AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 35, 18 March 1914, Page 3

AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

AN EVENING MEETING. . SOM£' EXCELLENT SPORT. There . was some excellent sport at in, amateur athletic gathering held at Lancaster Park last evening, under the, control of the .Canterbury College Ama< teur Club. Counting in the / heats, there were seven events on the programme, and in all but one there " were excellent fields and fine finishes. The race which fdid not provide a good field was the 440 yds Hurdles Championship of Canterbury—an event in which a big field cannot be anticipated, despite its importance. W. Pratt and F. V. Robinson were the only starters, and Pratt won by about 6yds, after leading for the greater'psrt of; the distance. / His waer.667 2-ssec; Cook, ,440 yds hurdles champion _ of New Zealand, did not compete. ■•*.£- - Pratt also made" an efforl to win the 75yds Mat Handicap. He won his heat, but the final was decided immediately • after the-hurdles; and Pratt retired—'-as was rather to be expected; —from the race after going a few yards. There was keen competition in the 75yds, eighteen men. starting in the heats, which were well contested. The final was won by L. I. Donohue, a young runner of promise, off seven yards, with 'J. Mansell, scratch, - second. Mansell came with a fine burst of, speed at the finish. The time, Bsec, was very good,. as the race was run against a fairly strong breeze. Mile Handicap brought out a field, of nine, with Farrow, who holds the mile championship of Canterbury, and Richards, on 4he scratch mark, conceding handicaps up to 110 yds. Richards was handicapped at 20yds, but he went back to' scratch at his own desire. Ford, from 85yds, ran well, and won by five yards in the creditable time of 4min 43 l-ssec. Duff was second and M 'Allum third. Farrow was fourth. Nine men lined up for the 220 yds Flat Handicap, and they made an excellent race of it. Seay, from 17yds, won, with * De Rago second and the scratch man, Mansell, third.. Mansell ran very well, but the field kept him out at the bend. The track was in excellent order, notwithstanding the previous day's rain. Details:— n 75 YARDS HANDICAP. First heat —L. G. Donohue 7yds 1, J. Mansell scratch 2. Also started: De Rago 3yds, W. H. Down 2£yds, Corbett 4yds, Seay 4yds, North 4Jyds. . Time, Bsec. . Second heat —Pratt 4yds 1, L. P. Donohue 7yds 2. Also started: Brinkman Iyd, M'Kay 3yds, Kiddey 3vds, "Miller 3|yds, Thomas 4yds. Time, 8 2-ssec. Third heat-—Drake 4yds I,' Barnett ljyds 2. Also started: Tunnington 3yds, H. Emerson 4Jyds. Time, 2-ssec. Final. : L. G. Donohue 7yds .. .. 1 Mansell scratch , .... . . 2 All qualified started. Time, Bsec. 440 YARDS HURDLES CHAMPIONSHIP. W*. Pratt .. ... 1 F. V. Robinson ~ .... 2 Time, 66 2»ssec. MILE FLAT HANDICAP. Ford, 85yds .'. .. .. .. 1 . Duff 65yds . . ;. . . . .. 2 M'Allum 95yds 3 Also started: Farrow scratch, Richards scratch, Seattle 75yds, Turner 85yds, Gordon 95yds, Burrows 110 yds. "Time, 4min 43 l-ssec. 220 YARDS FLAT HANDICAP. Seay 17yds 1 De Rago 12yds ~ .. ... 2 Mansell scratch 3 Also started: W. H. Down 9yds, Strachey 10yds, Leeming 17yds, Arnold 17yds, CorLett 17yds, North 18yds. Time, 22 3-ssec.

THE CANTERBURY CENTRE. ATHLETICS IN THE SCHOOLS. Another step. in the movement to promote better methods of fostering school athletics was taken last night, at the monthly meeting of the Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association. The Centre had requested its delegates to the N.Z.A.A.A., whose headquarters are in Wellington, to obtain from Mr E. M. Peixotto, Athletic Director to the Public Schools' Athletic League of San Francisco,, and manager of the team of American athletes' which has been visiting' Australasia, some useful information on the subject. This had been obtained by Mr M. Burnett, one of the Centre's delegates, and the matter was submitted to the Centre last evening. Mr Peixotto's suggestions Were on the lines indicated in the article regarding the subject which appeared in THE SUN on Monday.

The President (Mr E. Sellers) said that it was a very important matter, and he was of opinion that a sub-com-mittee should be appointed to consider the material obtained and the question generally, and report to the Centre, should discuss it r then. The president 'a suggestion was adopted, and a sub-committee, consisting of Messrs R. Sellers, E. Nordon, O. Anderson, and A. L. Chappell, was appointed to consider the question and report to the CJeritre. A vote of thanks to Mr Burnett for his activity in the matter was passed. The other business dealt with by the Centre/ included a matter referred to it by the South Canterbury Caledonian Society, which had withheld prizes won by two competitors from Dunedin, at its last gathering, on the ground that the runners had not supplied complete lists, of their performances. This matter was before th\e Centre at its preceding meeting, and it was then decided •to ask the Dunedm ■ Centre <?f the N.Z*A.A.A« to obtain evidence from the v runners. This Evidence was before last - meeting, but settlement of o n swas again deferred until some additional ■" information has been obtained from the secretary of the. South: Canterbury . Caledonian Society. The Centre, confirmed the secretary's action in forwarding to Mr E. M. Peixotto,: manager of the American athletic team, a telegram of which the following is a copy: The Canterbury Centre will place on record the benefits which amateur athletics has received from the team's visit, and in wishipg you goodbye, asks me to state its appreciatipn of your team as sports and gentlemen." , Mr M. Burnett, of Wellington, wrote accepting the position of the Centre's second delegate to" the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Club.

Mr L. Dougall's resignation of his position as the Ashburton A.A. Club's delegate to the Centre was received with regret. The Centre will communicate with the Ashburton Club on the matter. \

There was a brief discussion regarding a letter which Mr O. Anderson, as secretary of the Centre, had written to one of the morning papers in Christchurch respecting the lack of attention it gives to the sport. The paper in question had published Anderson's first letter," and had appended a footnote to it, but had declined to publish his reply to the footnote. This second letter was read to the meeting by Mr Anderson, whose action was endorsed by the Centre. - The meeting passed a motion thanking THE SUN for the attention which it is giving to athletics.