ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 687, 11 December 1909, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

-v-l''-i ::V': ; ,/;:,:/"::: ; ;fBr: MEnoonrJ' v; -. ; .:'. : : ; / ,''■; 'c ''.'■, .'K'i December is.r^Petone..Club's'Evening,:Meeting!" .December/'2!!.- : Cathplib ; :.'Y;M.A.A.C;:,: Evening .:'Meetihg,/.:v"-;:; ; :-*'./; :'..?:-i ;: ::'./: ■'■;(-■■- ■ ■December, 2G.—Wahganui A.A.C./: Meeting!: ..' January 29,-Civil. Service A.A.C.. Meeting. . February "'Championships:'". ■""".- rFebruary.—Port Nicholson .A.A.C-: Meeting; " ;March:s.—Petone A.A.C.::M«eting.'/ ."■• ;March/.:9.-C.Y,M.A.A.C./;;Meetihg^: : : ;:;,:.;// ': ; :

;The. lntast on the projected Wheatley-Davis visit.makes gloomy reading. ;A : member of the New Zealand Council has. received' a letter fromMr.'E.;H. Croll, of the Victorian Executive arid manager of that State's team at the late.. Australasian,'. Championships, ; > covering which:,he . has received' 'from the.two'athletes concerned. Davis, who is-a universityjstudent, saysj-^'TVe/hdve:our final : examinations' from December 0 to 13, and' are' frso; frqm':thatjdate.-' The .first (term of .next .'yoafi's.'wprk commences on or "about 'March 1, and, .of course,' I .will have to be in Melbourne on that date;. These are the only'rigid restriotipns'oh;my movements." • This,.from the New' foatontl. standpoint,' is highly'.satisfactory,. but Jvheatlers communication' wonld<..seem ;' to -...flatten" :.tbe' /proposition •entirely.''•:■; Extracts 'follow; which ''speak ': for •■"■ Says -Whpatley.y/evtdently: in sorrow: :"I icarn that Xcs. Davis miist be back by 'March 1, and no later.;. .Well.on the other' hand, 1 could not 'get,leave until that date. From February'l to -28 it is imperative:that I should be at my post.;.■ >■ ,"Needless, to.say, I feel keenly disappointed in.'not being .able to make the trip', as.l have, very pleasant recollections of my last visit.there. 1 think I must, as matters stand, .refuse, the offer; ' I am ..very sorry to have caifsed' the New Zealand, Council trouble, but I think I! trill bo excised 'when the? know how.awkwardly I am placed, and J think that, while tne. idea is still in- the bud it. is as well ',to nip it .by saying. 'No,': and thns saveadeal of trouble, later: on." ' . •■■ ■ '.It 'Will ■thus be.seen that the scheme .'niav' bo .considered "outside the range, of practical politics." v Good athlete as Davis undoubtedly is. he is hot:so well -known on this: side as Wheatley,;: and -wouldv.not ■'be.-'. a■..-"sufficient "draw" -.'; to warrant, his coming alone, .hud there'.is no other' performer' in Australia at present, (always exoeptiptr.Nigel Barker, .who is not available) of sufficient, calibrp to fill ! W.heatley's.nlace.:- If the.: lengthv one's -let-i :tor.;i3,his'.uUimatttm the', proposed Wlicatloy--I Davis/tour of,: the' Dominion must.-be filed away.in tho pigeon-hole! for the things-not-lo". 'be.:-';:';:;-: :;'';-'. :'>:'■'■ ■■'' ■--':■■■ '": ; ' ■ "::''-■ i ; Both ,tlie* Canterbury ..and Auckland" Athletic I Clubs.held .their,inaugural meetings last Satlurday.:; Writing:'of the. -southern.-.fixture, I /'Sprinter," ?of .the' "Canterbury Times," saysY

Although tho weather, conditions wore almost perfeot for tho inaugural :iiieouug/of the Canterbury Amateur Athlotio Club at: Lancaster Park, oh Saturday, the support of the public was not as great: as might reasonably have. been expected. -, This-, is a matter for regret. The meeting passed off without'a hitch, all the events being keenly contested, and the times were well up to Canterbury standards. Taken throughout the meeting was a good one, and it is a pity that public interest in ath-.. letics- shoujd; bo so. small. Last Saturday's meeting proved that we have in Canterbury the.athletes, both in numbers and in quality, but athletics cannot. boom without a greater share' of publio : - support than that vouchsafed at the meeting under discussion. . The committee and secretary did all in their power to make tli© meeting a' success, and deserved a larger, attendance, more especially as there was no counter attraction. , ' '■';- Guy Haskins: did not compete, but wellknown performers in the persons of' Miles, Dickson, Australasianand New Zealand threemile champion, St. Aubyn Murray, New Zealand champion and Australasian ex-champion hurdler, -and B. Opio, the : sprinter, turned out.' There was no three mile distance on the- programme for. Dickson.;but he. started from scratch in the 1000 yards handicap, with a field of 24 starters... The 'distance was too short for hiin, however; and he could'not get a place.. v.; ' • ; ~ ..'.: - • ■ '•

■ 'E.'Opie, who'.in thelOOand. 220 yards New Zealand championships last season; ran second to our . Woodger,. was apparently in- good sprinting form. In addition to being included in,the winning BSO yards relay team, he won his.heat in the 100, yards.handicap in 10 3-5 seo.,. and ran into second place in the final, won in 10 l-ssec. against the wind: , He also ran second in. his heat and dead-heated .for' second in the final of the, 220 yards handicap, the former being won in 23 l-sseo and the latteriti 24sec: ; ■ .0.-/\: '."•■ ' ■ Of' the champion hurdler "Sprinter" says: "As might- have been expected, St. Aubyn Murray, won tho 120 yds Hurdles without any trouble, and, owing 22yds., proved himself, in fornr by wiiiuiiig.Jiis heat in-19 ,'2-ssec. and. the final in 20sec. On neither occasion was he in the slightest' degree pushed. • The-Auckland meeting on Saturday- proved Very successful, two thousand people attending, and ;■ somo good performances being registered lwo vold-timo Australasian and New Zealand ■champions turned out'in the persons of "Dave" Wilson,:and O.'.C. Laurie.' The former won the' one mile.walk by a bare yard, in 6min. 56sec, but.Launo failed'to'get a place in tho high jump.irom scratch,:and was beaten in the pole vault by E. .Mackay, the only Mother'''starter. Mackay, who, it will be remembered, : beat L MKay in this: event at the last New Zealand championship on the Basin Reserve/ did a very sound performanco in' clearing' 10ft. 3in, The. 100 yards championship of Auckland was won by G. Nicholson, who bent / a ■ field of ten home in 10 4-ssec. .'■ ■'..,.

'" ,?■"'• t' lo ' distance' runner;' was- very, successful. /He won, the half-mile in 2min, i 2-ssec., and the mile in- 4min. 47 2-ssec, thus .dead-heating" for the "Victor. Ludorem" Cup with J. -Walker,. a - fellow Kiug'sCollego student,..who qualified by winning the 120 and HO yards hurdles.;: The. tie was to havo been run.'ofi on Wednesday-night over a-, d-10 yards course, Walker to concede Hill,a.start of five yards. ',; ;:.- :•... . ■•'...-'' -.:':■:■•'.■•:"•, '-.■.■.■_■ ■■■•

,/ Tho recent report that .the great' French runner, fat. Xvcs, had broken down;ih;'a race and .had been declared /to bo suffering from heart, trouble,'-does'; riot.-seem "-to"-have much truth, in it, for by, the mail following that which brought the report comes an account of a record-breaking,by St./ Yves.' .'At Seattle, on October U, he won the "Marathon Derby":in the splendid: time. of/2hr. 32riiin. 39sec.,i .breaking ; his own. previous : world's record of 2hr 40min. 57sec,v Marsh, /tho.. Canadian,''" was second, and Hayes, ■ the American, third. St Xvos.s previous record was made:at'New York on April 3 last. ' : , ' : Henderson, 100 yards-ex-champion of -has. been asked by /the-South-" land .Centre .to act, M its delegate on the council of.tho'N.Z.A.AiA., vice Mr;:H. S Bob; iusou, resigned, and it: is pro bablo that ho will accept, the pbsitioni.: •., , ."■''. ",„.,., Tir A J'.« a r, re^ nt; committeo .meeting . of; the W,A.A.C,i it was decided to hold an evening meeting .on. either Dcceniber'.B or. 15. No application'for a ;dato was received, by' the Wellington .Centre .from -ithoV club .at its meeting this, week,'and, as the-Catholic iYourig: Men's Uub .has. been granted! December 22, for -the purpose,, the older club willihnvo to" stand down •untu.next year..- ~,', ~'.i. ,the j telegram-from /N'apier pub--h shed, m Thursday's.issue ;to the effect that AVi G,'Harding,.Wellington's half and quarter-' milo; at..tho last chdmpionship M™" 1 - 8 ?° ? ard ? in lmin ' 59sec" has ■ffi??»* ». trnnsmissfon.. .It; is . evident,that the ..distance should .have been SBO vards, as' ■&i?:^• n, ?nt: % «>»' other performance' worthy of a special .telegram.: , ■/. •/'.