ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1722, 12 April 1913, Page 18

ATHLETICS.

IBi "JiEßcunr.'U NEW SOUTH WALES REVIVAL. What Happancd in Sydney, Tho Sydney athletic scribes are very jubilant on the showing of tho New South Wales athletes in tho recent State championship meeting, full particulars of which aro now to hand by the week's mails. As a sample of the complimentary unturo of the tress reports, some remarks by "Olympic," ot' the Sydney Daily Telegraph," are appended:— If athletes in New South. Wales can show a correspondingly wonderful improvement during tho next six months as that shown since October and November of last year there will bo little doubt as to where tho uext Australasian championship banner will go. Such line performances us thoso lecordcd at the Sports Ground last Saturday were not looked for. 'The average enthusiast in this State has become so used to mediocro performances in the athletic field that he opened iiis eyes wide at some of last week's performances. To have tipped a New South Wales runnei' to win a li'alt'-lnllo from scratch in a canter, as it were—Thorpe won as he liked— in. a few yards worso than 2min., on it ground with such sharp turns as thoso of tho Sports Ground, would liavo been regarded as romancing in somo' degree. And to hnvo suggested that tho 100 yards would be run in ovens on a' groUnd certainly not at its fastest would have caused many a cynical smile. To cap all, if anyollo had had tho temerity to state last week that a newcomer, and not a finished jumper by a long shot, would ily over sft. lljin. with lots to spare, Gallon Park would hnvo doubtless been' suggested. It is not going too far to Bay that a better afternoon's sport has never been witnessed in this State. The programme provided pompetition that was remarkabto for its keenness, cleanness, and classiness. This makes very pleasant reading indeed, and all followers of tho sport will hope that these optimistic views are not too prehiature, and that the time is at. hand for the • much-wanted revival in atnateur athletics in the Mother State. Till lately—in fact, until this meetingIt appeared as though the coming Australasian championship, to bo held in Melbourno next season, and of i which more anon—would be • simply a dual "meet" between the representatives of New Zealand and Victoria. Now, if present indications go for anything, this is all changed, and N.S.W. is coming into her own again. Which being good for N.S.W., good for the success of the big championship meeting,' and therefore good for the well-being of (he sport in Australasia, is all as it should be. And, in truth, thero is good reason for the glow of exaltation _ that mantles tho brow of the Sydney scribe. Some of tho performances were very- fine indeed, particularly the 100 yards, the high jump, and the half-mile. There is a feature, too, about these three performances that makes them all tho more pleasing, which is that the star performers aro all new men to championship work. j To unearth threo men in one afternoon capable of doing respectively 100 yards in 10 seconds, 880 yards in 2mm; OJsec., and a high jump ot sft. lljin., is good work indeed. The new 100 yards championis E. It. Cox, and although lie was clocked to run 10 seconds dead, ho only managed to beat J. P. Bradley by inches, which; gives both these runners at least equal chances with any, Australasian sprinters of today. In the face of this performance, the 220. yards result was slow—the 100 yards winner being beaten by F. C. Madcley in 24|scc. ■, .' Half-mllers and Jumpers. The half-mile "find" was A. P. Thorpe, an ex-student of St. Joseph's College, and ho is reported to bo the best halfmitar seen in Sydney for many a day. He was not pushed along at all in. his ractv and eventually cantered horns an easy winner by 30 yards, which fact makes his 2min. Jsoo. all the more creditable.; This places him easily in the 2-minute-cr-better' class, with Turnbull and Watson, of Victoria, and Dormer "of ours," and if these men got together at the big "meet" in- Melbourne thero will at least be one race worth seeing on that occasion. Tho sensation of the day was no doubt tho high jump. There were at least two well-tried men in this, event—A. H. Scott, who has a'6-foot jump to his credit, and "Jock" Smith, ox-Austa'alasian champion, but both of these were "shaded" by a tyTO making his maiden appearance at a public meeting. This was one Silas Beven, who hails from Gunning, and who was not one whit dismayed either by the importance of the occasion or the "class'? of tho opposition. His doings aro thus reported by Mr. R. Oombcs in tho "Referee, and as this authority's word o'n field events "goes" in Australasia, Boven is, as they say in America, "somo" jumper. '' I understand he competed for the , first time in public competition last Saturday—and I can believe it. He goe3 in straight at t'ho bar, and jumps like that famous Irishman, "Matt" Rosehigrave. After the "jump in"at 4ft Gin. he, through inexperience, had a . t'o at all tlio early heights' (Ift; ?in., sft., sft. 3in,, and sft. 4in.) until.'advised by a clubmate to "pass." Ho - 'passed sft. sin., cleared sft. Gin. at tho second attempt, passed sft. Tin., and thei' only succeeded at'sft. BJin. at the'third attempt. His-mistakes were all the results of want of judgment in tho matter of take-off. Ho cleared sft. 9iin. at the second attempt, and then, bounded over. sft. 10-Jin. with fully thre9 inches to snaro .—a great leap. At the second'trial he easily cleared sft. lljin., but, as can bo well imagined, having then jumped 15 times, ho failed with tho bar at Gft. OJin. Taken in hand by an expert, and taught the fine points of tlio game, Beven can bo relied upon to clear Gft. or better. Scott filled second place at sft. no mean performance—and a clash between these two New South Welshmen and Kelly, the young Victorian, who sliowei us his Gft. ljin. at the Basin Reserve last Australasian championships, should eventuato in a new standard of merit for Australian, jumping, if it comes off. Events in General. The other events vary from fair to poor, the polo jumping filling the last order at 'Jft..Gin. Tho other field events were responsible for a curious happening in the hammer-throwing, the only two competitors at 12!U't. SJin., an event unique in Australian championship history. Tho milo walk saw a champion of long standing in tlio person of J. J. Hurley, displaced by C. B. Coekelt, a Sydney University representative, in the slow time of 7min. 71sec. Harley, however, managed to retain his three-milo title, winning in 23min. 14 2-ssec. J. Frazer, hurdling in tho Kraenzlin style, as learnt by him from G. P.' ICeddoll, won both hurdle events, but the times, 17sec. and G3Jsec., call for no comment. Tho shot-putting fell to old-timer W. J. O'Reilly, with 38ft. 53in., a good effort for tho veteran, and tho other events call for no tpecial mention. Championship Prospects. ' From the foregoing it will be seen that New South Wales has tile makings of an excellent team for tlio next' Australasian championships. Addsd'to those already mentioned, there is J. F. Bradley, who, as recorded above, ran second in tho "hundred." Ifis best distanco is tho "quarter," for which on ' this occasion ho was unable to train, and so did not start. Ho has won tho Victorian championship over 440 yards, and in form is good for 51sec. at any time. Last Eight-hours Day at the Agricultural Society's grounds at Moore Parle, Sydney, ho equalled this time on a notoriously bad track, so it will be seen that on performances ho is tho best quarter-mi ler in Australasia just now. Wherofrom it will be seen that if New South Wales can get hex; best team away when tho time for tho big meeting conies round, there is an anxious time ahead for the Now Zealand A.A.A., tho present holders of the championship shield. Wanted—A Date. Apropos of the Australasian championship meeting, it is time now that the Victorian A.A.A. were making a move in the direction of fixitii? tho dale ot tho bic (fathering. There is an iniurossioii abroad that it will bo held in November iext,

but thero is nothing yet to, baud from Melbourne to substantiate this. Perhaps tho council of the N.Z.A.A.A. will take fho mutter up and give our Victorian friends a little reminder on this very important matter. Enter the Harriers. Those hardy annuals, tho Harrier Clubs, are blooming again. "Mercury" has _to Ihanl; a correspondent for tho following notes on last Saturday's doings, and will bo f;lnd (o publish weekly reports of tho various club runs. Tlm.s our special correspondent at tho front:—"Harrierism is going to boom in Wellington this reason judging by tho kceness already shown. The cxccuhvo of each of the .Saturday Clubs was reorganised at the annual general meetings'. Tlio Brooklyn Club elected Percy Wilton (tho founder of tho club) captain,' and was very wise in doing so. lie "served his limo" with t.ho Wellington Club, and was 110 doubt taught many good points by brother Frank. "Will. Power has been given command of tho Wellington pack, with T. Farringtou as his; first lieutenant. "At Worser ]3ny on Saturday last Mr. Ballanlyno (tho new president of tho Brooklyn Club) declared the season opened, and congratulated tho clubs on tho splendid muster. The pack, numbering fifty-six, looked well as it moved along the Scatoun heights on tho opening run. After traversing tho country in tho vicinity of the golf links, the trail led through tho tunnel and back to the starting-point. V. A. Wilton acted as pacemaker, and W. Power as whipper-in. As tho paco sot was rather warm for ail opening run, tho latter had a good handful of stragglers to look after. Each club held a separate •run-in of about 200 yards, tho placed men being:—Wellington, T. J. Kerr, 1; H. J. Pollock, 2; W. Donaldson, 3. Brooklyn, 0. Murray, 1; A. Cook, 2; R. Bollantyne, 3. "In the Brooklyn Club's syllabus for the first half of the season, four races are provided' for. The Wellington Club has not yet issued its syllabus, but it will no„,doubt bo available immediately. Wellington meets at Karori, and Brooklyn at Kelburno this Saturday."