NATIONAL MEETING

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 48, 12 March 1937, Page 13

NATIONAL MEETING

"Spike.")

Hawke's Bay Will Miss Sharpiey's Services REVIEW OF FIELDS

(By

The national track and field 4 ckampionsliips will "be commenced on the Domain, Auckland, this afternoon (Friday) at 5 p.m. and continued to-nxorrow afternoon from 2 p.m. Quite naturally there is trejnendous interest aroused throughout the Dominion in this annual competition, and it is expected that Hawke's Bay-Foverty Bay athleteS will occupy a prominent position in the distrihution of titles. The Domain, Auckland, provides a fast tx-ack under suitable conditions and eoine sensational perforxnances are higuly probable. The destinatiop of the v.hainpionship shield at the moment is doubtfuj, but by reason of the fact that they are on their home grouna und able to field a big team is a point in favo.ur of Auckland, who, with this .•.dynntage, may carry the day. Since Hawke 's Bay-Foverty Bay have been a separate centre, the wearere of ihe black and white hoops have been in a plaee each year, and but for the uni'ortunate jnishap to Frank Sharpley the centre entertained high hopes of fiuishing on top thjs year. There appears little chance nf the Hastings champion defending the HO und 220 hurdle titles that he won at Dunedin last year, as his injured leg muscle has made Jittle response to treatment. This Ls most unfortunate for Sharpley, whose performanceg at the lopal championships entitled the prospect that, fit and well, he wmild have lowered the long-etand-ing record for the high hurdles at presttnt ^itanding to the joint holdexs, Wilson and Lauder. Outstanding Events. The classjc hundred is always ono oi' Ihe iuiportaat events of the chainpionship and this tiine the holder of the •title, Tapley, of Dunedin, will be on liand to defeud it. Gordon, Canterbury champion, and MacFarlane, a previous holder, will not be preseat, and the critics are tippiag the sopaewhat ancient Bainbridge, of Auckland, to regain his form of two years back when he gathered the three sprint titles at Wanganui. Bven aljowing for his knowledge of local1 con.ditiong, I cannot see him such a menace. Both Fitzsimmons and 'Quinn are very well, and these two, with Tapley, I expect to fill the places, but the actual order is doubtful. The 220 is to be rnu over a straight course and is therefore a greater test than if run " on a curve, but the tyro local men, Q.uinp. and Fitzsiinmons, .will be xight on the premises and the eourse should suit also strong runners such as Bainbridge, of Auckland, and Robinson, Wellington, are. My preference is for Quinn, who, before leaving Gisborne, rau 22 l-5sec. in a trial. Broadway, of Canterbury, will not be present, and the 440 in consequenee shauld see Watt, "Wellington, Tyrie and Sayers, Auckland, eontesting the majof award. With Boot in the field the 880 is all over with Allen, of Otago, nexfc best. R. Longley wil! represent the Bay in this event, but only for experienee. The mile projnises to be a fast race, and one that Bull^r, of Otago, is keen on winning, but ' he will eneounter strong opposition from Wiison, of Wellington. Quite pogibly Wilson will win. The three-mile .event will be robbed of interest through the defection qf Cecil Matthews, present title-holder. Perhaps Pullar will contest this event also, but .gavjdan, who has been training well of late, will be the one to beat. In both the mile and three-mile Murakoso, the Japanese, will tuu apd perhaps win, but he" cannot elaim the title. In the abgence of Sharpley, Auckland, pe? medium of Bowie, will win ihe 120 hurdleg aad Newburgh, Canterbury the 220 hurdles. Fihlayson, of Auckland, who one time promised well as a hurd--Ier, ha? not enjoyed the best of health lately and he will' no doubt find A. T, Anderson, of Canterbury, too strong in the quarter hurdles. Anderson j|» ^ot a good hurdler; he fell lapt year when leading at the last fence. P. Begley epa A» C» Bird wijl bq the local reprosentatives in this event and ejther might fill third place. The Field Eventfl. LooMSfi ower ths %ld j^unping events, H. Brainsby looks a sure winner of the hop, step and jump with the Ptago aJ,J-roug.der, Cameron, nest and the 'samp re?ult may be expeeted in the long ump with Crowe, Wellington, a good prospect. The high jump points to Don Chafiwick, of Auckland, but with hira og colour either Crowe or E. Phillips, the local champion may come into the picture. Pole vaulting is a tricky business, but Barraclough, a previous champiqn, is the most rfeliable- In any case the ■standard will be higher thih year than ever before. R. J ohnson will carry the local co'lourg and may eliaib as high as II feet. G»y, of Wellington, should annes the shot putt, Cameron, Otago, the djseus, C legg. Auckland, the javelin an| Spil.lane, the hamme^ while tb6 two walks will be |n the nature of a work out'for our owa Ian Driscoll who just now is walking faster than ever. Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay will be represented by Quinn, Fitzsimmons, Phillips and Longley in the medley relay, ]but &uccess" or otherwise will depend on whether or not Boot will run for Canterbury. Should he do so then Canterbury will win, Women 's Events. Hawke's Bay will be represented in Ihe womeii's relay by B. Tong, D. Swayne, J'. Prince and N. Henderson. They have held the title for two years but this year Auckland look the likCly winners, In the womeii's 100 there is npbody in .sight to extend Miss Ida Campbeil who woa ths title last . f

in Dunedin, A special invitation women 's 90 yards hurdle race has been added to the progranime and Miss R. Tong of Hastings should carry the Bay 's colours with confidence and quite possibly travel faster than she did in Napier when she won the title recently. 'With the added ineentive of a trip to the Empire games to be held in Sydney in February 1938, athletics in general will be extra keen and the Auckland meeting should be a great show. "Spike" hopes to be there. The Oyclfng Ohampionships. Yern Manning, Hawke's Bay's sole representative at the National Cycling Championships held in Auckland last Saturday, found the banked track at Western Springs sOmething he was totally unused to. However, in the fcen mile event he stuck it as long as George Giles did, but in this class of event the rider who fastens on to the pacemaker has a great advantage. Banked tracks are fairly rare in this Dominion and it would be in the interests of the cyclists if grass 1raek titles were also contested. Banked tracka certainly provide the most epeetaeular racing but the grass traeks ' provide a truer test for riderao At Puketitiri last Satur.day Dick Bird, of Napier, by winning the 880 yards event recorded his 200th. victory in apiateur track and field events, surely a performance that has been rarely achieved in this Dominion. Dick has been competing for a decade and he has worn well. To mark his achieve* ment -starter Arthur Clough handed to Dick the shell of the cartridge that wae used to start him on the way to his 200th. victory. Later in the afternoon Bird made his record more in keeping with Don Bradman by also bolting away with the 300 yards handieap. At the conclusion of the sports the veteran's health was suitably honoured. J III I I I ■ IIIIIMI Iir -