ACTIVITY QUICKENS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 12, 29 January 1937, Page 12

ACTIVITY QUICKENS

"Spike.")

Championship Events j Preparation japanese visitors

(By

With the approach of the centre championships there is apparent a quickening of activities among the track, field and cyclists, intent on striking top form for the great oocasion. Signs are not wanting that tlie various titles are going to be strenuously contested, and in the winning a liigher standard of performance thai^ ever before will have to be recorded in the majority of events, It was this championship urge that brought out the largest fields seen at Hastings this season at the club's meeting last Tuesday night. Napier cbinpetitors were present in force and there was some excellent r&cing. Mick Milne won the 100 yards from hot. coinpetition, his first victory; in two seasons. Ray Phillips, of Napier, was placed second, but this award should have gono to D. Butler, of the same club, who finished right under the judge's nose, and at it frequently happens in such circumstances, was missed altogethe^ The 440 yards provided a great raco with the improving V. Hallagan, off 25 yards, lasting the distance out well. P. Begley in this event did not strilce his best form, judging by the recorded time of 52sec», Ready Iinproves^ Another who is rapidly ■fcriking hLs best is G. Ready, and in the mile ho strode away from a fair field. Coharriers in B. Anderson and 0. Wright filled the places With A. JdLughes next. The relay was rosponsible for a good finishing effort by R. Phillips, who once into his stride -easily held off F. Sharpley, who by the way, is not sprincing as he should be at this time oi the season. The two women 's races were annexed by Miss Rona Tong, who is surely the. most favourably handicapped runner' hereabouts, considering 'her fltring of victories since Christmas. Off three yards she won the 10(1 yards in the great time of 11 3*5secsv whieh is equal to 12secs. for the full distance, timo that few in the. Dominion could better. Repeating a prevxous performance, L. Wells and A. Manning in the five-mile cycle race ro.de away from the field and had the finish to themselves« lt was good team work. In the short sprint Toby Attwood got to the front in a good finish. Toby is a Tong time gaining peak form, and the. same romark applies to Wally Williams. Events in Napier. There were eome very interesting events in Napier last week, not the least of which was. the three-mile"^llat. A big field faced the staxter and C. Wright, of Hastings, was quickly in th® lead. At the end of the first '111116 he was 200 yards in fronfi oi the hot favourite, A. Hughes, and although the latter theraafter reduced the lead gradually, Wright won eventually by 40 yards. In this race G. Ready ran very well for two nules. There ii3 going to be a keen struggle for the threemile title at the centre championships. Doa Chadwick gave a finished exhibition in the high jutnp, exploitiag an extremely neat "Eagtern cut off." Chadwick commenced his. approach with a hop and then a short step, after which he faiily rushed at the^bar. In piarked contrast was the elow hesitating step of Erie Phillips. High jumpers should have some momentuni to assist^ the spring, Chadwick clearefi 5ft. lOiu and Phillips 5ft, 8in. Both will meet in Napier again next week. A big field tried the straight 220 yards against a good breeze, and the majority had the staggers at the finksli, which found R. Tucker just in front of the strong finishing P. Begley. Another interesting item was the quarter-mile hurdles, the veteran Dick Bird celebrating a popular win from Ian Bickerstaff who finished fast after losing ground in the middle stages. Biekerstaff promises to do much better by championship time. ' Close and exeiting finishes markod both cycle races, with Vern Manning riding brillianily to secure the major award in hoth instances. Next week the big electric clock will be in operation to test the wheelmen in a solo lap dash, B. Longley came down from Porangahau, but found the handicaps in the 1000 yards too severe. In this event C. Eddy came with a great burst to head off J. Edmundson and scpne his first win for the season. | , The walk, always an attractive event, was this time oveftwo miles in order to give I. Driscoll some good practice in preparation for his attack on the two-mile record which has stood for 40 years. Driscoll won In time just outside the record, and it appears fairly certain that he will be successful in his attempt next Thursday week, Japanese Visitors. The itinerary of the 'Japanese athletes has been again changed aud Hawke's Bay is now set down to be the last to entertain the visitors. Easter Saturday is the day set down for their nppearanco in this centre. What with football tournaments and representative cricket fixturss set down for this day in Hastings, Napier and Gisborne, it appears futila even to consider the tour further. Bearing in mind that this centre contributed £108 to the last tour and showed the second best return of all the centres, the Ny5.A.A.A. cannot be aceused of being financial wizards when they deliberately set out to crowd the loeal centre out as they appear to have done in this instance. A glanco at the new itinerary shows that the Japanese are going to get plenty of travelling. The N.Z.A.A.A. secretary, according to the Press, says that the new dates are suitable to the four city centres. Nobody worried to find out if the dates allotted were strilablo to the two country centres, who in truth are tbe Cinderellas of the aUhletic world.