TRACK AND FIELD

Evening Star, Issue 20060, 28 December 1928, Page 11

TRACK AND FIELD

ATHLETIC NEWS AMD NOTES [By Pistol.] January (date to be fixed"). —Ladies' Club livening Meeting, Caledonian Ground. January (date to be fixed).-—Otago Amateur * Cycling Club Evening Meeting,. Caledonian Ground. February ‘2.—Otago Centre's Athletic and Motor Cycle Sports, Forbury I’arK. February u.'—Otago Apia leu r Championships, Caledonian Ground. February ellington Ainateu; Cinunpiotisliips. ( , February 9.--Canterbury Amateui Championships. February 22 and 23.—New Zealand Amateur Championships, at Welling ton. LOCAL DOINGS. Things will be fairly quiet locally now until alter the holidays, but atli I lotos are keeping in steady training. | with the Otago eiuuupiausJnps in view. r arts to ire held on 1* ebmarv and indications already point to the uieetiuc being one of the most keenly conlested and sneeesslnl held in Dunedin for a long time. The middle-disty nee and distance events should be paitiui-1-rlv well contested, but so far as the | spruits are concerned the Dunedin men have not shown championship ■ form so far, though J:l. H. Letliaby i. one who is improving every time on the track. He is a big, strong sort of runner who is capable of good times if he is pro perly trained; but on the way Deri, Geddes has been running in Invercargill it does not seem likely that Letliaby will bo able to extend him. Great interest is centring in Geddes’s appearance at the championship meeting, and if he is able to reproduce the form he showed a couple ol seasons back Otago athletic enthusiasts will have cause for satisfaction. Following the holidays, W. I'uullay, who was recntly reinstated as an amateur. will bo able to take part in competition, and his miming will be.closely watched, as be met with considerable success as a professional in North Auckland. He is said to be callable ol fast times from 100yds to 410yds, and if he reproduces his best should add materially to the interest of the Otago championships. Ho will be running in the Anglican Club’s colours. One sprinter who is expected to perform well after the New fear is C. H. Duff, who is now running with the Dunedin Club. He is being trained by Dob Thompson, who .has brought him along gradually; and, although he has not been seen out often so lar. he should just about be in top lorni lor flu? Otago championships. Duff and Geddes• have met on numerous occasions in the past, and, while Geddes lias always proved too good for the Dunedin "runner, the latter has improved greatly, during the last couple «*' seasons, and may help to make things interesting in the sprints at the championship meeting. ft is rather interesting to recall the fact that when Duff was at the Otago Boys' Hign School he tilled a gap. and ran for Invercargill in the Otago relay championship, being a team which was aiming the places. He lias since reprisented Otago University at the provincial fixture. and thi,s year cariles Don-din's colours. The Snorts Committee ol the Otago Centre will meet soon after the Now Year with a view to drawing up an attractive program me tor the athletic and motor cycling meeting (o ho hold at Forhury Park on February 2; tint the Ladies’ Club and the Otago Amateur Cyclinig Club both have evening meetings listed before that date, 'and it is hoped the programmes for these meetings will shortly be announced. Other chibs, too. should get busy with s view to staging evening meetings: shortly after the Now Year. Vv’itli the Otago championships approaching the athletes should be given as much competition as is reasonable and possible. Laehie M‘Lachlan had a short spell from training last week, but the Civil Service middle-distance star will resume work almost immediately. He is spending the holidays with his people in Christchurch, but intends to tram up there He may have a run at a meeting or two in Canterbury before he returns to Dunedin, and immediately after the holidays he will undergo a steady preparation for the Otago championship meeting. C. S. Thompson is training nicely, and he one runner who should just about be at Ills best when the Otago championships are listed for decision, Both in the 440yds and 830yds events the ex-Christcliurch man may be expected to make a good showing. R. 0. Johnson is another who should be near his best when the ’ provincial fixture is held. Johnson showed his best form this season in the hop, step, and jump just before the holidays, and he will probably get very close to his last season’s effort of 45ft Gin before the championships, Johnson made lus debut as a diver recently, and for a beginner showed considerable promise. He is a most versatile athlete. As ho will be in Timaru over the holidays lie jnay compete at the Caledonian meeting there on January I and 2. CYCLING COMMENTS. J. C. Fogarty will not resume solid braining until after the New Year, but he intends undergoing a good preparation for the Otago championships. One of the most likely riders in the B grade is G. Smith, who is'showing to better advantage every time he takes part in a race. He has a nice style, takes a good position on his machine, and has one of the secrets of cycling success—he knows how and when to relax. With a little more experience this rider should meet with a good deal of success, for he is training solidly at the present time. F. Healey has returned from Christchurch and lias resumed training. Lie is known best for his activities as a road racer, but lie is also a good performer on the track. ' P. Traill is not training just now, and it is reported that he is giving the game up. It is a pity, if true, for ho was a good rider, who showed a lot of promise last season. Milligan is a new rider who may do well with a bit of coaching. He is raw yet, but is training hard, and may be seen to advantage in a B grade race in the New Year. P. Fraser is about the best of this season’s new riders,•'and he is training steadily with a view to meetings after the New Year. He is in good form just now, and has done very well for so inexperienced a* rider, the winning of the Paul Cup being a good achievement. ' A. L. Rosenbrock has been training hard, and he is one of those who should certainly be fighting out the decisions at the Otago championships. Ho is a consistent, rider who only needs a little more dash to do very well on the track. THE LIST SHIELD. The List Shield, emblematic of track and field club supremacy in Otago, promises to provide some interesting competition at the Otago _ championships ' this season and the Civil Service Club

mav find tougher opposition than has been the case for some time. Anglican lias a great batch of field (■unit'men and one or two useful runliars, and this club may push Civil Service close, while the University Club always has to be reckoned with. The (Allots will both be walking for ’Varsitv. and both are sure point-getters, while it is likely big Jim Lcckie wdl be burling the lOl'b hammer on behalf of the Light Blues. This club will feci the absence of that great all-round athlete 11. D. Morgan, who is now acting] as ouo of the Anglican Club’s coaches. There arc always one or two useful runners in the ’Varsity ranks, though the fact that the championships are being held in February may weaken this club’s team to some extent. Invercargill is bound to have a very lair sort of team at the championships if it is possible lor the men to get away, and Geddes and Rout are two sure point-getters—the. latter being a fine high jumper and broad jumper as well. There are bound to be one or two others from tills club, which may upset the calculations of one or , two of the Dunedin clubs. Civil Service has the makings of a pretty strong team once again, especially on the track, being able to call upon such men as L. C. MVLaohlan, C. S. Thompson, H. IT. Letliaby (a good track and field man), F. A. Basting.-, (a very useful sprinter), J. G. Barnes (who is expected to perform well in the distance events), and several other likely performers. Civil Service’s supremacy may be threatened, but it is sale to say that this club will be pretty well placed when the numbers go up. Racific and Caversham arc certain to pick up points hero and there, and one or two of the smaller clubs may also be in the running in some ol the championship events, and at this stage it is not too rash to prophesy that the List .■shield will be more closely contested this season than for many seasons past. CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS. The Civil Service Club intends making every oll'orl to be represented by its strongest team at the Otago championships, and with that end in view it is promoting a series of evening meetings lor the purpose of .deciding who are the club champions in the various events. These meetings will, of course, ho open only 'o members of the club, and will be held at the Caledonian Ground as under, starting in each instance at 6.30: January 15.—ItlOyds, 880yds, onemile walk, putting the shot, broad jump, hop, step, and jump. .January 22. 22l)yds. one mile, t lUyils hurdles, throwing 1 Gib hammer, throwing javelin. January 29.—140yd5, I2oyd,s hurdles, pole vault, high jump, throwing the discus. A medal -will be awarded to the winner of each event, and tile competitor scoring the highest number oi points will receive a special medal. JOTTINGS. In A. J. Elliott Auckland has a potential champion .sprinter. He showed tu great advantage at the New Zealand championships in Christchurch last season. being third in both 100yds and 220yds championships of New Zealand, and, judging by the times he is registering this .season and the fact that Malcolm Lcadbettcr has retired from the track, he is going to be a prominent contender for both sprint titles this season. He won a 100yds handicap in Auckland last week in 10 l-ssec, and it is quite on the cards that he will improve on this time helore the New Zealand championships are decided. Tile outstanding performance at an evening meeting in Auckland last week was undoubtedly J. U. Savidan’s win lit the one-mile handicap. With only lour runner-, the distance crack was given nu assistance as regaids pace, and after the field had gone UUUyds he caught all but Clarke on 250yds. Savitlan had a heartbreaking task to reduce the margin without any other competitor to carry him along, and for two laps made his own puce. Over the last JUOyds the champion displayed more pace than in any previous effort, and passing Clarke 200yds I rom the tape, went on to win by 20yds (says the 1 New Zealand Herald’). It was not surprising to see - that the time, 4miu 20 2-ssee, was last, and equal to the best, registered by Savidan in Auckland. His sectional times make interesting reading: Quarter-mile, GOsec; half-mile, 2min 8 3-ssec; three-quar-ters, 3min 18 2-ssec; one mile, drain 2U 2-ssec. It would be interesting to have seen what time Savidan would have returned if he had been pushed over the last 200yds. The dominion champion is capable under championship conditions of running a mile in 4min 20sec, which time would probably win an Australian or New Zealand title. At a meeting at Lower Hutt last week the ex-New Zealand champion, C. H. Jenkins, who was second to Malcolm Leadbctter in both 100yds and 220yds New .Zealand champion-, ships last season, won his heat of the 100yds handicap in 10 2-ssec, and finished second in the final, won by 2yds in 10 l-ssec. According to all reports C. M. Olsen, former Otago track star and ex-New Zealand half-male champion, is finding difficulty in sparing the time Tor traming this season. Olsen is now stationed in Auckland, but as ho is traveling all over the province lie does not get many chanebs lor regular training. Last season Olsen struck form after a very ..short preparation, and if he is able to get down to training after the holidays lie mav vet have to be reckoned with at -the New Zealand. championships. He is at present spending a holiday in Dunedin, and his friends will be glad to renew the acquaintance of one who may be regarded as one of the most popular athletes that has represented Otago in recent years. In view of the Wellington Centres decision to refuse the Wellington Club and other clubs, permission to hold sports meetings, the Wellington Club has asked the centre to forward a protest from it to the Council of the N.Z.A.A.A. The Wellington Club considers the centre has exceeded its powers in not allowing clubs to hold meetings, and mentions in the letter accompanying the protest that the primary object of an athletic club is to promote athletics and hold meetings as provided in the constitution. Jimmy Carlton, the Australasian 100yds and 220yds champion, has written to a friend in Wellington to the effect that he has started training with

a view to getting fit for the coming season. Jhe ‘ Dominion uliter, “Spike,” stales that Carlton has expressed the opinion that until cinder tracks are laid down in Australia and New Zealand colonial sprinters can have but little hope of success at subsequent Olympic Games. Carlton hoped to lose a stone in weight before settling down to serious work. The "Wellington Centre has always been in favour of low entry ices (says the 1 Post ’), but for its meeting at the Paraparaumu Domain on New Year’s Day the Paraparaumu Club has extended that policy and decided that no charge be made for entry in the events. Instead of paying entry lees competitors are to bo charged admission to (lie ground just the same as .spectators. The club considers’that in this way more athletes will be encouraged to" take part in the meeting, and also that it will be able-to come out on the right side of the ledger, When an is said and done, the amount received in entry fees for sports meetings is not very large. No doubt the scheme will encourage more competitors, but it will be interesting to see bow the experiment pans out financially. By a"recent-‘English mail came full particulars of the seniors’ sports and also the freshmen’s sports of Cambridge University (says “Argus,” in the ‘Referee’). In the senior sports a double was scored by N. R. Bugge (Oslo University, Norway, and Pembroke College), who won tho 880yds in 2mm 5 4-ssec, and the mile in 4min ou 4-ssec. Three Australians were winners—A. E, Young (Geelong) won the running high jump at sft 9in; J. R. Mann (Geelong) annexed the 120yds handicap m 1G 2-ssec; and J. E. Wallace (Geelong) took the IGib shot putt at 38ft 3[in. In the 440yds a New Zealander was successful —E. D. Blundell (Waitaki) won in 53sec. The last named is well known as a cricketer. An American (H. H. Bavley. Columbia University) took the pole vault. Weather conditions were not gfood for the freshmen’s sports, but performances were qnitcnp to the average—or above it. A German won the 100yds—G. Von Hamel (Salem University and King’s College). In the 161 b shot putt P. M. Tisdell (Shrewsbury and Cains) got the IGlb shot out to 38ft 4]in, which is about a record for a freshman. Amongst those to fain places in various events were S. 11. MTheo (Rhodesia) and R. Hammerschmidt (Germany). Eino Keskinen, who at eWllington last season won the pole vault and the decathlon championships of Australia and New Zealand on behalf of Queensland at the last of the Australasian championships, is settling in Sydney for a period at any rate, and has linked up with the East Sydney A.A.C. (states “Argus,” in the Sydney ‘Referee ). The wearers of the tricolour jerseys not so long back lost their star all-rounder, Bengt Rydbeck, who went to New Zealand, and is now a member of the Wellington A.A.C., and the joining up of Eino Keskinen will amply fill the vacancy. Both are very vei’satilo and classy performers, the Finn having a better all-round record than the Swede. Keskinen is remembered in Dunedin by reason of the valuable coaching work he did while staying here for a tew days last- season, during which he competed at an evening meeting oimtlie Cale. ■ '- In the Dunn Shield competition in Sydney recently ex-Olympic champion, A. W. Ayinter, won the hpp, step, and jump championship with a triple leap of 47ft Winter’s was a lino effort, as the track was very heavy..