ATHLETIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Chronicle (Levin), 8 December 1949, Page 8

ATHLETIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Local Competiiors Wiii Find Going Hard Saturday will be an important day for local athletes with the meeting at Wanganui and the Wes't Coast Championships at New Plymouth. A team of four women and four men wili travel to New Piymouth and a rnrge numcer oi runners will be participaoing in the events at Wanganui. The women's team for New Plymouth has besn selected as. ibllows: — Miss S. Rose, who iaj entered for tne 220 yai'ds race; -Miss A. Rose, the 100 yards handicap; Miss G. Nyberg, the 100 yards; and Mrs. But., the 100 yards. These four runners will also be competing ih the reiay event. The men's team is as foliows:—; J. Goodwin, 220 yards; P. Ryan, 100 yards; J. Oliver, 100 yards; ,and R. Whelan. This team is also .entered for the men's relay event. On previous performances it would appear that the women runners have a better opportunity of getoing among the honours. The men's times are comparatively good, but being all young runners they will find the going very hard when matehed against title hol'ders and runners who have had the experience of previous championship runs. To those tnat run at Wanganui the going should be easier with the absence of most of the "top notchprs" either at New Plymouth or the Basin Reserve. With The Cyclists. After the lessons of the West Coast championships at Wanganui last week, the Levin cyclists have shown a defLnite improvement in t'heir method of riding ■and in the times recorded. There are still many things that have to be corrected, suc-h as leaving no gaps when taking the turns, oefore they become a star team. , Don Yeates has made a most suecessful comeback into the eycling arena over the last two weeks. A little bit of tactical work and a good sprint won him the match race from Penning.on, of Wellington, at the local meeting on Monday night. Yeates was unfortunate to just miss selection for the Empire Games trials after .havin'g ridden splendidly in the West Coast championships. The Otaki rider, Des Smith, -was vVell up 'io expectations -on Mon'day night. He out-sprinted the "iron man," P. Murray (Wellington), with a s'tyle that gives promise of great things to come. The most interesting event of Monday night's meeting was the 10-mile unpaced race,. which. drew a large field of entrants. NoeVertongen, K. Osman (Palmers-, ton- North) and Murray (Wellington.) started off in fine style, setting a hard pace for the first lap. With 32 laps to- go, the Harper arothers took charge of the race for a while until the Palmerston North riders again moved for,vard. With half the distance passed, :he field began to narrow down and the pace quicken. Another six laps saw Peter Elliot -come to the fore, followed closely by M. Harper, Vertongen, Murray, Smith, Dsman, Coutts, CaMer . and ratana. All these riders went splendidly and were held in a ounch until the bell lap, when the sprinters starced to forge ahead. Elliot appeared with a sensational burst on the last turn, -but he failed to hold his advan'tage and had to concede the race to Vertongen, Murray, Osman, Smith and M. Haroer, who finished in that order. The time of 24 min. 28 sec. was a cre'ditable performance. Although outside riders are still taking the lion's share of the honours at the weekly meetings, the great improvement shown by the local cyclists, M.- Harper, Yeates, , Calder, Tatana and Elliot, #is very promising. . * On Saturday the Levin Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club is sending a team to parLicipate at a meeting in Wanganui. A bus will ieave the bus stand at 9 o'clock. All cyclists are requested to- have their machines at the bus stand by 8.30.