Ailsa MacDonald A Versatile Athlete

Press, Volume C, Issue 29518, 20 May 1961, Page 5

Ailsa MacDonald A Versatile Athlete

WHEN Miss Ailsa MacDonald leaves Christchurch today for an overseas tour, the Canterbury University Athletic Club 'will lose one of its most ardent supporters and competitors. Although the club may have had athletes with greater claim to fame. Miss MacDonald has for the last few years been a consistent performer. It is almost solely through her ability in the last few years that the club has filled second place in the teams’ points competition in the women’s section of the Canterbury championships. Although Miss MacDonald has not won a Canterbury track title, having to be content with second place to Miss Marise ChambeMain, she has been a remark-bly consistent performer, and for a time had the honour of sharing the Canterbury 75 yards record with another University athlete, Mrs D. M. May, and Miss Chambeilain in B.7sec.

Miss MacDonald did not become interested in athletics until she attended university, where Mr Sam Lewis, the director of physical education, persuaded her to take on nmning. While at school tennis had been her main summer sport.

Since then, Miss MacDonald has built up a formidable record in the University tournaments. In 1957, her first year, she won the long jump but in the. next year she took five titles and gained a New' Zealand University blue. In 1959 she won the same five events—7s yards. 100 yards. 220 yards. 80 metres hurdles, and long jump. In 1960 she won four events, missing in the 220 yards and last season she had wins in the 75 yards and 100 yards.

Athletics is but one of her interests, however, and in 1956, while still attending

Christchurch Girls’ High School, she represented the province at hockey. She was a member of the provincial team again in 1957 and 1960 and would probably have been chosen in the two intervening years but for a knee injury. She has represented Canterbury University in hockey at the New Zealand university tournaments, too.

Returning to her former school as a teacher. Miss MacDonald took an interest in coaching the girls for athletics with such good effect that the school’s senior team won the relay at the girls’

inter-school athletics championships by a margin of something like 12 yards. Sport in the MacDonald family is not limited to athletics. however, for Miss MacDonald’s brother, lan, has won national and university titles in swimming, for which he gained a New Zealand university blue. Miss MacDonald's other interests include the Canterbury Historical Association. Most of Miss MacDonald’s stay overseas will be in Britain. where she hopes to gain further experience as a teacher?