Auckland Starts Well

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 596, 23 February 1929, Page 6

Auckland Starts Well

Amateur Athletic Championships Savidan’s Three-Mile Victory (Special to THE SUNJ WELLINGTON, Friday. THE small Auckland team started off well in the New Zealand amateur athletic championships, which opened at Wellington late yesterday afternoon at the Basin Reserve in perfect weather. Savidan gained the first victory for the North, winning the three-miles in brilliant style, and Elliott impressed everybody by bis brilliant running in the heats of the sprints.

Although the first session of the N.Z.A.A.A. championship meeting was devoted mostly to heats, it was full of interest, and some very fine performances were put up.

An outstanding feature of the day was the very fine running of A. j. Elliott, the Auckland sprinter, who won heats of the hundred and furlong in convincing style, putting up a really splendid run over the shorter distance to outclass the field and win in even time. Elliott is a splendid type of sprinter, and he runs with a fine style from the time he leaves the hole until he breasts the tape. Of strong build, he has nevertheless fined down a good deal since he ran in the championships last year, when he was a very solid runner, but not brilliant. Now he is the most improved runner at the meeting. Although he never looked like losing his hundred heat, he had to battle for his win in the furlong, in

which the field was in a line 30 yards from home. Over the last twenty, he went to the front to win in 23 l-ssec.

Although C. H. Jenkins (Wellington) won his heat of the hundred by a clear yard in 10 l-ssec, he was beaten by half a yard by R. Cordery, the young Canterbury runner, in his heat of the furlong. This was a fine race. Jenkins had the best of the start, and he had a lead of a yard or so when they turned into the straight. Then Cordery came with a truly remarkable burst of speed to go past the Wellingtonian in a surprising manner over the last few yards. Time, 23 l-ssee. The quarter-mile heats did not produde any real surprise, although, strangely enough, three men, champions in their own provinces, ran slower than the three second strings in other heats. This race emphasised the great difference between running this distance in lanes (as is being done this year) and without lanes. SAVIDAN’S FINE WIN

J. W. Savidan (Auckland), running with a tireless, even stride, and finishing fast and fresh, won the three miles as he pleased, and received a good reception from the crowd. This race was a bit of a disappointment to Canterbury. E. B. E. Taylor hung on to Savidan, who began to move away from the field after the first three laps, and looked a certainty for second place. The first mile was run in 4.46 4-5, and then Taylor began to tire. With six laps gone, he was dropping back noticeably, and soon F. Silver and A. L. Stevens, two Wellington men, had passed him. Savidan pushed on alone, running easily and never showing the effects of the pace he was making. He covered two miles in 9.50 2-5, and simply strode round the last four laps as if enjoying himself. He missed lapping Taylor by 20 yards, Silver finishing second 250 yards back and Stevens third. THE FIELD EVENTS

E. G. Sutherland (Wellington) gave a better exhibition in the pole v; siting than did the title-holder. J. YV. Batstone (Canterbury), and won at 10ft 6Jin. Peter Munro (Wellington) had no difficulty in retaining the discus throwing with much better style than the rest of the field. B. Rydbeck

(Wellington), who has not been showing his best: form previously, rose to the occasion to win the hop, step and jump with 46ft.9in, but he injured his ankle in the third jump. CANTERBURY CYCLISTS BRILLIANT

The cycling was good. Canterbury riders were all placed. Frank Grose rode much better than he has been doing in Canterbury, and won the mile heat by two lengths, after taking the lea.d 200 yards from home. T. E. O’Brien won his heat in this race by three lengths, uncovering a brilliant sprint in the straight. The Masterton crack, T. Oakley, beat Grose by two lengths in the heat of the half, in which L. J. Pearce, the exCanterbury rider, who was eligible to ride for Canterbury, but was permitted by them to ride for Wellington. fieri to qualify. The much-

boosted Wellington rider, M. Gane, beat O’Brien by a wheel with A. Mackie a wheel away third, in the other heat of the half.

►Standard performances - were bettered by Elliott in the hundred, by Savidan, Rydbeck, Sutherland and W. Tonkin (Wellington), winner of the three miles walk, and by Findlay and McLaclilan, a son of the famous old professional runner. Wellington secured a big lead in the teams championship points, Wellington getting 20, Auckland 5, Canterbury 2 and Otago 2. AUCKLAND TEAM’S FORM

The Auckland team performed very creditably. Savidan outclassed the field to win the three miles as he pleased, and there is no doubt that lie is the outstanding distance runner of the Dominion. Elliott made himself look a certainty for the hundred, and H. McCoy ran a rattling good race to get second to Jenkins in the other heat. McCoy was slower than Jenkins and J. FI. Murphy to start, but over the last 40 yards he made a very strong effort.

Shirley did not show anything like last year’s form in the hop, step and jump, and had to be content with third place. Both Auckland men ran well in the furlong, in which Elliott and Cordery (Canterbury) should fight out the final.

J. H. Wade failed to qualify in the mile, but will start in the final of the half. He showed speed, but lack of experience in high-class fields. T. E. Henry, who suffered a muscle injury a short time ago, could not foot it with the others in the quarter heat, and faded away in the straight. Altogether, the small Auckland team made a very fine impression. Results:

100. Yards—First heat: C. Jenkins (Wellington), L; IF. McCoy (Auckland), 2; J. H. Murphy (Canterbury), 3. Time, 10 l-ssec. Second heat: A. J. Elliott (Auckland), 1; B. Geddes (Otago), 2; F. Cordery (Canterbury), 3. Time, lOsec. 220 Yards—First heat: R. Cordery (Canterbury), 1; C. Jenkins (Wellington), 2; H. McCoy (Auckland) 3. Cordery ran a great race and just beat Jenkins, who appeared to be easing up. McCoy was a close third. Time, 23 l-ssec. Second heat: A. J. Elliott (Auckland), 1; B. Geddes (Otago), 2; L. C. Veitch (Wellington), 3. Elliott won by Syds. Time, 23 l-ssec.

440 Yards—First heat: A. W. Findlay (Otago), 1; J. T. Fleming (Wellington), 2; A. L. Tideman (Canterbury), 3. Won by inches. Time, 50 l-ssec. Second Heat: L. C. McLaclilan (Otago), 1; N. J. Suckling (Canterbury), 2; L. C. Veitch (Wellington). 3. Won by half a yard, with 2yds between second and third. Time, slsec. THREE MILES FLAT J. W. Savidan (Auckland) .. 1 F. Silver (Wellington) 2 A. L. Stevens (Wellington) 3 Running easily together Savidan and Taylor - (Canterbury) led over the first mile, keeping about 40yds ahead of Silver, who was 20yds ahead of Garrett and Stevens. Half-way round the fifth lap Savidan lengthened his stride, and after making a vain effort to hold him Taylor dropped back in the following lap. Shortly afterwards he was overtaken by Silver. At the two-mile mark Savidan was half a lap ahead of Silver. At the bell Savidan had a lead of three-quarters of a lap, and at the finish he had almost lapped Taylor. Time, 14min 59 3-ssec. Silver’s time was 15min 40 2-ssec. THREE MILES WALK W. Tonkin (Wellington) 1 S. Gudsell (Wellington) 2 The only starters. Won by a comfortable margin. Time, 22min 54sec. POLE VAULT E. G. Sutherland (Wellington), 10ft 64in 1 W. J. Batstone (.Canterbury), 10ft R. O. Johnstone (Otago), 10 ft Oiin 3 DISCUS THROW P. Munro (Wellington), 127 ft 1 L>. Brown (Wellington), 111 ft Gifin .. 2 F. Jones (Wellington) 3 HOP. STEP AND JUMP B. Rydbeck (Wellington). 46ft Din .. 1 R. O. Johnstone (Otago), 46ft . . . . 2 J. W. Shirley (Auckland), 44ft Sin .. 3 Half-mile Cycle—First heat: T. Oakley (Wellington), 1; F. Grose (Canterbury), 2; J. H. Wade (Auckland), 3. Won by about two lengths. Time, lmin 9 4-ssec. Second heat: M. Gane (Wellington), 1; T. T. O’Brien (Canterbury), 2; A. Mackie (Canetrbury), 3. Won by a wheel. Time, lmin 10 3-ssec.

One Mile Cycle—First heat: F. Grose (Canterbury), 1; T. Oakley (Wellington), 2; C. Flett (Wellington), 3. Time. 2min 29 l-ssec. Second heat: T. O'Brien 2; H. J. C. Kilsen (Wanganui-Taranaki), 3. Time, 2min 26 2-ssec.