On Track and Field

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 125, 17 August 1927, Page 11

On Track and Field

Amateur Athletic Notes

By

“SPARTAN”

THE SEASON’S FIXTURES The following is the season’s programme of the Auckland A.A. and C. Club: August 27.—Auckland 50 Miles Amateur road race championship, and five-mile steeplechase at Alexandra Park. September 3.—Winter Cup competition. September 10.—N.Z. Amateur 50 miles cycling road race championship and Auckland 10,000 metres cross-country championship at Alexandra Park. September 17.—Club’s junior steeplechase championship. October I. —Joint meeting with Franklin A.A. and C. Club at Pukekohe. October 24.—Labour Day sports at Domain. November s. —Auckland Provincial amateur championship meeting. Gilchrist Strikes Form Starting from the 95see mark in the steeplechase at Onehunga on Saturday, G. Gilchrist won the event rather easily by over a hundred yards. He has been in mediocre form only this season but his fine performance seems to indicate a return to the form which made him prominent on the Auckland cross-country field last year. Gilchrist has been placed four times altogether in steeplechase events this winter, once first, twice third and once fourth. He has performed with more than ordinary consistency in the field events, however. He won the discus throw twice and annexed the shotputting honours a like number of times against all comers.

The Vosseler Shield The Wellington Harrier Club defeated the Hutt Valley Harriers in the annual 10-mile race for the Vosseler Shield last month. The Olympic Club (Wellington) also competed, their champion runner, P. Wilson, coining home the first of 50 starters. The points were:—Wellington, 141; Hutt Valley. 154; Olympic, 173. . A. J. Elliott Resting At the conclusion of the Auckland Amateur Athletic Club’s meeting at Onehunga on Saturday, A. J. Elliott, Auckland sprint champion, announced that he intended to have a rest for a month or so in preparation for the serious business of the forthcoming provincial championship. Elliott has run at every meeting since last Labour Day and his decision to lay up is not before its time. More than one onlooker has noticed at the last three weekly sports gatherings that the champion’s running has lacked the sting of that final spurt which enabled him to win the sprint by the closest of touches earlier in the season. Although this spell will mean that Elliott will not be a competitor at Alexandra Park on Saturday week, Aucklanders can look forward confidently to hearing more of him on November 5.

Wonderful Vaulting One branch of athletics in which New Zealand lags far behind is polevaulting. The Americans, encouraged by the performances of the Norwegian, Charles Hoff, are beginning to leap over 13ft as a matter of course, and recently Sabin W. Carr, of Yale, established a new world record of 14ft. Keen competition is the cause of Sabin’s success, for Lee Barnes, of the University of Southern California, vaulting against him, cleared 13ft 9Mn, and Ward Stamford, of Stamford, could get only third place with 13ft 6in! The following figures show the world’s

records as they have stood at 10 years’ intervals over the past 40 years: 1887.—lift sin: H. H. Baxter. 1897. —lift 10 Jin: R. G. Clapp. 1907. —12ft sJin: W. R. Day. 1917.. —13ft 24in: M. S. Wright. 1927. —14ft: Sabin W. Carr. IMPROVEMENT NEEDED It was unfortunate that the tape broke just as the runners in the second heat of the 75 yards handicap were finishing on Saturday. As a result the placings of the judges were severely criticised by the onlookers. Even when a new tape was procured there was little improvement; several consultations having to be made with outsiders before a final decision was announced. This was not the first time that irregularities have cropped up. A week or two ago at the Domain the placings of the judges caused considerable controversy. While it must be admitted that the judges have an unenviable task at any time, and doubly so when the finish is particularly close, this is a branch of the programme that needs the most careful organisation. For a runner to finish with a feeling that through some slip or misunderstanding among the judges he is left unplaced, is most disheartening and not in the best interests of the sport. The writer would suggest that the appointment of definite judges, experienced in the work to pick first, second and third man respectively, prior to the meeting, would lead to an improvement where an improvement is most earnestly needed.

Saturday’s Performers E. P. Henshall, who ran third in the steeplechase, showed that the form which he displayed the previo'us week was no mere “flash in the pan.” He completed the course with fine judgment and had he not been crowded out at the second fence on one or two occasions, he would probably have finished second to Gilchrist. A. ( ke was running on a substanially u reased handicap in the steeplechase, but he led the field for the first two rounds. After that the hot pace on a much stiffer track than at the Domain told and he fell back considerably, eventually finishing fifth. F. Pearson has not been a competitor at these weekly meetings for some time, but when he did start in the 75 yards’ handicap on Saturday afternoon, he made his presence felt. He made Roper shift over the last few yards in the second heat only to be beaten by inches. In the final, however, he had his revenge and came in ahead of Elliott’s rival to win a close race in 8 1-ssec. H. S. Roper lived up to his reputation as a dangerous man in the sprint by winning his heat, and coming second in the final. Now that Elliott has decided to rest he is a certainty for the sprint cup. After his brilliant win in the distance event several Saturdays ago, E. J. Boucher did not come up to expectations on Saturday, although he finished fourth close behind Henshall. D. H. Grant, the Auckland hammerthrow and shot-putting champion, hurled the discus a distance of 109 ft Sin on Saturday. Although aided by a small handicap and a strong wind, this performance is very promising and he may yet displace Shirley from his pedestal in this branch of field events at the Auckland championships. N. F. Cooper shows beter form as the weeks go by, and Saturday’s performance was his best to date.