Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Salient: An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria University, Wellington Vol. 24, No. 6. 1961.

Tournament Vs. Victorian Athletes

Tournament Vs. Victorian Athletes

We Train and Train

Despite unreasonably long hours during which athletes were awake and making merry. Vic. athletes were certainly not disgraced. Besides being a congenial set of travelling companions the athletic team gave a preview of things to come by turning out, almost to a man, at a 7 a.m. run on the Friday. No other Varsity (not even Otago) made use of the facilities which were available on Friday and it was gratifying to see our boys pounding around the track.

Most of them got to bed reasonably early on Friday night and Saturday dawned clear and fine. Saturday's programme consisted mainly of heats but in the finals contested, Janet Davies won the long jump with 16ft. 10½ins., L. Clarke won the discus 127ft. 4ins., and A. Howard gained second place in the pole vault with 10ft. 6in.

The Relay

Several other athletes qualified for finals in the course of the afternoon but the highlight of the day was the thrilling victory in the 4 × 110 relay by Lloyd Clarke, Brian Smythe, John Pearce and Lance Leikis. Owing to near perfect baton changing, the Victoria men were only a yard or two in arrears at the last change—the Otago men were faster but they lost ground at the changes. Laurie Leikis had to make up two yards on Otago's Colin Maguire, a 10 second man at best, and consequently produced the finest sprint he had turned in for some time to win by a fraction of an inch in 43.4 seconds.

Relaxation

Sunday saw riotous living. Songs and things were sung to the accompaniment provided by Andy Apeaki and Brian Smythe, both competent guitarists.

Results

Monday was overcast. However, we were out again at 2 p.m. and Vic. athletes made their mark in most finals. Lance Leikis ran into third place in the 100 (time, 10 seconds—that of the winner). Then Joe Pope whipped over the 3ft. 6in. hurdles to gain second place. Time, 15.3 sees. (.1 sec. outside N.Z.U. Blues time). Mark (Alf.) Harris produced his best ever time in taking Vic's third title in the 400 yards hurdles (time, 57.8 sees.). Not up to other years certainly, but outstanding for a fourth attempt at the race. This was a popular success with the team. Janet Davies had by now run second in the 80 metres hurdles, beating last year's winner Ailsa McDonald.

Meanwhile, over by the beaches Lloyd Clarke and Andy Apeaki, the strong men in the team, had gained second in the javelin (approx. 180ft.) and third in the shot putt (approx. 40ft.) respectively.

Janet Davies (again) topped off a magnificent day's athletics with a second in the high jump (4ft. 10in.).

The Haka

At this juncture, the Vic. athletic team, produced an example of its special uniqueness. It injected a touch of real colour into .the proceedings by performing its own haka, specially written by Brian Smythe, with able assistance from just about everybody. The haka incident could be classed as the most colourful one at tournament.

Anyway, the crowd loved it. And our 4 × 440 team whom it was intended to inspire ran a fine second to Otago—an excellent performance. The team was Lance Leikis (again), Johnny Pearce (the team mascot), Andy Larkin (the man with the tankard) and Doug. Drysdale, who had previously run very meritoriously in the 440 and 880, gaining a well-deserved fourth in top-class company.

Up, And Up, And Up

However the high jumpers were the heroes of the team. During afternoon Paul von Dadelszen and Arthur Howard had been patiently clearing the bar and waitings for most other competitors to fall out. Finally, all other events finished, only three men remained, Victoria's specialists and the greatest ever University all-round athlete, Murray Speden. During the day, Speden had won the javelin (204ft.), the hop step and jump (47ft.), the 120 hurdles (15.3 sees.) and the 220 hurdles (25.3 sees.).

Paul von Dadelszen dropped out at 5ft. 9in. and with the bar at 5ft. llin. Speden was out. Arthur was up and over with inches to spare and Vic. had another title. Deathly silence accompanied attempts at N.Z.U. Blue height (6ft. lin.)—but to no avail. His last attempt was the narrowest of misses, but it was a miss, and Easter, 1961, athletics had finished.

In the final points Otago won by a margin of nearly 30 points.

They certainly had some fine athletes, Stew. McCrostie (nat. 880 yards finalist), Warren Jowett (national placegetter in long jump), Murray Speden (of course), Colin Maguire and umpteen others. A victory was deservedly theirs and we extend our sincerest congratulations to them.

A Tribute

Special note could be made of two things: The suitability of the University Oval in most respects; and the excellent organisation.

The Oval is certainly one of the most picturesque grounds in New Zealand, and any faults were of minor consideration.

The Social Side

Socially, of course, the team had a great lime. Another colourful incident was the Pooh-sticking, enjoyed by many throughout the Monday night and Tuesday morning, culminating in finals at 5 a.m. N.Z.U. Blues in Pooh-sticks were awarded to the entire athletic team, together with Anita Greig and Helen Aitken. Appeals are to be lodged in writing on large denomination bank notes, before the next meeting of the council, which will be in Auckland, over Easter, 1962. A super poohsticks competition (using logs of a special size) with initiating point on the Harbour Bridge will be run.

The return home was its usual shambles, saved from utter decrepitude by the huge quantities of food supplied by Arthur Howard, Lance Crawford and Brian Dawkins.

"I must confess I do not know what it is like to bear a child."— Dawkins.

* * *

"You are all troubled by a sense of guilt."

page 12
"Kaikoura Ho!" Victoria University (Christmas 1960) tramping trip.

"Kaikoura Ho!" Victoria University (Christmas 1960) tramping trip.