 4min 45 4-ssec. Record-breaking efforts are not expected at the first meeting of the season, but spectators and athletic society officials are certainly justified in expecting something better than was forthcoming from the middle-distance men at Otautau on Monday. Performances in the sprint events provided ample compensation for the poor competition in the middle distance events. W. E. Baldwin, of Tuatapere, who won both the 75 yards and the Sheffield, was the most successful runner of the day, but those who saw the Gore runner, H. W. Milne, in action, recognized that he is this season to be one of Southland’s best professional sprinters; he might be the best. •Milne was scratch, or virtual scratch in all the events in which he started, and he was placed in each one. From scratch, he won his heat of the 75 yards, easing up, in Bsec, and was only narrowly beaten in the final by Baldwin, who started from yards. In the Sheffield, he was handicapped on 2 yards, the virtual scratch mark,, and won his heat fairly comfortably in 13 4-ssec. In the final, he put up a great fight, but Baldwin, who started from the SJ-yard mark, again snatched victory from him, this time by two feet. In the furlong, Milne, on 2 yards, was again the virtual scratch man, but he won his heat in convincing fashion in the good time of 24sec. He had lost something of his dash by this time, but in the final he ran the field to. finish in second place a bare yard behind R. McKenzie, who started from the 6yard mark. Powerfully built and fast out of the holes, as well as a strong . finisher, Milne is the ideal type of sprinter. His greatest asset, however, is his perfect physical fitness. He was easily the fittest runner on the grounds on. Monday, and he is likely to hold this distinction all the season. Unlike most Southland runners, he celebrates vic-

tory by making immediate preparation for more victories. It was at the Timaru Boys’ High School that Milne learned his running. In his last year there he won the senior athletic championship, defeating V. P. Boot, who even then was showing signs of becoming the champion middle distance runner he is today. Both Boot and Milne were trained by a master at the school, Mr A. K. Jackson, a former university athletic champion. It is to Mr Jackson that each owes the sound knowledge of running technique he possesses today. Another Gore sprinter who promises to be among the best of the backmarkers in Southland this season is F. N. Newman. He was far from in his best form on Monday, although he got into the final of both the 75 yards and the Sheffield, but he ran a splendid race to win the quarter mile. He allowed F. G. Pickering, the scratch man, to run the field into the ground with an electrifying opening dash, and then, when most of the other competitors

were labouring he unleashed a great burst of speed in the straight and hit the tape a foot in front of E. J. McIntyre, who also had not allowed himself to be tempted to travel with Pickering in the early stages. For the keenness of the competition in the sprint events, much credit be-' longs to the handicapper, Mr Wallace Murdock, jun., who had no enviable task in assigning runners to their marks for the first meeting of the season. Credit is also due to the officials of the Otautau Athletic Society, who took every pains to ensure that the meeting was enjoyed by both competitors and spectators. Their efforts were extremely successful, and the record gate receipts were a fitting reward for the work they did.