Still Champion

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 577, 1 February 1929, Page 7

Still Champion

Norma Wilson is Fastest Girl Sprinter FINE RUN AT GISBORNE (Special to THE SUXJ WELLINGTON, Thursday. The number of women runners in New Zealand who can break 12sec for 100yds is very limited; in fact it is probable that there is only one who can do it consistently, and that is Miss Norma Wilson, the Gisborne champion, who was New Zealand's selection for the Olympic Games. At the same time there are quite a number of feminine runners coining on who will shape well before long, and some of them will probably give Miss Wilson a run for it at the New Zealand championship meeting on February 9 at Masterton. Miss Wilson has shown herself to be in the championship class, her improvement since returning from the Games being very noticeable. This week it was reported than she won a

100yds invitation race at Gisborne in 11 3-ssec, finishing fast, with a margin of six yards, so that when the dominion title is in process of settlement there seems to be little doubt about the winner. However, this classy sprinter has not the field entirely to herself, as in Wellington and elsewhere there are several likely contestants. The Wellington team, which this week won the Eteveneaux Cup—Misses E. Blatherwick, J. Wilson, G. . Edwards, and E. Sharp consists of four fine sprinters, though they are not yet of the standard set by Misses Porter, Swinburne and Manttan a season or two back. Wellington also possesses two other handy sprinters in Misses C. Miller and J. Murray, both of whom are callable of doing the 100yds in a fraction FOXTON GIRL IN LIMELIGHT One of the most recent of the season’s surprises is Miss M. Barron, a Foxton girl, who cleaned up the programme at a meeting in that centre and. if correctly recorded, has some exceptional times to her credit. I law Ice’s Bay has a couple of speedy girls in Misses E. Hoyle and “Pat” Doherty, the first-named of whom is expected to give Miss Norma Wilson a good run for the title. Miss Phyllis Stewart, of Wairoa, has also been clocked to do 12sec. but needs a little more racing in high-class company to bring her into the championship class. In the Wairarapa there are two sister.T named Jackson, who may be expected to run well at tjie New Zealand meeting in view of the fact that they will be running on a track —at Masterton—that they know well. Wanganui possesses a classy runner in Miss Jean Greagor. and the manner in which she won a scratch race at Hastings last week indicates that she has struck form. Those are probably the pick of the North Island lady sprinters, though Auckland seems to be without any outstanding female athletes. In the South Island, which has been slower to adopt women’s races as an integral part of sports program ms than lias the North, there are several girl sprinters making a bid for big honours. Miss Boyd, of Christchurch, is probably the best in that city, but she has not been returning times that give any warrant of bigger things. Or. the other hand, Miss M. Pettet. o ? Dunedin, has been running in lino stvie. her times being quite good. Another Southerner of promise is Miss Nichol, who hails from Gore, and wh.» has been winning scratch rac**s in quite good time. Taking everything into consideration, however, the indications are that the ladies’ title will be retained in the North Island, and at the moment there does not appear to be any runner equal to displacing Miss Norma Wilson, the present holder of the women’s sprint title. though there are youngsters coming on who will demand attention before long.