CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 194, 2 September 1937, Page 15

CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT

"Fence")

■ — n , Frovincial Title r Goes to Hughes NAPIER GLUB'S WJN

(By

The fourth- provin.cial cross-countrj championships, held under tho ausgicq of the harrier sub-committee of thi Hawke's Bay-PoveTty Bay centre of thi New Zealand Amateur Athletie Associa tion, wero conducted over the Hastjngi Harrier Club's course of 10,000 metrej on Saturday afthrnoon, * when one oj the largest galleries ,of ( spectators seen at a run here, was treate$ to some very exciting racing.' Reversing the • usual- brdetr, the A grade event was run„first, the whole field being bunched for. . the. .ffrst mile. For the remainder ofLthis. lap .'varioua runners were in the van for short distanpes. Past the ^ta.nd the* ftrst- time the order was, Hughes and > Lord (Napier) leading Hunt, Robertson and Dyer (Hastings)," wliile "30 yards back came A.nderson (.(Hastings) . and Hatch (Napier) The time for this lap was 19 xnin. 3 secs.', not ,hy any means a good time. Commeifcing to iiraw away iToin the leaders along Southland road, Hughes eventually had a runaway vio tgry, some 200 yards ahead~of his clubmate, Lord, who in tifrri narrowly beat I. Dyer, a first-year runner, for second place. Then 50 yards back came Robertson,, Hunt and Hatch, who finished with only a few seconds between them, The winner's time was 38 fliin. 5 secs.t quite fair time. . Hastings Teamwork. Tlae .Hastings team displayed excellent teamwork, probably the best ™ for some time. There was only 1 min. 24 seCs, betWeen their first and fourth men. Dyer) Robertson, Ooles and Hunt eacli covered the course in their best time for the Beacon, but Andersen liaa on three occasions this season returned better figsi'es. Snadden was Unfortunatq ih injuring aii ankle eariy iijthe secQnd round which .precluaed h' n from doing hiuiself justice, Hastjig* went down to a better team on the day, and Napier are to be congratulated on their fine win. Sympathy will be felt for H. E. Taylor, who was unable to turn out for the cross-country championships, and his aiseuce was felt by the club. Too much praise cannot be given to I, Dyer, whose performance . was an otitsLanding oiie'for-a firkt season riinner. B. Grdde. Some 29 mnners contested the 1 grade, which resultod in a close win tor Hastings hy eight points. (Hastings teaiii, A. Tajior 2, H. Marshall • 5j P. Barrer 6, and T. Manley, a Thiirsday riinner, 7.) At the end of the fitst lap Mclntyre and A. Taylor had two hundred yards' iead on the nearest meh, and acfeually returned the good time of 18 min. 53 secs., better time than the A grade iflen. Mclntyre then drew aliead and finally came home a hundred y,ardb ahead of A. Taylor. The winner's time in this section wai 38 min. 9 sec. , practically the same a • that of the A grade champion. Good teara work was also in evidence in the B grade, the principals being Marshall, Barrer afld Manley, Who" finished with forty-four seconds between them. A. Taylor has retufned one better time this season, and his race may have been affected by unfortunate pacing by a non-competitor, which will no doubt provide scdpe for discussion for the harrier suh-committee. Mclntyre, of Dannevirke, rali an excellent race, and next season will probably filld him trying conclusions in the higher 'grade, There is at present no defiiiilion of a B grade runner. The forthconiilig touference in Timaru is to considdr a remit in tliis cbrtHcction from tlie Hawke's Bay centi-e. However, there is ft inorai obligation on the part of clubs to nominate their top six men in the major event. Batxirday found the Hastings club lackiug in this respect. Personal feelings should not be considered in tho matter, and it is hard to understand why A. Taylor was permitted to contest ihe junior eveilt. Tliis is fiot llis first season at the game; and his inclusion in the A grade event would liave considerably strengthened the team; liis» time Hvas 39 min. 27 sec. and lie would bave retaifl.ed the slu'eid 16r tfle Hastings Club. Tliis riliitiGf Was Second in his club championships tliis season. Titles Lost The Hastings Club, holders of the four titles from last vcar, was ahie to retain only one, tlie B grade teams section. This was mostly due to the stronger opposition to faced, and sliows the general standard of crosscotmtry runniiig is impfoviiig m Hawke's Bay. It is interesting to note that in the A grade teams Napier aiid Hastings caeh liad tlii'ce ineli who were menibers of tlie teaifls competllig in the first provincial chanipionships field here in 1934. Also they all failed to equal their times for that occasion. Now that tlie Napier Club has succeedcd in winning the coverted Eagte Shield, the big question at present is willl tbey also reliev,© tbe Hastings l lub of the Heretaunga Baton tor tlio • relay race, liastings to Napier. The contest for tliis trophy is between the A teams of i'our men. from each club, so Saturday's tclash should bo very close.

Tlie large bod.v of officials and course stewards who gave so generously of their time are to be thanlced and coniplimented on tbe efficient maliner in which the event, was managed.