ATHLETICS

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17220, 11 December 1923, Page 4

ATHLETICS

“Half-Miler"

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December 11—Canterbury College Club’* evening meeting at Lancaster Park. December 15—Ashburton Amateur Sports Carnival. December 15—Springfield A.A.C. December 15—C«wt Sports. December 17—EIG~m*re Athletic Club. December 20—Da* Mid Athletic Sports Association. December 26—Hal‘.well Athletic Club. December 26—Oxford Sports Club. December 26—North Canterbury Caledonian Society. December 29—Paof«nui-Harewood Athletic and Cycling Club. January I—Ohoka and Ayreton Sports Club.

January 2 —TVaihora Sports. January 1 and 2- South Canterbury Caledonian Society. December 26—Terauka Caledonian Society. January 12—Methven Sports Club. January 19—New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association championship meeting at Dunedin.

The evening meeting conducted by the Y.M.C.A. Club on Tuesday last at Lancaster Park was a very successful little gathering. There was keen competition in each of the six events. J. J. Brownlea put up a smart performance in winning 150yds handicap at the Y.M.C.A. Club’s evening meeting at Lancaster Park last week. He started off the 3yds mark, and after running second in his heat won the final in the fast time of 15sec. This time is just short of “ovens,” but it must be remembered that Brownlee had the wind behind him all tho way. He won tho race by a very lino effort over the last ten yards, reaching tho tape a foot in front of Jamieson, to whom ho was conceding six yards, Graham, who started off the loyds mark, being third. Lewis, who was •cratch, ran fourth in his heat, and •o did not qualify for the final. For •ome reason or other when lie was running close up on the middle Lewis •* left tho rails ” anti went right round on the outside. Had he kept his position he would easily have finished in the first three.

There wore good fields atid excellent racing in tho three cash running events decided at English Park on Saturday. One or two of the runners wero obviously out for exercise, reserving themselves for something bigger at the forthcoming holiday meeting?!.

The Canterbury College Club will hold an evening meeting at Lancaster Park to-night. The following events hare been set down for decision :—75 yds handicap, 440yds handicap, 220yds ladies’ handicap, 100yds boys’ handicap, high jump and relay race (880yds).

L. H. Buchanan, who won the 100yds handicap at English Park on Saturday, had not won a race for three years. He was out on the Bvds mark and won in 10 l-ssec. It is evident that tho winner has lost a good deal of his speed, as he used to do this time off scratch. He has been running professional since he was fifteen years of age and at sixteen was on the l£yds mark. His win on Saturday was popular with his fellow competitors. The finishes in the heats of the 100 yds at English Park on Saturday were extremely close, and the judges experienced a good deal of difficulty in placing the first three men in each instance. The final was not quite so close, Buchanan winning by half a yard while a foot separated the second and thin! men. Thompson, who finished third in his heat, appeared to gain •econd money in the final, but was placed fourth. The times were:- -First heat 10 2-ssec, second heat 10 2-osec, final 10 l-ssec. In each instance the runners had the wind nearly behind them.

The two miles event at the Y.M.C.A. evening meeting at Lancaster Park last week was won fairly easily by G. B. Booth, a Canterbury College •indent, off the 90yds mark. Though he has not an impressive style. Booth possesses stamina and he finished up the two miies very strongly, clearing right away from the field during the last lap. Two youthful competitors in "W. Heslqp (150yds) and E. J. Benzie (140yds) finished second and third respectively. They shape well and should make good distance runners with experience.

The programme for the Methven sports to be held in the Methven Domain on January 12 includes the following cash events —135yds Sheffield handicap (prizes £lO, £B, £2). 100yds district maiden handicap, 100yds open handicap, 120yds hurdles, 440yds handicap and 880yds handicap, and hammer throwing, shot putting, high jump, hop, step and jump and long jump. The amateur events are 100yds, 20yds. and one mile handicaps. Entries close on January 3.

There are three sports meetings on Saturday next—the Ashburton Amateur Sports Carnival, the Springfield Athletic Club's meeting and the Cust Sports.

The 220yds cash event at English Park on Saturday provided interesting racing. In the first heat T. M. "Wheeler won off 10yds in 23 2-ssec, Barwell (Byds) being second and Buchanan 18yds third. The second heat was won by W- Kelly (scratch) in tho excellent time of 23 sec, Gracie (17yds) was second and Parker (14yds) third. The final was a good race. Parker and Buchanan looked like fighting out the finish as the field entered the straight, but "Wheeler came up with a strong run in the last ten yards ©r so and won by 2ft, Parker beating Buchanan bv inches. The winner did 22 4-sseo off ten yards. In this event the competitors ran into the wind for about first forty yards, but then had it at their backs. Under the circumstances the times for the heats and the final can be considered very good.

There are a number of good amateur performers in the Ashburton county and it would have paid the Methven Club to have catered for them a little better than they have done on the programme drawn up for their meeting ©n January 12. There are but three races for amateurs and the prize money is not liberal enough to attract runners from any distance away from the district.

L. Richardson, the ex-Athletic Football Sports Club member, who Was transferred from W ellington to Greyvnouth some time ago, intends forming an amateur club in the West Coast town where there is plenty of interest taken in athletics.

Gisborne and Hawke’s Bav have intimated their intention of joining forces in the hope of forming a strong ••litre in amateur athletics up there.

The Ellesmere Athletic Club will hold its annual meeting in the Leeston Recreation Ground next Monday. Tho principal events on the programme are the Ellesmere Handicap, 220 yards handicap, 440 yards handicap, 880 yards handicap. 880 yards relay, long jump and high jump. The support accorded by the ladies at the evening meeting conducted by tho Y.M.C.A. Club at Lancaster Park last! week was very encouraging. The heats drew very satisfactory fields and the handicappers were set a difficult task in adjusting the starts. However. with u small limit they succeeded ir. making tho , finishes interesting. Miss M. Tarpey 'won the first heat off lyd and Miss W. Angus the second from scratch. These two ran first and second in the final, Miss Tarpey winning by about a yard. She is a sturdily built girl and a strong run ncr. She would do a great deal better if clad in proper running costume. Miss Angus ran well and would have made the finish in the final more interesting Had she not been blocked, which caused her to endeavour to come round on the outside.

The Cust Sports Club will hold a meeting ou Saturday in the Cust Domain. The following cash events appear on the programme—loo yards, 220 yards, Wairaki Handicap, 120 yards, 440 yards, and 880 yards.

The competitors in the hop, step and jump at the Y.M.C.A. meeting last week were very unpractised in the art of taking off. Not one of them took/off within a foot of the board, some of them being quite two feet behind the mark when they left the ground. This, of course, meant that they were jumping that much further than the distances wjith which they could bo credited. E. J. Ward and C. Yates were both handicapped at Ift, and finished first and second, the former defeating his opponent by 5$ inches. In a subsequent practice jump Ward did ten inches better, but even then ho took off a good foot behind. ITie presence of A. L. Lewis and .1. J. Brownlee in the 75 yards, and C. G. Lockwood, A. L. Ridgen and J. H. Nalder in tho 300 and 600 yards Canterbury championships. will ensure the keen competition in these events at Ashburton on Saturday.

The 440 yards handicap at English Park on Saturday drew a field of seven competitors. W. Kelly (scr) declined his engagement and S. Symister (4yds) was the back-marker. Symister looked a winner at the entrance to the straight, but he failed to run on, which was not surprising, as the time was very fast, considering that half the distance was run against the-wind. In any case ho had no chance at the finish with J. R. Atkinson, who had a handicap of 18yds, and who clapped on the pace all the way up the straight to win easily by five yards. F. Kerr (Byds) was close up behind Symister.

The inter-club relay race at the evening meeting at Lancaster Park last week was not a very exciting event. Th~ three teams, C.A.A.C., Hniriers and Canterbury College, all started off the one mark. The firstnamed team won easily by twenty yards. Harriers were second. The first three Canterbury College men ran but the fourth was missing and so the team did not finish

Very good entries have been received for all the events to be decideo at the Ashburton Amateur sports carnival on Saturday. The decision of throe Canterbury championships—7s yards, 300 yards and 600 yards—will add greatly to the interest in the meeting. Another big attraction will be the four miles cross country handicap. The other events are handicaps, and are ns follow:—100 yards, 220 yards, 440 yards (ladies’ bracelet), 880 yards, one mile, high jump, long jump, pole vault, 880 yards relay, 50 yards old timers, and 75 yards ladies. There are also throwing the cricket ball (a scratch event), tilting the basket, three races for primary school boys and a 75 yards race for girls.

It is interesting to note that the times put up by competitors at the Canterbury Centre’s amateur meeting at English Park on Saturday week compare more than favourably with those established at Athletic Park, where the Wellington Centre conducted a meeting on the same day. The following events were on each programme, and they were won as follow :—- 100yds Handicap—Lewis (Christchurch), scr, 10 2-ssec; Guy (Wellington), 6Jyds, 10 4-osec. 220yds Handicap—Worry (Christchurch), 9yds, 23 4-osec; Wilds (Wellington), 20yds, 23see. 880yds Handicap—Lang (Christchurch). 27yds. 2rnin 2 4-osec; Hunter (Wellington), 70yds, lmin 59 1-osec. 100yds Ladies’ Handicap—Miss Maxwell (Christchurch), 2yds behind, 12see ; Miss Henderson (Wellington), 9yds. 13 2-osec. Hop, Step and Jump—Ward (Christ-* cliurcn), .3ft Gin, 44ft ; P. Thomson (Wellington), scr, 40ft 4 in. Inter-Club Relay (one mile)—Canterbury College (Christchurch), 3min 56 4-osec; Varsity (Wellington), 3min

It will be noticed that in only one event (the relay race) were Wellington better than Christchurch. There is a marked difference in favour of Christchurch in the SSOyds handicap, the 100yds handicap and the ladies’ 100yds race. And Lewis did l-ssec better in the scratch race for the Francis Willys Cup than in the handicap event. The Springfield Amateur Athletic Club will hold a meeting on Saturday. The 100yds. 220j r ds, and 880yds are the only open events on the programme, the other races being for competitors residing in the district. The athletic and cycling meeting at English Park on Saturday was well conducted. Mr W. Walden’s starting in the three running events was firstclass. One or two competitors who tried to “ get one on to him ’’ were quickly put in their places. The judging was somewhat uncertain, flue principally to the fact that the officials appeared to all watch the first man instead of keeping an eye on the first three.

Morgan, of Otago University, should have something to say in the decision of the New Zealand sprint championships thi? year. He can stand BrownIce up about Byds in the 100, and a** the latter runs a shade over “evens” it looks os though Morgan will be capable of doing championship times.

The sprint track at English Pork was min"» tanes. Without theoo facilities the back markers are verv hadlv handicapped, ns runners in front ~>f them mav pnasiHv strnr- n little—•ust enough to make a difference to the result.

At the London Athletic Club’s autumn meeting, Cecil Griffiths made an attack on the British 380yds record

of 'lmin f>4se<\ set up by Melvin Ffheppard at the Ixmdon Stadium in 1908. Though the starts had been judiciously adjust ad. tho conditions and holding track wore all against him, and his time of lmin 58sec was, under the circumstances, a meritorious performance. IlyNwas also, perhaps, illadvised to run a ball-mile in a relay race jrevious to bis effort.

‘ 1 read with interest in the Press recently,” writes I/. V. Mudge, Melbourne Harriers, in the Melbourne

“ Globe,” “ the opinions of Mr M’Mill«n after his return from abroad as to the methods c£ high jumpers in other countries. I agree with Mr M’Millan that by tho method of twisting the body in the air Australian jumpers could easily clear over 6ft- These latest American methods of high jumping have, however, already been introduced extensively into Victorian amateurism l*or the past two months or m io Mr Charles Bergemier has been instructing Melbourne Harriers in the me tho. Is of pimping mentioned by Mr M’Millan. By these methods Mr Bergemier lias cleared the bnr at 6ft 4jin- (Will local jumpers please make a note of this.—“ Hnlf-Miler.”)

IT. P. V. Fdwnrd. the sprinter, who represented Great Britain in the last. OKmpie (bines nnd ran third in the 100 end 200 metre events, applied to the English Amateur Athletic Association for permission to compete in the games of the WiVo A.A., which were

scheduled to be held at the Yankee Stadium. New York, recently. His implication was turned down, says the Paris edition of the ‘‘ Now York Herald.” To cet around the ruling of hiß association Edward decided to emigrate to the States He has declared liis intention of becoming a citizen of America, which action, he thinks, will take him out of the control of the English A.A A. CUST AND WEST EYRETON SPORTS CLUB. A meeting of tho Cußt and West Eyreton Sports Club was held in the library, Cust. ou Saturday, to make final arrangements for the annual sports. The members present were: —Messrs B. Croft (president), Gordon Fergus (secretary), F. H. Early, W. Thompson, R. Kennedy, S. Wood, G. Dick. W. and F. Burgess, R. Campbell, R. Henderson, J. Beattie and J. Struthers. Trophies received for special prizes wore allotted, and tfc was agreed to accept Mr Mawson's offer of £5 for the refreshment stand. It was proposed by Mr F. H. Early and seconded by Mr R. Campbell that Mr J. Struthers be appointed judge in Mr R. Gardner’s place, as the latter would be unable to officiate in that capacity. It was proposed by Mr Struthers and seconded by Mr S. Wood and carried, that Mr W. Burgess be elected as a starter. Mr B. Croft said that he anticipated a larger crowd of people than formerly, as the entries were far more numerous than they had ever been. He was especially pleased with the trophTes. and these with the good prizes offered would conduce to good sport. All that was needed was a fine day. The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the chair.