Amateur Athletic Championship Meeting.

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 184, 9 January 1904, Page 20

Amateur Athletic Championship Meeting .

TO-MORROW (Saturday) there will be a great gathering of amateur athletes on the Basin Reserve, the occasion being the annual championship meeting of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association. The meeting is held alternately in the different centres of the colony and this year it has been allotted to Wellington. An energetic committee, with Mr. J. B. Speed as its secretary, has left no stone unturned to ensure the success of the gathering, and it is hoped the public will give a liberal patronage. This — and fine weather — are the factors that are alone needed to reward the efforts of the committee. « • • The sprints should alone be a return for the shilling that will be charged for admission, to the Reserve. George Smith, who is so well known in Wellington, both as a footballer and a champion runner, needs hardly any introduction. Suffice it to say, he is in Wellington, and is in good form. The last time the championship meeting was held in Wellington, George accounted for no less than four championships—the 100 yds and 220 yds flat races, and the 120 yds and 440 yds hurdles. L. H. B. Webster, the Taranaki big gun, is expected on this occasion to extend Smith to his utmost limit in the 100 yds and 220 yds. A Canterbury enthusiast writes. — "It requires but a glance at Webster when stripped for a race, to recognise a runner of the first rank. Clean-limbed and clear-eyed, with condition showing on very rcart of his body." As Webster has been training hard and consistently, many anticipate he will write his name on the scroll of fame on this occasion by defeating Smith. The few times I have seen him run he has not impressed me as a trier rieht through to the tape, but I hope my unfavourable impressions of him may be removed altogether to-morrow. * * * The contest for the banner is expected to lie between Wellington and Canterbury, neither Auckland nor Otago having been able to get representative teams away. By the way, I notice Webster is nominated as from Hawke's Bay. Surely this must be a mistake. Canterbury is sending a very strong team, included in which are . — W. F. Simpson, the sensational distance runner; "Morry" Wood, the New Zealand representative footballer, who sprang a surprise upon his friends the other day by beating the New Zealand amateur record for the long jump ; and F. S. Harley, who, if memory serves me right, jepresented Wellington what time he was awarded the 440-^ds hurdles championship at Napier. Roberts and Martin, the Auckland pair, who finished in front of him were disqualified for jumping inside the hurdles. Otago are sending a probable superior to Simpson m the distance events in P. Murray. The enthusiasts in the Scotch city are satisfied, at any rate, that he will give Simpson a great race. A likely champion from that district is Buck, the long jumper. The Wellington representatives have been training consistently, and are in good fettle. Pollock, who is the present holder of the half-mile championship, is determined to keep his title. Both Harry Goodwin and Ross are striding along well in their walks, and the former should secure the two walking championships. When "Harry" came across from the Commonwealth he was one of the best on the big continent, but "striders" like Creamer and Wilson, the Auckland heel-and-toers, carried too many guns for him altogether, and he was quite satisfied that, in his best day. he was not their match. But he is as plucky as they make them, and a fine little sport, and I would like to be able to congratulate him as a New Zealand champion on this occasion. T. Stubbs has pretensions to the sprint championships, and there will need to be no loitering on the way if he is to be kept from winning. In the cash ranks a year or two back he was never let far away from the back-mark-ers, and many prizes even then came his way.

F. W. Vosseler will be a handy man in the distance events foi Wellington. Though, perhaps, he may not have pietensions to winning these chamoionships, yet he has brought himself so well forvwird in condition that sti anger things have happened than Vosseler's defeating Simpson, Murray, and Company. # Mr. Hanifv has agreed to survey the track, and, given fine weather with no wind, some good times may be put up. In any case the track will be the size it is lepresented to be. Let us hope thtn, for fine weather, good sport, and a latthng muster of the general public.