Athletics

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume X, Issue 509, 26 April 1900, Page 6

Athletics

[By

Vigilant.

THAMES FORESTERS’ SPORTS. Some interesting contests took place at the Thames Foresters’ Sports on Easter Monday, the details of which are as follows :—• Maiden Rae?, 120yds. —M. Elliott 1, R. Bell 2, W. Rowe 3 These were the only starters. Elliott won, after a good race, by about a yard and a half. Time, 14sec. Easter Handicap. —First heat (100yds) ; A. H. Matheson, syds, 1; J. R. George, 7yds, 2; W. Cole, Byds, 3. Time, 10 2-ssec. Second heat: C. Clark, 6yds, 1 ; H. Gladding, 2yds, 2 ; M. Elliott, Byds, 3. Time, 10 3 ssec. Final: C. Clark and J. R. George a dead heat. H. Gladding 2. In the run off George beat Clark by about a foot, in 10£sec. 120yds Amateur Handicap—L. Mayson, 6yds, 1 ; W. Martin, 4yds, 2, E. Williams, 7yds, 3. Time, 12 3 ssec. Half-mile Handicap —Piro Piro, 25yds, 1; W. Huckstep, scr, 2; A. Eeyneldr, 25yds, 3. Won easily, 'lime, 2min 3sec. Easter Handicap (200yds).—C. Clark, 9yds, 1; H. Gladding, 4yds, 2; J. R. George, 12yds, 3. Time, 26 3 sscc. 300yds Amateur Handicap. —E. Williams, 13yds, 1 ; L. Mayson, 11yds, 2 ; S. Heald, 6yds, 3. Time, 34sec. One-mile Handicap —Piro Piro, 50yds, 1 ; C. Swann, 40yds, 2; W. Huckstep, scr, 3. Won easily by 10yds Huckstep, who ran gamely, finished about, 35yds behind the winner. Time, 4min 41sec. Committee’s Race, 75yds. —D. Redwood, 6yds, 1; E. Nordon, 9yds, 2. Only three started Easter Handicap (300yds) —J R George. 12yds. 1 ; H. Glidding, 6yds, 2 ; A H. Matheson, 11 ds,- 3. A very close finish. Time, 34 1 ssec

Some of the leading English sporting papers have been urging the English A.A.A. to vote a sum towards Rowley’s expenses. The London Illustrated, Sporting and Dramatic News of February 17 says:—England’s beet sprinter is B. W. Wadsley, whi e another runner who will be doing battle on our behalf is Norman W. Pritcharo, champion of India. Both these athletes have records of lOsec for 100yds, and they may be counted on to keep the best American sprinters going We ought, however, to have Rowley (who is also an even timer) assisting the two cracks named; and if our Amateur Athletic Association offered to share with the Australasian Amateur Athletic Union the expense of sending Rowley to Europe, it is quite likely it would result in the speedy runner coming. The A.A.U. of Australasia is, unfortunately, poor, but our A. A.A. has a very large sum of money in hand, and some of it could not be spent in a better cause than that suggested. The Auscralasian people are helping with men and money to maintain our supremacy in South Africa, and the A.A.A. might, therefore, find some of the money, while Australasia finds the man to help maintain our supremacy against the Americans on the athletic - field. Not only would Rowley be a great addition to our defending forces, but the fact of his being among the competitors would xaturally add to the interest of the meeting, and consequently the gate would be larger, so tha' in a measure the A.A.A would be re-paid lor their outlay. A correspondent sends the following letter from Toowoomba Queensland), to the Sydney Referee : —“ I have much pleasure in forwarding you a shoit sketch of the athletic career of Patrick Behan ‘one of Australia’s coming men.’ ” I am only to pleased to publish the particulars. I would like to know, however, under what conditions the hammer was thrown— I presume with a run or from a circle. I understand the implement had a wooden handle, and would like to know the nature of the material of the head —whether lead or iron : *• One of 'the men of the h< ur” in Southern Queensland . thletiu Clubs to-day, o. e whose reputation ' efuie long will not be confined to Queensland, cne who h> s already done great deeds and promises to accomplish even greater is Patrick Behar, of Toowoomba (Q ). Probably no town in J usiralii of its size and population has given its finer a’hletea than Toowoomba, and though some of them may not have been natives of the

town, it was there they first displayed their pro ficiency in athletics. Of these two men stand head and shoulders above the rest —viz., George Hawkes and Pat Behan. Hawkes is now living is Brisbane, so that Behan has things pretty well his own way in Toowoomba. Like Hawkes, Behan is a native of the Emerald Isle, being born in Boonahar, County Clare. He is only 24 years of age, and a grander specimen of an athlete for his age it would be difficult to find. A young man of 24 years of age, has by no means reached his full stage of development, yet Pat Behan to-day, when trained, turns the scale at 16st 41b, stands 6ft lain in height, has a normal chest measurement of 46in, and a normal biceps of 16iin; his forearm is 14in. His quality may be guaged by the mention of a few of his performances. At the Hibernian sports in Toowoomba, March 17, 1898, he won the heavy hammer (181 b weight) with 4ft wooden handle with a throw of 981 t lOin. A j ear later at the same sports ha won the same contest with a throw of 101 ft Bin., and this year he again won the same contest with the magnificient throw of 117 ft 4in. If he goes on improving at this rate, what may he not achieve ? In disposition he resembles his fellow-countryman, George Hawkes, bring steady, abstemious, straightforward and manly in every sense of . the term —a general favorite withall who know him. The honorary secretary of the New South Wales Athletic Association, repor ed at the monthly meeting the receipt of the following notice of motion from Mr R. Coombes, to be moved at the annual meeting of the Association: — ( 1 ) That in view of the lack of interest displayed in amateur athletics in Sydney and suburbs, not only by the public, but by amateur athletes themselves, it is desirable to make every effort to bring about a more satisfactory state of affairs. (2) With that object, and having in view the fact that cress country running is practically non-existent in New South Wales, members of the N S.W.A.A A. deem it advisable to adopt the following scheme ts a means of bringing about the desired end : — (a ) That the present affiliated clubs, other than the University A C and school clubs, forming the associations of the A.A. A. of the Great Public Schools and the Public Schools A.A.A. disband. ( b ) That four athletic clubs, on a local basis, be formed for Sydney and the suburbs, (c) that the title of ‘harrier club be dropped in favour of ‘ amateur aihelic club. ( d ) That no athletic club other than the above be affiliated in the metroplitan and suburban area. ( e ) That provision be made tor amateurs outside the city clubs’ radius to be affiliated as individuals.'(f) That a special com xittee be set up to draft a scheme on the above lines, to be submitted to a special meeting of members. ”