ATHLETICS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19998, 15 November 1927, Page 4

ATHLETICS

UNDER THE LIGHTS SPORTS ON THURSDAY NIGHT. BIG MEETING ON COOK’S GARDENS. The second electric light meeting under the auspices of the Wanganui-Tara-naki Centro of the N.Z.A.A. Association will take place on Cook’s Gardens on Thursday next at 8 p.m. The chief attraction will be the presence of three distinguished Wellington athletes—C. H. Jenkins, J. T. Fleming, and J. Carswell. Both the former will be seen out in the 220yds. Handicap but will find Alec Telfar a hard proposition as he is going well this season. An invitation 100 Yards will probably be staged and a field consisting of Jenkins, Fleming, Telfar, Maitland and Newton would provide a great race. Fleming will also be seen out in the Quarter-mile Handicap, a distance for which he holds the N.Z. championship title. C. E. Gibbons, the well-known miler of Marton, has come into town for the next three weeks in order to train n ider the supervision of Mr Andy Mercer. He already has a number of splendid performances to his credit, namely, 4.31 at the West Coast championships last year, 4.25 at the New Zealand championships, and he also ran second to J. W. Savidan, of Auckland, at the last cross-country championships of New Zealand, held in Christchurch. Patrons of local athletics will remember his splendid run in the Mile Handicap at the last electric light meeting of the Centre. At the half-way mark he appeared to have no chance, but a splendid second half-mile saw him take the lead near the finish, only to be pipped on the post. The time—4.3 B—so early in the season is eloquent testimony of his ability. Under Mr Mercer’s capable hands Gibbons should make great strides and do even better than last year.

A hurdles event will be staged also, and the public will have a chance of seeing Guy Broad, last season second only to Lander, in action. Broad ran second in Auckland at the New Zealand championships and also recorded 16 secs, in winning the West Coast chan> pionship. Both were excellent performances. If Broad were able to get more racing over hurdles he would improve rapidly. As it is, being faster on the flat this year, he is sure to go better than 16secs. A good field is entered for this event which is always .spectacular.