Athletics.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 71, 9 November 1901, Page 19

Athletics.

Regarding the New South Wales team for the amateur championships in. Auckland next month, "Prodigal" says — Stanley Rowley and J. W. M. Laidlaw are unable to join the team ; J. P. English , shot -putt and running high and broad jump champion, extremely doubtful as to ability to join the team : W. O'Reilly (hammer and shot exponent), willing to join the team, and practically a ceitaintv' W. Lindsay (hurdler and broad jumper) willing to join team, and practically a certainty' : Nigel Barker (sprinter and broad jumper), willing to ioin team if selected H. Henderson (sprinter) wilhner to join team if selected A A. Oxlade (auarter and half miler) l'ncerta.m S. W. York (mile and three miles runnei 1 ), willing to join the team if selected A L McAlister (runnine hieh and broad jumps) uncertain." The Melbourne Sportsman," speaking of the championship team from that Statf- which will be chosen after the meeting on the Hth mst., says "Not much is known a« to the Victorian position, but I fanc^ a fair team will be available There is good material to work on in the sprints, middle, and long-distance events, and hurdles, but there is a lamentable lack of interest in all the field games It will scarcely be credited that "fin would have won any of the last three high-jump championships of Victoria " There does not appear to be much possibility of the local club sending a team to> the championship ineetine, the meeting of the club, called for Monday night, lapsing for want of a quorum. The Empire City Athletic Club intend holding a cross-country race on Saturday, the 30th instant, probably at Miramar. W. McManus, who was defeated by L. C. McLachlan the other day in a match over half-a-mile, has issued a challenge, in which he expresses himself willing to again meet the Aucklander on level terms in four weeks time. The defi. has been accepted by McLachlan, but he declines to run on the Newcastle track. He says he is prepared to run McManus again either at Sydney Melbourne, or Auckland for a stake of £50, but over any distance under the half-mile hei will require a start. McManus has not yet replied to this, but it is just on the cards that something will be done during the week. The Aucklander cannot be blamed for declining to run at Newcastle, for the simple reason that the Rugby Ground track is in a wretched condition, while the committee of the Association Ground a«k such a,n exorbitant figure for the use ~f fVpjr + rnpV that the men could not hire it with any prospect of clearing exnp'Koe __-Svdno\ "Referee "