Amateur Sports Meeting.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 76, 14 December 1901, Page 6

Amateur Sports Meeting.

THE amateur sports meeting last Saturday was on the whole, very uninteresting. Tlieae was a fair attendance of spectators, m fact, generally better than at the lafet two or three of the amateur gatherings The prebence of Webster, a runnel bailing from New Plymouth, and of whom much has been written and said, invested the meeting with a bit of interest Some writers had given it forth that Webster was a veritable wonder, but I was not too deeply impressed with him. He has a nice free style, with a taking stride, but at the business end of the race he gave me the idea that if he was asked the question seriously he would shut right up. However he ma\ not have been all out on Saturday. In his heat m the 120 yds, Webster beat the pistol easily, and was second by mohes only m the good tame of 12 2-oth sec. In the final heat, which was run in 12 3-oth sec, Webster got right up to his field, but 20yds from home he stopped running When he did so I was surprised, a& if he had been the champion he was made out to be- he could have won the race His best run was in the 220 yds, which he won in 23 4-ssec, running well within hkmself at the finish. Though he made a big effort in. the 440 yds, the men out on the marks made the pace too hot, and the scratch men were amongst the "also started." Pollock did a fine run in the halfmile. Electing to start from scratch, and forfeiting his handicap of 10yds, he we<nt out to beat the standard — 2mm Sgec — but, though running in slashing style, the tune won, at taking Pollock 2min 11 sec to get the distance. Under fair conditions the ''go" would have been worth 2mm 6sec. Simm, a St. John's boy, accounted for the 100 yds Junior, and 120vds Handicap off liberal marks, and, if he sticks to the game, should make a good man, as he runs well when nearing the tape. The Hurdles was a fine set to between Gore and Henderson, the latter winning off a mark 10yds better than the former. Gore is a pretty jumper, and took the fancy of the spectators, who would have been pleased if he had won after being coaxed out of the list of non-combatants.

The finest race of the* day was the half-mile among the schoolboys Three lads — Ehas (Clyde Qua,}), Hardie (Newtown) and Dawson (Thorndon — came at one another just entering the straight, on the home run. A well-sustained sprint by the three of them was kept up right to the tape, and they finished in the oider in which thear names are written with only feet between them. Dawson had an innings — winning both the 100 and 220 yards. This lad has improved out of knowledge since the championships last ye<a<r and was in splendid condition. A great deal of the credit of this is due to the coaching given bv SchooJmaster Charters, to whom I extend mv congratulations. Ross (oOvds) and Boithamle^ (80yds) had a good tii'sle in the mile run the former w mnmg G. Murdoch won putting the shot and the hammer-throwing, M McDonnell the high jump, Ehas and Dawson th<^ three-legged race, and H. J Johnson the long jump After the meeting Pollock Webster, and Henderson were selected to represent Wellington at the Championship meeting in Auckland, Ross, before being finally selected, being asked to gave a trial over the mile walk J W. Davis will also be a representative of the local olub m the one and three-mile runs The meeting was well managed, A. M. Stuart being very assiduous H McCardle made an eifficient starter Another point, and I have done. The lack of runners was very noticeable, and if Saturday's outing is a fair criterion of the running strength of the Amateur Athletic Club something should be done to shake things up, for to -nin the paronage of the public for the^e meetings there must be plenty of competition