Athletic Champions

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 195, 7 November 1927, Page 11

Athletic Champions

AUCKLAND PROVINCIAL TITLES Saturday’s Events Reviewed

AT the Domain Cricket Ground on Saturday afternoon Auckland athletes pounded the track in eight provincial championships. Although no records suffered and times were on the slow side for a championship meeting, the events were contested with plenty of dash and keenness. The surprise of the day was,the defeat of Shirley, the crack allrounder, in the 120yds hurdles by B. M. Murray.

wfKTAINLY the meeting was fav\j oU red with ideal weather condi- . 3 but this alone was no reason 'fast times should have been exited for one of the main factors is condition of the track. It was a shade on the slow side, and although quite well prepared and marked “t for the occasion, was by no means s fast as it was for the last New yLland Championships, when new eeords were established in more than one event. Neither could it be said that all the athletes who competed were in the pink of condition, for the season is yet in the early stages and many have only recently donned their togs. SHIRLEY’S DEFEAT Undoubtedly the biggest surprise of flu day was the defeat of J. W. Shiray Auckland’s crack all-rounder, in the 120 yards hurdles, by B. M. Murray Murray led nearly all the way and came in to win from Shirley by a mere half-yard, so it was by no means a walk-over victory. The old champion made a big effort to overtake Murray over the last two hurdles, hut he was unsuccessful. It has been said that Shirley jumped badly, and did iot show any of his old-time form, but that is a rash sort of statement to make. Shirley was never a crackjack over the sticks; he has not the daah and Is not uniform in his speed like a real champion. Still he is better than the average, and not at any time did he jump badly. Murray appeared to show more stamina than Shirley, and looks the type that will improve, but at present lie has not auch a great deal on Shirley. ELLIOTT’S BAD STARTING Both the 100 yards dash and 220 yards were Interesting events, espec-

does not seem to have improved such a great deal since he first took up athletics. Williams was a bit “of t colour,” but he is very fast off the mark and he got away first in both races on Saturday and took the lead. It was only Elliott’s great finishing dashes that beat him. The unnecessary false starts also hindered Elliott a great deal, and in the 220 yards he cut things very fine. McCOY’S 440 YARDS WIN Two other sprinters well worthy of note are J. McCoy and L. H. Meredith. McCoy ran a very “in and out’’ sort of a race in the 220 yards, dropping ially since Elliott and Williams were seen in two close races. Elliott ran well and clinched both titles, but he has still a lot to learn about sprint racing. He is bad at starting and

back and losing a good deal of ground at the 100 yards mark and then coming in to finish with great dash. He also kept an erratic course, and no doubt would have liked it much better had the race been run round a bend. McCoy was another niftn who took the

jield not feeling too well, but neverthole3B he clinched the 440 yards flat title 2®® r an a very heady race. Paddy J->eer© took the lead and kept it right J , p until entering the straight, where uie new champion passed him and came in to win by about three yards, fib* straine( l his heart, A. C. Garlc** the old champion, was a nonstarter. McCoy is it very much improved runner and should do some,ln* really startling before this sea- ?° n is finished. Meredith ran well up i 11 all the sprint events and is a good ; aa *nicap man. Royal win for'savidan fcvidan had a royal win in the mile na was a moral from the start. He j “pke away to take the lead and kept r v , tbe wav « coming in to win from j th , 11® by about 30 yards. Entering) ‘.past lap Savidan led Kells by about I on tu ards ' but tlien the latter clapped ■ j* the pace round the home bend anti j •ortened the gap considerably. This pat sprint of Kells's was rather unD«cted, after his poor show in the where he dropped away of Be * s hy no means, the Kells ei,* he makes hard work of his p^vours. J-S. Watt took the 880 title away Kells. Watt is a very much imecl runner and has a nice easy v_ yi *; He was followed to the tape J N «sdale and Kirkwood, who. came a onl y five yards away. Results as under: 100YDS CHAMPIONSHIP f* i* Elliott 1 L £' 2 Meredith 3 started: Ferguson, Bond, Morgan, Brownlee. Ti m*. 10 2-5. 880YDS HANDICAP * Blow (55yds) 1 «\? Maxwell (35yds) .. .. .. •• 2 •Scown (48yds) 3 Ti me, 2m 1 l-ss. nJ° t n h By 20yds; syds .separating second 1 20yds hurdles championship *• Murray 1

J. W. Shirley .. .. .. .. .. 2 W. A. Fausett ** * 3 Time, 17s. 880YDS CHAMPIONSHIP J. S. Watt j F. Nesdale " 2 R. G. Kirkwood *.* ** 3 Time, 2m 4s. Won by 20yds. 100 YDS HANDICAP First Heat: W. Beresford (syds), 1; R Willey (7yds), 2; L. R. Hook (3Xyds), 3. Time, 10 1-5. Second Heat: S. Fergusson (31yds), 1; A. G. Bond (4yds), 2; D. A. Elliott (6*yds), 3. Time, 10 2-ss. Third Heat: A. E. Kerrisk (7yds), 1; E. F. Jones (4Jyds), 2; D. M. Gordon (31 yds), 3. Time, 10 3-10 s. Final: W. Beresford (syds), 1; L. R. Hook (Siyds), 2; A. E. Kerrisk (7yds), 3. HIGH JUMP HANDICAP W. A. Fauscett (4in), sft 7£in .. .. 1 B. M. Murray (sin), sft 7in 2 J. W. Shirley (scr.), sft sin 3 ONE MILE RUN CHAMPIONSHIP J. W. Savidan 1 G. Kells 2 L. C. Barker * 3 Also started: R. F. White. Time, 4m 47 4-ss. 220YDS CHAMPIONSHIP A. J. EHiott 1 E. C. Williams 2 J. L. McCoy 3 Also started: T>. P. Deere, L. IT. Meredith, D M. Gordon, R. C. Morgan, Dr. J. J. Brownlee. Time, 22 3-ss. HOP, STEP AND JUMP HANDICAP J. H. Betley (sft. Oin.), 48ft.3in 1 P. Waugh (3ft. 6in), 46ft. 3iin 2 J. Lynch (4ft. 6in.), 45ft. lljin 3 JAVELIN THROW HANDICAP G. Davidson (10ft.), 127 ft. 4in 1 J. C. Tipping (20ft.), 125 ft. lin 2 D. H. Grant (scr.), 124 ft 3 440YDS. CHAMPIONSHIP J. L. McCoy 1 D. P. Deere 2 F. Nesdale 3 Also started: Bond, Leikis, Kirkwood and Watt. Time, 52 3-ssec.