CROSS-COUNTRY TITLES

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 49, 26 August 1933, Page 15

CROSS-COUNTRY TITLES

WELLINGTON TEAM

METHOD OF SELECTION

A correspondent signing himself "An ] Old Horse" has writtea.to "The Post" on the subject of the selection of the Wellington provincial cross-country team, also referred to recently by another correspondent. ■ The writer does not support the practice, which he says has been in vogue for many years past, of confining the selection of the team to the first six men to finish in the Wellington provincial cross-country championship. He contends that some cognisance should be taken of past performances. The letter is as follows: — "It is indeed gratifying that you have seen fit to publish 'Marathon's' letter, which at last brings to notice the method of selecting the Wellington provincial cross-country team. By no means is a slur cast on the selector by this statement, but rather on a practice which has been hi vogue for many years past, nameiy, that the first six men to finish in the Wellington provincial cross-country championship will make the team for the New Zealand championships, and the seventh and eighth competitors to finish will be placed as first and second emergencies respectively. Rather is the selector to be congratulated for departing from this custom. "It has happened in the past that a competitor, recovering from a slight illness, has definitely been inl'ormed by the selector that unless he runs and finishes in one of the first six places he will not be selected, even although he fully deserves a place on past performances and in the selector's opinion a recovery is certain. Sick men have thus competed and have just finished in a position to entitle them to inclusion in the team, but a fortnight later, at the >Tew Zealand championships, they have been in the first flight. "A most important point which, to my knowledge, fats always been overlooked by selectors is the ability of some runners to perform persistently above their provincial showing when competing in the national' championship. The writer has one athlete in mind who oil three past occasions was only just fortunate enough to gain selection but each time was first Wellington man home at the New Zealand meeting. On the other hand, competitors consistently well up in the Wellington race are never a success at the premier event, and I consider that past performances should count accordingly. "By all means give every encouragement to the younger runners, but let them battle for such high titles as provincial honours, for it seems hardly fair on such an occasion to drop a superior contestant because of age, particularly as the methods and the keenness at the New Zealand championships differ from the provincial races and the hard head always seems to hold the advantage at. the former. "With 'Marathon,' the writer must certainly express surprise at P. Wilson's selection. This runner was fortunate enough to have a very capable trainer last season, but even then it took Wilson several finishes to reach racing form and he certainly has not yet reached that stage this season. ... I cannot agree with 'Marathon's' remarks regarding M. Cooke. This athlete's prowess is apparently much overrated, both in reports and elsewhere, and although officials, before each race, monotonously promise us a surprise from Oooke it does not eventuate. H. J. MeLeod, in my opinion, certainly deserves a place before cither of the above-men-tioned runners, but. if his club selectors were consulted I imagine you would find them placing Woodley, and perhaps even Parkhouse before McLeod. This only goes :to show that, the selector should be in touch with each club as much as possible. ..,■.-■• • "Another feature always overlooked is the effect of the nature of the country on each individual competitor running on the national course. The N.Z.A.A.A. should insist that each centre receives blue prints of the course containing the grades o£ the various hills, as this should often count considerably in tlie .selection of the team, as admittedly one competitor may excel on the flat whereas on severe hills he would be a.failure. "In my opinion a fine track, record counts for very little in harriers. Because A. L. Stevens cannot return better than. 4min 43sec for the mile it does not necessarily follow that he is not a 'crackerjnck' marathon runner. And in conclusion, it must be remembered that on the Bramwell Course at Wanjranui, Barnes will cut out the first mile in about. 4min 40sec. Savidait should be on even terms with him nt about the mile and a half peg, and from there on it will take Barclay all his time to keep his team in sight of the leaders, and particularly more so if they were young and inexperienced, as this first fast dash, always has an'upsetting effect on the newly initiated."