AMATEUR ATHLETICS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 381, 16 November 1932, Page 7

AMATEUR ATHLETICS

rotorua club notes SEVERAL RECORDS BROKEN AT LAST FRIDAY'S MEETING. THIS WEEK'S PROGRAMME. (Notes by "False Start.") The events for the Rotorua Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club's third evening meeting to be held at the' Government grounds on Friday evening next are as follows: — Men. — 220, 75 yards hurdles, 880 yards, discus, hop, step and jump, | and 3-mile eycle races. Ladies. — 220 yards and hop, step and jump. High School. — 75 yards. Members are reminded that 5.45 p.m. is the starting time for evening riieetings. In the 75 yards hurdles (6 flights) event, the hurdles providing th'ose made for the club are available, will be 3ft 6in high. IJntil some club hurdles ar>a set aside for training purposes, members, in preparation for the first hurdle event on Friday next, should erect a few flights of stick hurdles 3ft 6in and practise over these. In both the 75 and 120 yards hurdles events there is a run of 15 yards to the first hurdle (handieaps excepted), 10 yards between each hurdle and then 10 yards from the last hurdle to the finish in 75 yards and 15 yards in 120 yards. Last Friday's Meeting. The second club meeting held last Friday was in the every way an improvement on the opening meeting. There was an inereased entry and a large attendance of the publie, and thanks to Mr. Dave Gambie (collector) and the generous public response, the collection box contained silver amounting to £1. With: the necessity for a shed for dressing, the storing of gear and some equipment required, the club, I am sure, is very much indebted to the enthusiastic manner in which the public so generously eontributed to the funds. It will not be long before the club is fitted up with all the gear necessary to run a championship meeting. The high jump standards used last Friday evening were donated to the club by Mr. W. G. Harwood. Club reeords were established on Friday as follows: — P. Taiapa, shot, 34ft 2in. J. Christophers, high jump, 5ft IMn. Misses B. Cottrell and E. Hardie, ladies' high jump, each 4ft 2in Reeords for track events cannot be determined until the holding of club championships, when all events are run off seratch. A comparison of this season's track and cycling events with' those held last year show that the times are not yet as good. Strong winds at both meetings this season have mitigated against good results. How They Ran. There was a buncbed finish in the final of the men's 100 yards last Friday, J. Cochrane, off 10yds, just scoring from Beale, 10, and Hinton, 12, whom the judges found difficult to separate. One judge placed Richie Dawson third with Beale and Hinton. A. Lillas, who was expected to be in the final, was impetuous on his mark and was eliminated in his heat, where he faltered badly in an even start. Richie Dawson (virtual scratch, 6 yards), just failed to reach the limit men. He went a good race. J. Christophers also on virtual scratch (6yds) mark, was not quite fit enough to do justice to the race. G. Beale and J. Cochrane are promising and appear to be ^ temp eramentally suited for athletics. In this event Dorset, Barber and Steele and Hinton all had ehances till the last few yards of the race. W. Ratana enjoys the competitions and is endeavouring to find out the class of athletics to which he will be best suited.

Hinton's (100 yards) long and powerful stride gave him a fairly comfortable win in the mile, but for the minor places a good tussle ensued between Barber (100) and Randerson (120). Hinton's build and style resembles that of the famous N.Z. distance runner, Randolph Rose. Matthews will go better when fit. J. Neeson runs very freely and later on will do well over distance ebents. Richie Dawson's form in distance events seems a little hard to understand. Last December he won a mile off 80 yards in 4m 34s but was unable to show up on Friday from the 100 yards mark in the mile run in 4m 50s. In J. Christophers the club has a most promising high jumper and he is likely to improve sufficiently this season to warrant his inclusion in a team to represent the club at the centre championships. J. Cochrane is also a fine jumper and did well to clear 4ft HEin so early in the season. Taiapa, A. Cottrell, A. Lillas, H. Steele and E. Beckett, in clearing 4ft 8iin registered promising results which will be improved with practice. A. Robertson, who has on several previous occasions' just failed at 5ft, could only clear 4ft 6in. P. Taiapa startled the natives with his hefty put of 34ft 2in in the sh'ot event. C. B. Peterson and Doug. Sheaf registered no mean efforts by putting the shot 30ft 9in and 30ft lin respectively. L. Clark was next best with 28ft 6in. By Compjarison. It is pleasing to note that N.Z. championships have been won with puts of 33ft 7in (1894), 34ft (1905), which are efforts not as good as that reeently registered by P. Taiapa. The N.Z. standard in this event is 39ft, and the N.Z. record 51ft 6fin by H. P. Roberts (U.S.A.). The best New Zealander's performance is 46ft 0|in registered by P. Munro, who inciden-. taliy has been New Zealand champion with the shot since 1927. The 440 yards cycle event provided a thrill for the onlookers. The finish in the final was good. G. Haycock (25yds) got home in a very close finish from H. Bellini (20) and J. McCall (35). S. Howe was coming fast at the finish, but his effort was left too late. There was. some clumsy riding in orie heat of this event and a nasty spill was, averted only by a fraetion. The fall of only one rider in a eycle event can up-set a number of following riders who, unlike runners, have less chance of getting out of danger. Riders guilty of careless or dangerous riding should, in the interests of this spectacular sport,.be cau-

tioned. As anticipated, M. Bell scattered the field in the 2 miles cycle event. He will need to give away some big starts in the 3 mile event next Friday. Ladies Doings. In the ladies 100 yards B. Cottrell proved that at present she is the club's best lady sprinter, although E. Hardie is still improving. M. Ford has done very little training. Mrs. Pennington has been prominent in heats at both meetings. C. Cronin will be suited over 220 yards on Friday next. M. Ford also sees out a good 220 when fit . J. Allen is not yet up to her , High School championship form. Mrs. | Adams and Miss D. Cronin will do | better with some starting practice. 1 1 understand the club is arranging for a coach for the ladies and men and a separate night each week for training under the guidance of this official. E. Hardie and B. Cottrell are exceptionally good high jumpers and J. Allen is likely to make good in this department of the sport Beale, Cochrane and Lasenby finished in that order in the High School 100 yards event in which 18 competitors faced the starter. Heat winners (11 2-5s.) H. Steele and Dorset just failed to catch the judge's eye in the final run in 11 l-5s. Those who ran prominently in the heats were Cook, R. B. Dawson, Hinton and Barber, H, Steele (scr.) defeated Beale (3yds) in the second heat, but matters were reversed in the final. General.

There is a possibility an inter-club competition may be held this year between clubs in the Waikato subeentre. If this transpires the local club will want members to represent it in a full championship programme, possibly three members "to each event. All subscriptions must be paid up by Friday next. Programmes may be obtained from Mr. A. De Luen, Hinemoa Street. The Boxing Day programme is held up pending the approval of the allocation of the date by the subcentre. Points Position. Points in various competitions to date are as follows, the donors trophi'es being awarded for most points during the season. A. De Luen, running and hurdling, up to 440yds. — A. Lillas, 31; J. Cockrane, 3; J. Barber, 2|; G. Beale, 2; R. Dawson and N. Hinton, II; and five members each with half points. Lionel Dixon's Trophy, distance running. — J. Barber, 4; N. Hinton, 3; Randerson, 3; Robt. Dawson, 2|; A. Lillas, 1; and four members each with I point. D. Sheaf's Trophy, men's field events. — A. Cottrell, 6|; P. Taiapa, 6; J. Ghristophers and G. Rosser, 31; C. B. Peterson, 3; E. Beckett, 21; J. Cochrane, II; and several members each with 1 and | points respectively. Adolph-Norton Cup for cycling. — M. Bell, 91; C. Head, 6|; G. Haycock, 5; H. Bellini, 31; S. Howe and R. Haycock, 2|; N. Howe, 2; J. Lewis and Clarke, 1; J. McCall, 2|. W. L. Richards' Trophy, ladies running. — B. Cottrell and E. Hardie, 5; M. Ford, 2; and several each with 1 point. D. Sheaf's Trophy, ladies' field events. — E. Hardie and J. Cottrell, 31; B. Cottrell, 3; .D Cronin, 3-; J. Allen, II; M. Ford and N. Smith, 1. High Schol (Certificates).— J. Barber, 3|; G. Beale, 3; Christophers i and J. Cochrane, 2; H. Steele and Lasenby, II; and several with 1 and I point respectively.