UNIVERSITY SPORTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19472, 6 May 1925, Page 8

UNIVERSITY SPORTS.

A. E. PORRITT’S RECORD SPRINT. BURGHLEY, THE BRILLIANT HURDLER. (From Ooe Own Correspondent.) LONDON, March 24. At the Oxford a.nd Cambridge sports at Queen’s Club on Saturday, A. E. Porritt, the brilliant New Zealander, started the day in fine style by breaking a university record in the 100. yards, which he covered in 9 9-10»ec. It ivas the first official day of spring, but it was one of the coldest days experienced this year. During the afternoon a shower of snow' fell. Had the uir been warmer it is possible that Porritt would have covered his lOC yards in a fraction less time. On the other hand, the race was run with a moderate breeze behind. The New Zealander led from the start, and when he had covered 60 yards he. had two yards advantage of J. W. J. Rinkel, the' Cambridge sprinter. In the last 20 yards it appears that P.inkel gained a foot or so, but when 1(1 yards from the tape Porritt made a very_ perceptible bound forward, and came in a yard and a-half in front of his opponent. C, F. N. Harrison (Cambridge) was third, merely a loot behind Rinkel, C. R. Thoenen (Oxford) fourth. The breaking of the 100 yards record was extremely popular with everyone. Other competitors in the inter-university 100 yards race have often been clocked to bo just under the 10 seconds, as being if not 9 4-ssec certainly nearer that mark than lOscc dead. That the lOsoc dead bogey—the belief that if some astonishing English athlete did 9seo it would still be recorded ICsec—is now dead is encouraging to the present and satisfactory to the past university competitors. The race was regarded as a certainty for Porritt, and so it proved. The best previous performances for this event were J. G, Wilson (Oxford, 1870), lOsec; D. M'Millan (Cambridge, 1911 and 1912), lOsec; and H. M. Abrahams (Cambridge, 1920 and 1923), lOsec PORRITT AS A HURDLER. Porritt was also first string for Oxford in- the two hurdle events, but his Cambridge opponent, Lard Burghley, proved too good tor the New Zealander. Although Porritt could easily outpace Burghley on the flat, the latter lias adopted the American stylo of walking over the hurdles witn his body bent almost parallel to the ground. Porritt rises over the hurdles in tne old conventional way, with the right leg tucked up and the lett stretched out behind. The ground thus lost gave Burghley'* the advantage on the whole, thougn between the hurdles tile New Zealander invariably made up lost ground, especially in, the 22U yards. In the 120 yards hurdle race Burghley gradually drey away from Porritt, and won by 3yds in 15 4-ssec, only ono-tiitli of a second outside the record. Flynn (Oxford) and Orossley (Cambridge were very close up. The first part of the 220 yards low hurdles gave the impression that Porritt would come home the victor, lie took the lead liom the start and maintained it until ttre> filth hurdle. Here Burghley was over a fraction of a second before the New Zealander, and. gradually drew away for the remainder of the distance, finishing with a good run home, and 'winning by four yards. The last hundred yards of Burghley's performance was one of the features of the afternoon’s sport. A yard separated Porritt and the third man, H. M. Clecklcy (Oxford), an American. The time, 24 4-ssec, is also a record for an event which has only been included in the programme since 1922. THREE-MILE EVENT. The outstanding race of the day was the three miles. It was won by V. E. Morgan (Oxford), und for very many years ‘‘Morgan’s race” will bo brought up on every occasion that the three miles race is run in these sports. Cambridge supporters, in many, many cases, blamed “that wretched Nurmi” for the shocking defeat of Cambridge. Nurmi, that marvellous runner, always runs with a watch in his hand, and runs a race against time oblivious of such things as pacing and tactics. Morgan took his ovvAi team along from the start, leaving the Cambridge men alone together. A"cry soon Morgan went to the front, and from that moment went quietly but certainly away from the other five. He really ran to the clock. Lap after lap he increased his lead; lap after lap he was evidently running well within himself, and showing no symptom of distress. After —probably before—tile two miles were covered, the two passible Cambridge winners wore told to go up at any cost; it was obvious that Morgan was not coming back to them. R S. Starr (Cambrigde), who was running as second string, made an effort to close up, hut lie was tired after his mile race, arid the thing was beyond him. Quite early on T. C. Fooks (Cambridge), who was first string, was in difficulties; apparently he had a stitch, and before the two miles were run he was obviously out of the race. Morgan finally won by/ 150 yards in 15 minutes, after an astonishing performance. The Cambridge president and Olympic Games champion, L>. G. A. Lowe, elected to turn out in the Half-mile and the Quarter, for there was an interval of an hour and a-half between the races. There was never the least doubt about Lowe taking the Half Mile, for after 11. W. Kerr had made the running, Lowe, a perfect mover, took the lead when 275 yards from homo, und won, looking round, in 4min 30 4-ssec, a lime equal to his best at these reunions. On a more favourable and a warmer day lie would have clipped two or three seconds off his figures. Disappearance in the Quarter was in i nature of a bold adventure. Great a runner as Lowe is, he had not quite the speed. P. G. Hunter, the second string of Cambridge, showed the way until W. E. Stevenson (Oxford), the American, chose to pull himself to the front with 130 yards to Tie covered. Lowe boldly challenged and hunted him' home, but the pace and the fine physique of Stevenson enabled him to gain the verdict by three yards in the same time as made a year ago—Msec. V. B. V. Powell, the only other New Zealander competing, represented Cambridge in the Long Jump, but was beaten by three other competitors. The winner, C. E. W. Mackintosh (Oxford) cleared 23ft 2jin, and Powell 21ft 2iin, The result of the day’s competition was that Oxford beat Cambridge by six events to five. Oxford have now won 25 times to the 25 of Cambridge. Sir James Allen was present at the meeting for part of the time, and stayed long enough to see Porritt run in the 100 yards and 120 yards hurdles.