Athletics SELECTION FAULTS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 77, 23 December 1937, Page 11

Athletics SELECTION FAULTS

"Spike.")

No Marathon Runners Included THOSE WITH CHANCES

(By

The personnel of the Newf Zealand Empire Games track and field team doos not contain very many surprifies and Hawke's Bay-Pover-ty Bay with threo representative* flgure prominently, but the selection suggests that the selectors have not in some instaucea given the thought to the future that they anight have done. There is still time for late entries, provision. being mad© for such and perhaps tlie posi(tion. will be recovered before the end of the rnouth. Congratulations are in order to M'igs E. Tong, G. Quinn and P. E. Sharpley, of the local centre, on their selection, for all three have been prominent on the track for many seasons and succegs is deserved, but all three have drawn strong sections and it is not expectsa that a win wfll come their way. Marathon Eorgotten. Kew Zealand has ever been prominent ms a producer of good distance men capable. of holdin^ their own" with the world 's .best, but the selectors appear to have forgotten this, particularly in regard to tne marathon. The New Zealand Amateur Athletic Agsociation set a standard of three hours lor the marathon distance of 26 miles 385yds, and three athletes, within a month, had covered the distance- inside standard time. On top of this the selectors wash their hands of the event aua ref'use to inake a nomination. lnstead, thay seleet Morgan as a diseus-thrower and he, not the best in the country, has poor chance of success. The seiectora are bent on sending a 440 yards hurdler, a class of event in which on a time bases we are well behind the times. The three marathon contenders ha-'e every right to feel aggrieved. Erom a time point of view tlieir recoyds compare very favourably with aepirants from otlier parts of the British Empire with the exception of Scotland, England and South Africa, but in the case of the three latter they have to travel a long way to compete, and it ia probable that they will not be in Australia long enough to be'come acclimatisedxand so run ud to their best form. New Zealand could very well have sclected two for the marathon, two for the six milps and two for the 880yda, No 440 yards Prospects. Present indications point to two men .being sent over for the 440 yards flat, an event in which we have practically no prospects at all. It is all very well, to be well represented perhaps, but it is a poor advertisement to see our representatives tailing the field as they have good prospects of doing in tho 440 yards. The selectors hava no doubt dqne their best, and the results of their wprk suggests that the job waa a bit too big for them. At this distance the Games the New Zealandets who appear undoubted prospects of success ure Cecil Matthews and Stan Lay. Those who have reasonable chanceg are Pullar, Geddes and Leckie with a Teservation that if Boot pays due atteption to training, he may bit the high spots in the 880 ya?ds. H.B.'s Controlling Ability. "Wben the Huwke's Bay-Povprty Bay Centre 's application for the 1939 New Zealand. track and field championskipa >vas being dmcugsed ,by the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Associanou its annual meeting one delegate expressed his doubts as to the ability qf liawhe 's Bay officials , to controi such a gathering. This doubter, a new memper on the council, representg Cant&»^ bury. "Spike" has been to the national championships in every centro, and for attention to detail, pquipment and control Dunedin is far ahead oi' Wellington, Christchurch, Wanganui Auckland. The antiquated equipment used for some of the events in Auckland and Wellington is a poqr compliment where champions gathqr, and it Was at Christchurch where the walking judges performed their taskg jnounted on bicycles. In the matter of control, equipment and attention to detail the Uawke'e Bay officials need have no foars, and as for a running track no ground is as roomy as McLeap Parlc nor are spectators provided any where else with a better view cf the events. Last Week's Meeting. Last Thursday's meeting o| the Napier Amateur Athletic and Cycliug Club drew the best attendance for tho season, the meeting between Graham Quinn and Bill Eitzsimmons over 100 yards being the main attractjon. As Lq. Wellington, the previous Saturday, Quinn proved the speedier once mor^ bfit in Napier his win was a trifie more propounced, Sdmilarly, the Gisborne aca showed a greatb urst of speed again at (30 yards to open up a gap of four feet gnd this he held to the finish to win in 10 seeonds. The 440 yards provided a great race and at the top of the Straight tho wbole> field had prospects of ultimate success, but as they neared the tape tlie two back-markers, Bickerstaff and Regley, of Hastings, came thnough for the former to win by three inches. Beg^ ley was in front a yard pagt the post and was the unlucky runner in field. The mile drew a big field, bnt the t'Tont-mai kers were never caught. Most interest eentred in the virtual scratch wm, Morley of Hastings, and Longiey. of Porangahau. The latter always heid hjs rival safe and finally finished a good fourth. A. G. Hughes ran 20 miles on the road to finish on the park. As when he ran the marathon distance Hughes finished strongly, but earlier he was troubled for four miles with stitch, loaincj ten mmutes. As it was he ran the distance in two hours 11 minut.es 22 seeonds, a performance of undoubted morit. Eveptg Aheacl, Bill Qgg, well-known WelUngton middle-distaiice runner, will be compet-

ing at Napier on December 30 ancr Ongaonga on New Year's Day. Erank S'harpley will compete at Eotorua on Boxing Day, where hp will have as opposition P. Bowie, the Auckland champion, who ran him to a foot at the trials in Wellington. Intending competitors for Ongaonga are reminded that a bus will leave Napier at 9 a.m., picking tip Hastirfs athletes at the Public Trust building at 9.40 a.m; It is nec'essary that sekts should be reserved.