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Salient. An organ of student opinion at Victoria College Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 2, No. 5 April 19, 1939

Sport

page 4

Sport

Tournament Points

Otago 36 ¾ points.
Victoria 22 points.
Auckland 9 points.
Canterbury 8¼ points.
Ours was an honorable second, the points being accumulated thus:
1938
Basketball 6½ (6½)
Athletics 6 (3)
Tennis 5 (9)
Boxing 2½ (1¼)
Shooting 2 (2½)
Swimming 0 (0)
Rowing 0 (6)
22 (28¼)

Probably the most gratifying feature of Tournament from our point of view was the improvement in athletics. We retained the tennis shield/ and again had the best basketball combination. In boxing we won the middleweight and heavyweight titles, but in rowing our experienced crew was beaten into third place. The swimmers once again emerged pointless. We had a close contest with Otago in shooting, the Dunedin men just prevailing.—L.B.S.

Shooting

The Shooting team merits praise for a good performance under trying conditions, and commiseration for the disappointment of being told that a recount showed that they had lost the Haslam Shield by two points after they had celebrated a victory. Conditions were certainly trying. When the team arrived at the range the targets were entirely obscured by mint. The suggestion that a bell should be run in front of each target was not upheld, as apparently the rules did not include provision for blind shooting, although subsequent results might have suggested it. Even when the natural obstacle in the form of the mist had cleared away, a further difficulty was found in the very trying light which cast shadows on the targets. The Otago University Rifle Club is fortunate, however, in having, a range so handy and sheltered.

In the actual match the Victoria riflemen shot well, though all of them failed at one or other of the ranges. Johnson and Corkill put on good scores in the application at three hundred yards, while the latter's effort at 600 yards was excellent, especially considering the nerve-racking conditions. That the top score, also a record by the way. Was, made, by Boaden, of Auckland University Club, emphasises the fact that a good team score will usually beat individual brilliance. It was disappointing that the team failed after bring is points in the lead before the 600 yards match, but such misfortunes are just the turns of the game. It would have been very satisfying to have kept the Haslam Shield in the old glass case, but still there is next year with all its possibilities ahead.

Third in Rowing

The Victoria College crew has no excuses to offer for having been defeated in the 1939 Hebberly Shield race. They were beaten by two crews which, on the day, were superior. The course was over three miles finishing between the Dunedin harbour wharves; the first two miles were in the shelter of the land, and the water was fairly flat. Over this stretch our crew, rowing smoothly, was well up with the leaders, but when the last long mile was reached.—over the open harbour, where the water was fairly choppy—the combination and steadiness went out of the boat, and it was a hard fight to keep within striking distance of the Otago crew.

The Otago coach and crew are deserving of the highest congratulations individually all the other crews were superior in oarsman ship. If not in fitness. Otago had the advantage, of course, of hiring on their own course and were rowing in a new boat which was suitable to the conditions.

This cannot detract, however, from the performance of eight inexperienced men who had been together for a few weeks only.

Swimming

No Points, But Good Promise.

Victoria scored no points in the tournament swimming contest, but the actual results are misleading. The general standard of swimming was very much higher than last year, and there are excellent prospects for three titles next year. Indeed it was only due to a very strict interpretation of the rules as to breaststroke that prevented Victoria University College from gaining a title and three points this year.

All members of the team qualified for the finals of their respective events, except Mishart (Massey) in the 100 yards. Taylor was not placed in either the 100 or the 440 race, being faced with very stiff opposition in swimmers like Neville and Buchanan, but was not far behind the leaders. Misses Malcolm and Spiers, who each came third in their respective heats in the women's 100, swam well in the final. Miss Spiers just failing to gain third place.

Wishart was a good third in the 220, in which O'Flynn also swam, but not as well as usual, being several yards behind Wishart. Bob Hall was third in the 100 backstroke event, doing about 76 seconds, and probably equalling the former New Zealand University record, which was this year broken by C. Foot (Otago University).

The Disqualifications.

Sylvia Hefford finished a touch ahead of the present 100 yards women's breaststroke champion. Miss Eastgate, after swimming a fine race, and doing the distance in about 95 seconds. Ron Meek finished second in the 220 breaststroke event, which was won by J. C. W. Davies (Otago University), who equaled the New Zealand record. Unfortunately, both our swimmers were disqualified by the judge for not swimming the correct breaststroke, as was every other competitor, except Davies (Otago University) and Miss Eastgate (Otago University) in each race! Meek, it is true, was disqualified at Auckland last year, though the particular fault for which he was then disqualified was not in evidence this year: but Sylvia's breaststroke has been always held up in Wellington as a model of correctness, and it is very unfortunate that, after just falling to beat Miss Eastgate in the last two tournaments, she should be disqualified upon doing so. There were three breaststroke races on the programme, and, out of a total of ten competitors, all except Davies and Miss Eastgate were disqualified. The disqualifications included the New Zealand intermediate women's breaststroke champion. A protest was lodged against this excessively rigid interpretation of the rules, but was unsuccessful.

The water polo match, in which all the men in the team took part, was of a high standard, and resulted in a draw.

We feel we should mention the splendid way in which the contest was run, and the unfailing courtesy and consideration of the Otago officials.

Boxing

Featherweight.

The opening stages of this bout were very willing with Canterbury slightly in the ascendancy. A telling blow in the second round floored Armstrong who took the count. The V.U.C. trainer, afterwards, was of the opinion that his man could have continued but missed the count.

Lightweight.

Sheehan had the misfortune to hurt his leg thus preventing him from fighting. He would have been a keen contender in this class.

Middleweight.

This bout was marked by the tenacity of the Canterbury man, who, although outmaneuvered by Ryan, fought back gamely. The decision went to Victoria.

In the final against Cornish (O.U.), honors were even till the third round when Ryan began to take the initiative, leading with both hands. He continued into the fourth round to win and showed some clever footwork. The bout was characterized by good hard fighting on both sides, and drew the keen interest of the crowd. Probably the best fight of the evening.

Light-Heavy Weight.

Bryers was also unfortunate and unable to participate owing to injuries.

Heavyweight.

Both started off well but slackened as the fight progressed. In the first round points were fairly even with McClaren loading with the left and swinging in with his right. McClaren continued aggressively and was awarded the decision on points. A win for Massey.

Bantamweight.

Muir won his heat and went into the finals, but the Otago man proved too much for him.

Welterweight.

The Otago man had the advantage but Cohen stood up well to a lot of punishment. The bout went to Otago.

Tennis

The tennis team, though not quite as good and not as lucky as Jast year (and luck counts a lot at tournaments) yet was successful in retaining the cup by the narrow margin of one point. The Otago team was good, and were neck and neck with V.U.C., the issue being in doubt till the very last.

All members of the team performed well, though some perhaps not quite as well as was expected. N. A. Morrison, who captained the team, was its outstanding player, and he gave a consistently good performance, at times brilliant, well deserving his two titles.

Renouf and O'Connor reached semi-finals in the men's singles, but both were then beaten by O.U. players. Renouf falling to strike the good form he has shown most of the season.

In the women's singles Mary Edwards went down in a great first round fight to Miss Kerr. Elizabeth MacLean outclassed her first two opponents to roach the final; but there was defeated by an experienced and versatile player. After making a remarkable recovery in the first set, she lost because her powerful forehand drive lost its usual accuracy at critical stages.

N. A. Morrison and F. H. Renouf won the men's doubles, both playing well and showing superiority of combination over other pairs in this event. Morrison's volleying was exceptionally good.

The Women's Doubles, which unfortunately seems to be developing into something of a "hack" event in which none of the Colleges enter their best players, yet produced tennis of a good fighting variety and Marie Walker and Pixie Higgin did well to reach the final and all but win it. Mary Edwards and Marie Fletcher threw away a great chance by their defeat in the semi-final.

In the Mixed Doubles Marie Fletcher and J. Hartley had a good win in the first round only to go down to Smith and Miss Kerr in the semi-final. Morrison and Elizabeth Maclean had an easy road to the final where they were all set for a probable win over Smith and Miss Kerr when the latter pair defaulted, owing to Miss Kerr's preference for playing in the provincial championships. It was unfortunate, for there is little satisfaction in such a win, especially as the match should have provided the high-light of the day in deciding the fate of the cup. Such an ending proved a disappointment and an anticlimax and should never have been allowed to occur.