Athletic & Cycling Notes.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 14056, 13 November 1909, Page 3 (Supplement)

Athletic & Cycling Notes.

MACKENZIE ANNUAL SPORTS

Tho Mackenzie Caledonian Society are to be congratulated on success of their nrst meeting. Hiere should be a substantial credit balance, and the Society will be able to offer still better prizes for next year's gathering. One omission, which caused much inconvenience, was that the Society liad no book programmes printed. The sprinting events were rather interesting. In the 100 yds there were 16 starters for a first prize of lo shillings M. Metcalf was on scratch, and the limit, 4yds, was much too great. Lochorc, of Timaru, won the final, from 4yds, beating Walton, of Fairlie, by very little. The heats of the Sheffield Handicap were spoiled by non-acceptors, but 15 competitors ran in four heats. Len Wood won his heat easily from F. C. Henderson, 6yds, and he also won a semi-final comfortably. In the final the starters were Wood scr., F. Palmer 6vds, Henderson 6yds, and Walton Byds. After a slashing race Palmer beat Wood by inches for first place. Palmer fully earned his win, as he lias been a competitor for some years, and this is tho first good win he has had.

The 130 yds Hurdles was a very fine contest, the starters in the final being Metcalf scr., McVey 3yds, Jack 3yds, Rutherford 7yds, and McVey won by a yard from Metcalf, who lost his stride a couples of hurdles from home. Rutherford, who has a pretty style of hurdling, was third, and when properlv fit will be the best man of the lot'

W. Tavener ran a great race from scratch in the 880 yds, winning in ti>"e given officially as 2min Isec. Ho really ran a shade better than 2min 6sec. The placed men (Dunn 40yds (Pleasant Point), and Sugrue 30yds, are young runners that are considerablv above the average beginners. The One Mile was won by G. T. Smart, of Chertsey, in 4min oosec. with A. Irving, Albury, 70yds, a good second about 5 yards away. Tavener scr. gave up early. Smart ran the first half-mile in 2min 20sec, and was then in the lead. In this race the officials made the scratch man run an extra lap. and it was only after much persuation that they believed roe when I told them that tliey were wrong. They, however, then placed the men correctly. The 440 yds Handicap had a good field, and Sizemore, 10yds, one of the limit men, made every post a winning post—at half way he led by 15 yards—and just lasted long enough to throw himself quite exhausted over the winning line with F. Palmer a yard behind second, and Henderson third.

The jumping events Drought out big entries, and as the well-known competitors Metcalf (Rangitata), T. Horgan (MilfordV, and D. O'Connell (Seadown), were among them, the winning performances were pretty good. In the HoD-st<?p-jump on a hard ground with long grass the best actual jumps were —Metcalf 40ft 4in, T. Horgan 39ft llin. and O'Connell 40ft, In the High Jump Metcnlf's best jump was a little better than sft ojin, while in the Pole Jump T. Horgan cleared 10ft T and. O'Connell two inches less. Among the local competitors E. Rutherford has the ability, if he trains, of putting up good. performances in Hop-step-jump and High Jump. T. Brosnahan, of Seadown, seems likelv to develop into n decent jumper, and G. Walton (Fairlie). and 1). O'Neill (Cricklewood) only need to practice a little —they seem likely to be rather cood. Miles Met«alf won the 161b shot with an actual put of 36ft 7iin. Roddick's best put was 36ft Gin, G. Munro 36ft 2in. Cartwright 34ft 4in, Lister 35ft 4}in, and Beard 33ft 1-Jin. all actual distances put. P. Murphy, an old-time competitor, won the hammer throwing, with Carlwright second. This event was a peculiar one, inasmuch as the handicaps were framed for some men in the swinging stvle, and for others in the standing style. Goo. Munro, from scratch, won the caber tossing. He certainly seems to have a preemptive right to first prize in that event.

I was pleased to hear that, the AlImry Athletic Club had decided to make most of the events at the sports on December '2Bth open to all competitors. T would suggest to them that they also make the 880 yds an open race. They might with advantage cut out the mile walk, and substitute a 100 yds district handicap.

J. Tozer and I'. M. O'Connor are likely to compete at Pleasant Point on December 10th. The bicycle races at. Tcinuka of December 27th have good prize money —a total of £3O being offered. The principal event is the 2-mile wheel race, with £l4 in prizes. The Temuka Caledonian Society has issued a very fine programme for 27th December, £l5O being given in prize money.

The Waimate Ca.ledonian Society's programme for 27th December shows a total of £l3O in prize money.