Athletic Club

The 1918-19 season was by far the most successful that this club has experienced since the commencement of hostilities in August of 1914.

In the early part of the year the Wellington Amateur Athletic Club were communicated with for the purpose of endeavouring to revive amateur athletics in Wellington, and the result of the united efforts of the two clubs in this direction has indeed been very gratifying.

The season was opened on Wednesday, the 5th February, when an evening meeting was held, under the auspices of the Wellington Club. At this gathering a number of college runners participated, and it was clearly shown by the enthusiasm of the competitors and the large attendance of the public that the reappearance of the sport, which was one that had been dormant in this city for some three years, was welcomed in all quarters.

During the next week a meeting was conducted under the control of the College Club, and this also proved very successful.

The events were varied considerably, and like gatherings were conducted by the two Clubs alternately until near the middle of the following month.

The Wellington Club Officials invited the College Club to join with them in holding a big sports carnival on the Basin, consisting of nineteen events in all, six of which were to be Wellington Provincial Championships. The offer was gladly accepted, and March 15th was chosen as the day of the venture. Owing to unavoidable circumstances, the meeting had to be postponed for a week, but the following Saturday, the 22nd March, provided a most successful afternoon's sport. The attendance of the public was large, the fields exceptionally big, and all events were well contested.

At the evening meetings College men more than held their own with other competitors, and at the Carnieval of the 22nd March were successful in annexing three of the six Championship events.

We are indeed indebted to the officers of the Wellington Club, who, besides assisting us in the conduct of our evening meetings, bore the heat and burden of the day when the Championships were decided. The promptness with which everything was carried out went a long way towards the success of the afternoon.

In conclusion, there is no doubt that the opportunities for track experience which were presented to and taken advantage of by the athletes of the college during the season accounted in no small measure for the noteworthy success achieved by the team at the Inter-University Easter Tournament.