AMATEUR ATHLETICS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 170, 11 March 1932, Page 2

AMATEUR ATHLETICS

"False Start.")

OUTSTANDING FORM OF QUARTER-MlLE RUNNERS. ROTORUA CLUB HAPPENINGS.

(Notes by

Forthcoming Meetings. Remainder of Rotorua Club's cbampionship, to-night, 6 p.m. N.Z. Chamjpionship at Auckland, March 11 and 12. : Evening Handicap Meeting, RotoI rua, March 18. j Competitors' Points. The following are. the points gained by competitors in the Rotorua Club's competitions, with one more evening meeting yet to be beld: — Sprints. — R. Dawson, 5*; A. Lillas, 5;.N. Hintori, 3; H. Steele, 2; R. Devin, 2; F. Brother s, II; R. Berry, |. Middle Distances. — R. Deviii, 5; N. Hinton, 5; A. Lillas, 31; F B.rothers, 2; A. Cottrell, 1; J. A. Barber, 1; R. Dawson/ 1. Distance Events. — C. W. Randerson, 7; R. Dawson, 5; W. Young, 3; N. Hinton, 2$. ^ Hurdling. — A. Lillas, 31; T. Bergham, 3:; J. A. Robertson, 2; R. Berry, 2; F. Brothers, 2; H. Steele, 1. ' Ladies.; — M. Ford, 81; A. Dodson, 8; E. Hardie, 71; B- Cottrell, 6; J. Cottrell, 41; N. Smith, 41; B. Corbett,' 3|; G. Dodson, 3; C. Cronin, 21; H. Dawson, 21; W. Steele, 2; E. Manson, 1; N. Kelly, 1; D. Cronin, I. Jumping. — A. Lillas, H. Steele, J. A. Robertson, 2|; I. Beekett, 2; P. Taiapa, N, Gainsford, 1; N. Hinton, K. Ricbards, A. Cottrell, W. Scott, I. Field Events.-^-P. Taiapa, Gainsford, 3; J. Archer, C. B. Peterson, 2; Kelly, L. Clark, 1; M. Bell, W. Scott, and Henderson, I. Cycling. — N. Howe, 9; P. Bell, 5|; M. Bell, 5; S. Howe, 4; H. McCall, 31; R. Henry, 2; Beekett and Griffiths, 1. There should be some very keen racing next week when the final handicap meeting will decide tbe winners of tbe various divisions in the points competition. As will be seen from the l'st of points published above, the ultimate winners are still somewhat concealed in all divisions. ' Visit to Auckland. The club's team to Auckland, as was expected, did not obtain many honours, but the experience they gained was worth the visit. Both Bell and Howe, who are mere novices as cycksts, rode in a manner whicb suggests that they will be "elassy" riders later on. The ladies who made the trip are 1 not the least discouraged and with tbeir experience of competition against the top-notehers are out for greater improvement next season. In tbe Misses Ford, Corbett, Steele, Hardie and Cottrell the club has a team of runners who, possessing natural sprint ability, will improve a great deal next season. The cost of sending ,a team away is usually a heavy one to a small club, but on this occasion the Rotorua Clnb , is very much endebted to Messrs. D. Cambie, D. Steele and A. G. Cottrell, who used their cars to take members of the club to Auckland. Relay Championship. The West Coast (N.I.) Centre, which embraces the districts of Mana-wa-tu. Wanganui and Taranaki, will miss a. gift in the one mile relay championship if it is not represented in this event at Auckland next week. Evans, Blaelc, Prince and Cambie would form one of the best relay teams seen in the Dominion for some years, while the N.Z. record of 3min 35 3-5secs. put up by New South Wales in 1928 would in all probability be shattered. Remarkable Times. New Zealand this season has produced a wonderful cro,p of quartermilers. Never before has the Dominion had so many stars showing firstclass form in the same season, and al- , though times are a notoriously unsafe basis on which to estimate form, the times which have been put up in various parts of the country of late are so remarkable that they must he eonsidered. Cariterbury amateur athletic enthusiasts were amazed to see young Geoff Broadway, the C.A.A.C. "find," score a decisive victory over the Canterbury and New Zealand University champion, O. C. Harley, last week in 50 2-5 sec. Harley, who was timed 1 to do 50 3-5sec, claims l-5sec less as the best perf ormance in a career of good running. That first heat of the Canterbury championship event quite overshadowed the easy win in the second heat of D. F. Anderson (Varsity) in 51 sec, a fine run. The finalists in the quarter make up the finest field that has ever contested the Canterbury title, and on that running it looked as if the red singlets would be very prominent in the national 440 yards. But we find that at Wanganui S. A. Black, of New Plymouth, heat the New Zealand champion, Don Evans, of Taihape, decisively in the final of the West Coast championships. And the time,- on a heavy track and under bad conditions, was 50 l-5see! Evans won his heat iri 52sec, and Blaek won his in 53 4-5sec, both men merely striding throngh easily. In the final Evans had the bad luek to draw the outside lane, Black having the inside running. Black was a little slow away in an almost perfeet start, but he made a great run along the back. He was lead-ng by five yards when they turned into the straight. and he stayed on grimly to win by three yards. On the same day L, H. Meredith, of Auckland, went round a handicap field at the Auckland Domain, on a dead, holding track, to win a 440yds handicap in 50 2-5sec. And at Invercargill the ex- Wellington champion, T. PickeriUg, beat the Otago champion, A. L. Price, by three yards in 51 1-5 sec. in the Southland quartfer-mile championship. -Pickering's run indicateji that he could, do better. Thus, within .three days, there were t five runners who carved out the quar-ter-mile in considerably better than 5;lsec. and. two others who have done 51 sec. and 51 l-5sec. Just what will happen at the New Zealand championships this month it is impossible to prophesy. Probably Evans will take a power of beating and if conditions are good it will not be surprising if a New Zealander breaks BOsec. for the first time.