CASH ATHLETICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2815, 26 February 1908, Page 65

CASH ATHLETICS.

February 26. — Running Championships, NewPlymouth. . „ February 28.-^Athletic Sports, ' Cambrians. • March 13.— Athletic Sports, Matakanm. March 17.— Athletic Sports, St. Batnans. MarcK 17. — Athletic Sports, Ophir. i March 18.— Athletic Spoits, InvercargilL By Spobt. Peds. and others interested! are reminded that entries close on Saturday next, 29th inst., for the Sheffield and Flying Handicaps at the Irish athletic sports, to be held at .Invercargill on, March 18. The Sheffield Handicap, over 135 yds, is for prizes of £40 and gold medal, £7, £3, and £1 10s. Entry fee 10s, acceptance ss. The Flying is^a 75yds sprint, with prizes of £5, £2, and* £1. ' Entry fee 7s. Acceptances for the Sheffield close on March 11. Entries for all other events close on March 7. Mr C- E. Eeast, delegate to the N.Z.A. Union Conference at New Plymouth on the 26th inst., left for the north by the first express on Friday last, while by the second express on the same day Messrs G. W. Woods (president N.Z.A. TJ.) and F. Muesen (delegate from the Southland Centre) went north. Mr D. Corcoran, secretary of the N.Z.A.TJ., went north by the first express on Saturday, end was to have been accompanied by Messrs. Kennedy (South Canterbury) and Good (Uortii Canterbury). The Hawke's Bay Highland Society's annual sports were held in fine weather, and the attendance was large — probably the largest yet seen by the society at a similar gathering. The '"racing brought forth good fields, and the finishes were close and exciting. In some of the events the times were exceptionally fast, and gave the scratch men no chance at all. The Mile, for instance, was won, off 80yds, in 4min 20sec, the second man, Johansen, on 30yde, being only inches away. His time, . therefore, would be at the most 4min 25sec. Agctin, in the Half-mile W. S. .Harding, off 20yds, won in lmin 57 l-ssec. So Campbell, on scratch, would have to be in good form, to get up. All these runners are entered >at New Plymouth on the 26th, so we may exnect to hear of some records being, smashed., The handicaps for the New Plymouth Caledonian Society's sports,' held _ in- conjunction with a few running championships under the auspices of the N.Z.ArU., have been made. In the 120 Xanda C. J. Morris is on scratch, with J. Shivas on 4yds, S. M'Leod (Roxburgh) 6yds, and. limit 12yds. Total entry, - The 220 Yards has 27 entrants, France, Shivas, and Wallace being on scratch, M'Leod and Morris s.rds, Spring 7yds." limit 18ys. The 440 Yards has also 27 entries. . Wallace, France, Shivas, and Harding are on scratch, M'Leod Morris, and Spring 10yds, limit 35yds. The Halfmile has 21 entrants ; Campbell and France ( scratch, Spring 10yds, Ryan 15yds, Harding and Johansen 20yds, limit 55yds. One Mile: A. Campbell and France scratch, • Ryan, 2oyds, Johansen 30yds, limit 105 yds. The cycling entries are also large, and the ' gathering promises to be an historic one. The Otago Centre delegates intend making a. hard fight for the next championships and . conference under the • patronage of the v N.Z.A. Union. . Should they be successful, it ia their intention to hold the gathering about the 17th March, 1909, ' thereby filling up a gap between New Year and Easter., ft will also save probable trouble between Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin, and Invercargill, for if one of these, societies was allotted 'the' championships it would most., likely be- opposed- by the others. These is no reason why the Otago Centre should not run « good gathering, judging by- their efforts at the two evening meetings held this- year. I wish the delegates luck in this direction. At the Napier «porta on the 19th' Bf. Kean, of Dunedin, was second! in Putting the Shot, with a put of 38ft 4in (lffc allowance). First in Hammer-throwing, off scratch, with 100 ft Sin; Kean only threw once. First in. the High Jump with sft 9in (4in handicap) i ' and first in Border

Wrestling. Kean's performances were very good, as the entries in all cases were very large. "• O. J. Morris does not intend to let his claim to the 100 Yards Championship of New Zealand go without defending the title. For «ome time, past Morris has been training quietly at a seaside resort near Wellington, and -when all is over we may. t expect^ to hear that the coloured runner is | champion for another year. The next monthly meeting of the Ot&go Centre, usually held on the first Tuesday in every month, -will not take place till the ret-yrn of the delegates from the N.Z.A. Union Conference. The Powderhall Haindiicap (£100; 130 yds) was won by E. Walker, 11yds (£80); S. Bernard, 13£ yds (£8), 2; P. Millar, 14yds (£3). 3; D. Ross. 12iyds (£1), 4. Time, 12sec. Arthur B. Postle, the famous Queens-* land sprinter, defeated L. Arnold, of Johannesburg-, over 75yds and 120 yds. B. R. Day matte his first appearance on the track since his world's tour at Powderliall Grounds. Edinburgh, on December 31. He won his heat in the 220 Yards Handicap, from scratch, in- 22isec. In the final he finished fourth. A. Bernard, 23yds, won in 22sec. R. Clark, of Dunedin, eompDted suoeessftiHy at Takapau Caledonian sports on the 12th and at Napier on the 19th. He wa3 third in the seel, second in the seauntreus, third in the Highlanders' Baoe-fand first iv <he Irish jig and in the sailou's hornpipe. A. Bird, the old-time English champion pedestrian, who came to New Zealand with Frank Hewitt end Topley in the eighties, and must -have made- a lot of money during the bia; pedestrian boom in Victoria, was recently picked up in the street at Port Melbourne (says a Melbourne writer) in a miserable, starving condition. There is some talk of arranging a benefit for Bird on one of the metropolitan sports grounds, and if the -xight people take it up it' v is sure to prove a success.