PACIFIC TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS

Southland Times, Issue 25537, 4 December 1944, Page 7

PACIFIC TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS

GOOD PERFORMANCES AT GUADALCANAR (Official News Service, R.N.Z.A.F.) GUADALCANAR, November 30. The biggest track championship meeting ever held in the Pacific, the Guadalcanar Allied track and field championships, was an event that will never be forgotten by those who took part in it or those who watched it. It had teemed for two days, and it was still raining heavily on the day of the meeting. The track was flooded, and mud oozed over the shoe-tops. The meeting could not be and competitors had to cope with the conditions. There were 268 competitors, representative of all the Allied units in the area, and if conditions had been normal there is no doubt that some of the performances would have been of Empire Games standard. Such outstanding performers in the distance events as Frank Dixon, negro runner from the United States, who ran second to Gundar Haegg in America last year in a 4min 7sec mile; Carey, a prominent American middle distance runner, and Trujillo, an inter-State college marathon champion, provided stiff opposition for W. H. Nelson, of Otago, former New Zealand junior mile champion and winner of many important track and cross-country events in the Dominion, and J. A. Darroch, of Auckland, in the distance events. NEGRO COMPETITORS Another American negro, Austin, and Mederios, both United States college quarter-mile champions, were in the field for that distance, and in the sprints L. Bowmer, of Auckland, and J. Brown, of Christchurch, were opposed by such prominent performers as Broomall, Price, Johinekapo, Hill, and Cipri. R. L. Francis, of Auckland, the only New Zealand competitor in the field events, was quite outclassed by the American specialists, Lieutenant Behan, of the Marines, holder of several United States records in field events, carried off the titles in the shot putt, discus, and high jump, and was placed in the hop, step, and jump. The meeting was organized and run by a combined executive committee of three Americans and two New Zealanders, and the winners received trophies bought in New Zealand. There were only 18 R.N.Z.A.F. representatives, and they were responsible for a very fine performance in tying with an American unit for the Unit Championship Cup. The individual trophy was won by Lieutenant Behan. He scored 17 points, with Darroch (15) in second place, and Nelson (12J) fourth. In all, the R.N.Z.A.F. won five titles, and scored two seconds, two thirds, one fourth, and two fifths in 16 events. SURPRISE VICTORIES The surprise of the day was provided by Darroch, who won the mile and the quarter-mile. ’ Nelson was unfortunate in the mile in that he took two very heavy falls in the mud at the beginning of the race, and then failed to catch the American, Dixon, by only 10 yards. Darroch went to the front early and won going away by 80 yards. Darroch sprang another surprise in the 440 yards, in which he took the lead from the start and staved off Austin’s determined run to win by inches. Nelson ran a great race to win the two-mile championship. He lapped five of the field twice, lapped three more, and failed by just a few yards to lap the second and • third placegetters. Despite the extraordinary heaviness of the course, he came up the straight as though he were completing a 100 yards dash, and he was given a terrific ovation. Flying Officer L. Robertson, of Auckland, a good sprinter in his younger days, won the 75 yards veterans’ race (men 35 years and over) in fine style by seven yards. EXCELLENT TEAM WORK Excellent team work enabled the R.N.Z.A.F. to fill both first and second places in the mile medley relay None of the times or the figures in field events read well, but in such appalling conditions they were really exceptional. The R.N.Z.A.F. team comprised Flying Officer C. L. S. Cross (Palmerston North), manager, Sergeant D. A. McGee (Auckland), coach, Flying Officer L. Robertson (Auckland), L.A.C.’s L. Bowmer (Auckland), D. G. Stapp (Wellington), W. H. Nelson (Dunedin), G. A. Taylor (Palmerston North), R. J. Canton (Auckland), J. A. Darroch (Auckland), R. D., McLachlan (Dunedin), R. W. Price (Nelson), A. I. Kennard (Dunedin), A.C.I C. T. Mehrtens (Oxford, Canterbury), Cpl R. L. Francis (Auckland), Cpl B. E. Nye (Christchurch); A.C.I J. Brown (Christchurch), A.C.I A. A. Suckroo (Lower Hutt), A.C.I A. M. Mclnnes (Hamilton). The R.N.Z.A.F. team and an American unit tied for the unit championship with 42 points each, with another United States unit third with 36 points.