On Track and Field

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 137, 31 August 1927, Page 11

On Track and Field

By

THE SEASON’S FIXTURES The following is the season’s programme of the Auckland A.A. and C. Club: Next Saturday. —Winter Competitions (continued). Fifteenth meeting of series at Domain. September 10. —N.Z. amateur 50 miles cycling road race championship and Auckland 10.000 metres cross-country championship at Alexandra Park. September 17. —Auckland 50 miles amateur road race championship, and five-mile steeplechase at Alexandra Park. October I. —Joint meeting with Franklin A.A. and C. Club at Pukekolie. October 24. —Labour Day sports at Domain. CHAMPIONSHIPS November s. —Auckland provincial amateur athletic championships at the Domain. December 9 and 10. —New Zealand amateur athletic championships at Christchurch. December 26, 27, 28 and 29.— New Zealand and Australian amateur athletic championships at Wellington. * ❖ * WAKE UP, AUCKLAND For the past month the Canterbury centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association has been systematically training its athletes in preparation for the forthcoming Dominion championships. Otago has now a similar scheme under way and Wellington is reported to be moving in the matter. Under the expert guidance of coaching committees the enthusiasm of the Southern centres will be rewarded. Auckland, “Last, Loneliest, Loveliest, Exquisite Apart,” alone refuses to stir itself and wake up to the possibilities of a systematic training course. The enthusiastic athletes are here, and the champions too, but the controlling body is at a dead end. No wonder the Dominion Council is talking of taking steps to stir things up in Auckland. Such a move would not be before its time. * * * JACK SHIRLEY’S RETURN The jovial figure .of J. W. Shirley was again seen in action at the Outer Domain on Saturday. After an absence of three weeks while he was stationed at Swanson, the Auckland discus champion has returned from the North. No meeting of the Auckland Club is ever complete without Shirley. He is so full of energy that he imparts a vim into the proceedings which is sadly missed when he is absent. After throwing the discus back from the field to the competitors fo.r 15 minutes or more, he took his own turn and registered 99ft 7in. Such a performance without proper shoes and after a strenuous quarter of an hour makes one wonder what he would be able to do after a month or so of serious training. And they say there is no discus champion with a chance of winning Dominion honours, in Auckland.

OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE WIN The Oxford and Cambridge University athletes defeated their American rivals from Yale and Harvard by 7 events to 5 at Stamford Bridge last July. Tlie unexpected triumph of the British was due largely to the fine “double” scored by J. W. Rinkel in the 220 yards and 440 yards events, while his fellow Cantab, Lord Burghley, took the 220 yards hurdles and was second in both the 120 yards hurdles and the quarter-mile. A marvellous display of grit and match-winning ability gave the Englishmen their win when the majority of the critics in the country predicted a sweeping victory for the Americans. RECORD OF THE SERIES The following table gives the winners and the points scored in the Oxford and Cambridge Yale-Harvard contests since the series commenced in 1899: —

In 1925 at the Harvard Stadium each team scored an equal number of firsts, but Yale and Harvard won as they had 7i seconds to Oxford and Cambridge’s ENGLAND DEFEATS FRANCE England defeated France at the annual athletic contests held at Stamford Bridge on July .10 last by 66 Doints to 45. She won 13 events to France's nine. D. G. A. Howe, hngi„nd won the 800 metres in lmin 54 l-osec. It is remarkable how Lowe retains his form at this distance. He has been the leading Britisher for some years at the 800 metres and hah-mile, and won the last Olympic 800 metres in 1.52 2-5, and was just beaten by Dr. Peltzer in the 19-6 EnsUsh half-mile championship, in which the German doctor made his worlds record of 1.51 3-5. Tast vear. at Paris. England won .. J contests bv 63 points to 48. The tear before Vt London the French were successful. * AMERICA’S SPRINT STAR Another star sprinter has been unearthed by the United States in

Amateur Athletic Notes

“SPARTAN” =

Charles Borah, of Los Angeles, who, in the American championships held last July, equalled world’s figures for the 100 yards (9 3-ssec). On seeing the slow-motion film of the race 48 hours afterwards, the judges awarded the race to Bowman. Some idea of Borah’s calibre may be gained when it is remebered that Jackson Scholz, who carried everything before him in New Zealand last year, was placed fourth to Bowman, Borah and Roland Locke. ** - * GERMANY TRIUMPHS The German athletes defeated the French representatives at the Colpmbes Stadium, France, on August 21 by 89 points to 62. J. Martin, France, won the 800 metres in lmin 53 l-ssec, defeating the German champion, Dr. Peltzer. The German relay team, including Peltzer, running 400 metres each, won the team relay in the record time of 3min 18 2-ssec. A VETERAN RUNNER At the Auckland Amateur Athletic and Cycle Club’s sports last Saturday, Alf. Clarke, the veteran runner, repeated his performance of a month or so ago by winning both the 75 yards handicap and the steeplechase. The fact that he started from the limit mark in all the events in no way detracts from the merit of his performances when it is considered that he is far and away the oldest club member regularly competing in these events. For the last 30 or more years, Clarke has been running regularly at Christchurch, Taranaki and finally Auckland. ITe came here from New Plymouth in 1904 and remembers competing against such champions as Spence Barnes and Co. in pre-war days. Alf modestly says he was never much of a sprinter, but his formidable record this winter hardly bears out such a statement. He has won the 75 yards handicap twice and been placed on several other occasions. He has annexed the longer distance event three times and twice only has he been unplaced. And so, at the age of 48, this veteran of the track is still going strong and even yet capable of showing many of his younger rivals a clean pair of heels on the harrier field. * * * SATURDAY’S PERFORMERS

B. F. White signalised his return by giving Clarke the race of his life in the steeplechase. The memory of White’s wonderful win at the Henderson Domain is still fresh and he should have more than a look in on September 10. IT. S. Roper was unlucky to lose the 75 yards handicap on Saturday. He beat Clarke in his heat, but in the final the veteran came in ahead of him. J. W. Savidan, who recently returned from the Australasian crosscountry championships at Adelaide, was not a competitor on Saturday. ITe is suffering from a sore throat. E. P. Plenshall did not show up as prominently as usual in the steeplechase. Pie would be well advised to take a spell prior to the forthcoming championships. ITells, Cooper and Scown were not present on Saturday. They are reported to be in training for the track season. Watt is a consistent performer each Saturday. Pie finished up third in both the sprint and the steeplechase last week and should be in fine form for the coming track season.

Year Held at Winners Points 1899 —London England 5 -4 1901 —New York America H -3 1904 —London America 6 -3 1911 —London England 5 -4 1921—Harvard America 8 -2 1923— Wembley England 19 25 —Harvard America 1927 —London England « -o