ATHLETICS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1942, 27 December 1913, Page 10

ATHLETICS

:M

CHAMPIONSHIP. 'i " r . ; C-Slß!*^P. ECTS "4fe; '■'&■■■■ '"" -■ Oarni- ..-'.: '■■■' at.Mnstcr1 ngaJudgment Suspcmlcd.^ijllfifi^ll^ . '! iI P™ it. is impossible to:: give any preview? or yesterday's jsport:"at.thbVAtlilotieSPark sii to-day s-columii. Owing textile holiday in tho week and tho exigencies of "going to press,'-'. th<:so notes: were written before the commcnecniontoHitc meeting, "so perforce commonUthcreon must stand over for a .week.-;%&* ■;;?&$ Mastertpn's Big Effort?. ; ':,-^^>?|^?^ On New Year's-Pay, : -al>MastcrtoM; tho American team will make its next appearance, the occasion being the Wairarnpa Caledonian Society's annual gathering. Tho programme for the day's sport—the meeting is a whole-day affair, commencing at''lo.3o ■-. a.m.—includes the following amateur events, to be run off at tho times appearing opposite :—looyds Handicap, flat, 12 o'clock; 440 yds Handican, 1.15 p.m.; Running High Jump, 1.45 p.m. ;'22oycls.. Handicap, flat, Bracelet, 2.15 p.m.;',Bßoyds. Handicap, 3 p.m.; Pole -Vault; 3 p.m.; Ono Mile Handicap, 3.45 b.m.; 120vds. Hurdle Race, 4.30 p.m.; 2" Mile.Handicap, 5 p.m. The rest of the big and attractive programme, comprises professional'running and cycling, and, of course, tho seasonablo piping and dancing events/. ■ "■-,:,/ ..V- ■ ■ ; ■*''.-■..;-.,;_." -.-.. A Note of Explanation, s■*■-■•■■:> The meeting is .what i 3 known. as a "niised" one, that is,, one at which both amateur and "cash" competitions will be conducted, which circumstance explains a matter to which "Mercury's" attention has been directed on several occasions of late. In the preliminary programme issued broadcast throughout the land appears the folloivingtext in prominent type; "This is the only sports meeting in New Zealand where the champion amateur American athletes will bo competing on tho same day as cash runners." This .is quite according to fact., but the statement is unfortunately worded..."Judging from the number of times, thcipoint has been raised tho ambiguity'as'to whether or not. tho Americans will compete against tho cash runners has led to considerable misunderstanding of the position, especially in the country.' Those who know have hard' and fast is the line drawn between the two codes will need no assurance that our .visitors will bo competing in tho amateur events only.The Athlegfe "Alt Blacks." At- the conclusion of this afternoon's doings at tho Athletic Park, the selectors of the New Zealand team for tho Australasian Championships at" Melbourne next month, Messrs. W. 11. Pollock and C. 'E. Bridge, will make their choice of the Dominion's Championship Shield defenders. The- task should not 1)0 an arduous one. It is generally known that only a small team will bo sent, and fortunately, for our shield prospects there aro men available whose selection will make ■ a team which, though numerically small, is formidable in performance, Tims wo havo C. P. •Keddell for the I hurdles and broad jump, A. W. Dormer for the quarter, half, and milo flat, W. J. M'Holm for throwing the hammer, i and Dr. Cashman for the two walks. . So without going any further, wo have four , men who can cover eight.events (counting Keddell for the 120 yards event onlv, as ho may not start in .the quartcr-milo hurdles at all this season), "and, moreover, they do so with more than a reasonable chance of scoring in all of them. Sprinter or Tftrec-milsr? Then if a further choico is made the. selection seems to lie between a, sprinter and a distance runner.- In neither of these departments aro wo especially strong just at present, although tho champion in each is sound in his class, and worthy of his distinction. The S! . )r '"k?, F . ,n question is Ashley Duncan, ot Wellington, and the distance ilian J. Beatson, of Otago. Each, as has been said is -.good at .his events, but of the two Duncan is perhaps tho better man. and, moreover, is competent for two o'tuts, the hundred and tho 220. yards, as against Beatson's one, the three-mit<>! Hero a complication arises. The Australian States aro partimilarlv strong in sprinters just now, and the" point for consideration from the Now Zealand standpoint is not :;o much as to wliothe* ono or our men is better in his own Class than the others is in his particular division, but which of the pair is the. more likely to got a win. Thus, granteti that Duncan, for inst:me" is a better sprinter than Beatson is a threemilcr, if ho is to meet stronger opposition than tho latter, and so havo a smaller.chance of scoring Shield points then it would be better, for Beatson to be selected This- is .'the position, although it does not seem an equitable one it ia one that must bo taken ii,t o consideration when the team selection is limited-to a small number. '^ ■■■ : - N.S.V/. Shows Her Hand. ;..v.*"V-'- '■'■■..■'. .Apropos of the 'Australasian- Championships, news has come-to hand from Australia that is of great interest,- as wing indicative of tho athletic strength ot two of tho States. In Svdnev the -Now- South Wales Association rceentlv conducted its Dun,.,, Shield Competition —an mter-club contest cxacilv on alliours with the annual M'Viilv Shield straggle here. - -The'-news'i'al .time of writing deals with the nrst'dav's sport only—tlw moorm!; spreads .over two Sat-imlay.*-lmt 'sufficient . is ■'■"available, to f-iiow mat the Mother State, has *-the makings nt n vo!-y*iine.,team. ; .■..'-■■■■. . The bp;,t performance of the daY'-was' in ths broad jump, won hv" J; Smith, Willi the excellent leap'-of>: 23ft.'?in' llns is netting within reach of ;l Matt MoseinEi-Bve's Australasian record ' of 2blt. i\n\., which has stood since 1896: ino ''hundred" fell to that lino sprinter, J. F. Bradley, in 101-lOscc, E. 1!; t.ox, the. Stale champion, was second, after winning his heat, also in 101-lOscc Bradley also reeled off a tine rufr;m tlio ' quarter" which lie won in 51 S-os'ee.-In the "shot, put",-veteran "Vr ■ JO'Reilly—ifc was back, in 1002 than the n.'g constable hoisted, the-present Auv' tralasian ■ record of 44ft::' 3irW, .'.ami; it is mcro years than 'one likes tb'.coniit. since ho first appeared :iir-public—won' out with a sound performance'. bP 39ft. - lOin. ■■■ : ■'■':" All these performances to Australasian championship forriv^ml nlthough tho others weie.nofso good— tho mile being won in ■lmin.-34sec., tho mile walk in 6min. C 2 2-s.sec:, the 120 hurdles in 16 4-osec, and the "/pole, vault at Dft. Gin.—it wfll bo.seen" that. the nenclciis. of a- . good .tearn-:-fis : there Then, too, thero is \V. Bevin'j' the jiirdi .lmnpor. who got over 6ft.".last-season. ' A. F. Thorpe, who has-, broken the two minutes for the "lialf'.'.fairlv.frcqup-iitl.v ' to add to this strength'if the. second day confirms their previous form^gS-; .',.',:' Queensland's Coed Array. -SW'f. ■ In Queensland there aro indications of good talent being available for the Australasian meeting.- This Stato' has ■ been looked upon rather as a negligible quantity at tho big "meet," but iT.tho times recorded at, Brisbane at -recent '-•hainpioiMhip iind "test"- contests.! are i alisble, it is aot- improbable that'ln.mo', J surprises are,iffliiiinent4..-Tivo.chaaipioiif: \

ship., "iuii -off aiid fpur/other/ events-to 'asstst... tho 'sck>ctor»- in'maki»K..tliciivi'lioico of- Queensland's team.'.. The. rhuniphiisliipshvcrc. over- 220 yards nnd oim-milo- flal>.".Tluv-- names "' and times, of the winners' are:—22o vards championship, W. Coin'prford,-22 l-iscc".; 120 yards 'hiirdlcs/(lPsl)."--N."- A:' (Jrav. ].j3-.=iscf.; 440-yards hurdles (lost), .1. A. Prout, ."iOsco. ; 880 yards flat (tost), C. Smaiu, 2min. I sec.; throe mill's flat (test), W. '.I. Hamilton, lomin. 37sco. . This last performance was a particularly good 1 one, and, indeed, those win--j ners, with the addition of the bis "weight" export, D. M'Grath, holder of <hfi shot and hammer Australian championships, would in themselves make a very warm team. ;Wnero-We May Come In! , 'W.AYitU the information now before us and ! know of Victoria's avail-able.-talent;"-if-can be seen that the forthcoming championships at Melbourne will Bee some stirring contests and some exciting competition.- Wherein lies New Zealand's greatest prospect of a win, for.'as "Mercury" has already stated, the Dominion's chance "is most likely. .to come as a. result' of the cut-throat competition of the States. If, as seems only reasonable to hope, our little team can win six events:—Dormer, say, two out of his three, M'Holm and Keddell onb each, and Cash man two walks, then, the even cutting- up of the other nine on the programme between Victoria. Now ■ South "Wales, ' and Queensland would be a consummation most devoutly to bo desired.' '■". Notss in Brief, It is reported from Auckland, that Nevill Hill is in training again. Goad news of the spread of amateurism comes from Timaru. Following the example of the Wanganui and Wairarapa Societies tho local Caledonian Executive has come to tho conclusion that amateur events are necessary to complete a programme, so no fewer than seven of theso events appear in the southern body's list of events for its New Year gathering.