Athletics

Strange as it may seem, the favourable weather of this 1959 Athletic Season did much to atone for the miseries of last year. March 2nd seemed a very forbidding date for the start of Standards, but after a little over 11 hours of concentrated "sport", the first part of the Inter-House competition was achieved and all was well. With occasional blank days the competition seemed in jeopardy from time to time, but track conditions improved immeasurably, runners became duly encouraged, and within the space of two weeks hundreds of unfit runners were transformed into reasonably fit athletes.

The Inter House competition raged with unabated vigour, so much so that even the Games Committee ruled that non-starters should become an increased liability upon their House effort, more so than has been the case in the past. The Manor, who had only managed to grace 5th place in 1958, sprang into prominence by taking the lead on Standards, and their real strength was yet to be revealed. Many meritorious achievements were made by individuals of all ages, and the following, who gained maximum points, are to be congratulated :-

Set A : J. A. Bygate (Q.) and J. B. Mathews (R.).

Set B: W. E. Jones (G.).

Set C: R. G. Armstrong (M.) and R. L. Bywater (M.).

Set D: M. C. B. Burbidge (G.), J. R. Brown (M.), R. L. Bruce (M.), C. I. D. Tomlinson (M.), M. Raley (Q.), R. H. Parker (R.), M. T. Bell (S.H.), J. A. B. Carruthers (S.H.) and D. G. Woolley (T.).

The Mile races which followed were almost monopolised by Queen's and Manor. J. A. Bygate (Q.) won the Senior event for the third year in succession, and the Manor entries for the Intermediate race achieved the rare distinction of filling three of the first four places. The latter race, however, revealed a considerable misjudgment of pace and the time recorded scarcely did the runners credit.

Manor (209 points) started Sports Day with a lead of 16 points over their main rivals, Queen's (193 points). A glorious mild spring day graced the occasion, and conditions would have been well-nigh perfect, had not the weather been distinctly inclement during the previous 24 hours. Times recorded were well up to standard, and three new School records were established. The main one of these was fittingly established by J. A. Bygate, the School Captain of Athletics, who reduced M. G. Goodburn's Senior Half-Mile 1950 record by a little over 1 second. J. A. B. Carruthers raised the Junior High Jump record by 1 in., and the Manor Intermediate team, who played so large a part in their House success, lowered the previous best performance in the 880 Relay by 1.4 sec., when winning by the length of a street. Many other notable performances were achieved, not least M. K. Oldham's attempt to break the Senior High Jump record at 5 ft. 5 in. This surely is a record which is in danger of falling, set up by E. Lorraine-Smith in 1922 at 5 ft. 4* in. No less than six competitors cleared 5 ft. this year.

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After 21 hours' non-stop activity, Manor still held a lead of 17i points over Queen's, and Mrs. Bygate kindly presented the Shield to J. 0. Armstrong, the winning House Captain.

INTER-HOUSE ATHLETICS Monday, 23rd March, 1959.

Points from Standards : Manor 200; Grove 193; School House 185; Queen's 183; Rise 174; Temple 163. Senior Mile: 1. J. A. Bygate (Q.); 2. W. Mitchell (Q.); 3. W. E. Jones (G.); 4. J. W. S. Gale (R.). Time : 5 min. 0.6 sec. Intermediate Mile : 1. R. G. Armstrong (M.); 2. J. M. Holdsworth (M.); 3. J. D. M. Hackney 1(Q.); 4. F. J. A. Hewitt (M.). Time: 5 min. 12.6 sec. Senior 100 Yards: 1. J. J. Rhodes (S.H.); 2. M. K. Oldham i(S.H.); 3. J. B. Mathews ,(R.); 4. C. D. Ibberson (R.). Time: 10.8 sec. Junior 100 Yards : 1. Equal. R. H. Parker (R.) and R. A. Spencer (Q.); 3. J. D. Carr (T.); 4. J. R. Brown (M.). Time : 11.6 sec. Intermediate 100 Yards: 1. J. M. Pattinson (R.); 2. S. R. Hutchinson (M.); 3. J. M. Holdsworth (M.); 4. N. P. Thornton (G.). Time : 11.3 sec. Senior Long Jump : 1. J. J. Rhodes (S.H.); 2. J. A. Bygate (Q.); 3. A. McCallum ,(M.); 4. J. G. C. Wheeler (G.). Distance : 18 ft. 9 in. Junior High Jump : 1. J. A. B. Carruthers (S.H.); 2. R. H .Parker ,(R.); 3. C. I. D. Tomlinson (M.); 4. Equal. D. G. Woolley (T.) and R. L. Bruce (M.). Height : 4 ft. 101 in. School Record. Intermediate Half Mile : 1. R. G. Armstrong (M.); 2. M. H. Watson (M.); 3. J. D. M. Hackney (Q.); 4. U. A. Alexander (G.). Time : 2 min. 16.9 sec. Senior Half Mile : 1. J. A. Bygate (Q.); 2. W. Mitchell (Q.); 3. J. B. Mathews (R.); 4. W. E. Jones (G.). Time: 2 min. 8.3 sec. School Record. Senior 220 Yards : 1. J. J. Rhodes 1(S.H.); 2. C. D. Ibberson l(R.); 3. L. H. K. Mackay (G.); 4. A. McCallum (M.). Time : 24.8 sec. Intermediate 220 Yards : 1. J. M. Holdsworth (M.); 2. A. J. De Mulder (M.); 3. J. M. Pattinson (R.); 4. N. P. Thornton (G.). Time : 25.8 sec. Junior 220 Yards : 1. R. H. Parker (R.); 2. R. A. Spencer (Q.); 3. J. R. Brown (M.); 4. C. I. D. Tomlinson (M.). Time : 26.2 sec. Senior High Jump : 1. M. K. Oldham (S.H.); 2. J. G. C. Wheeler (G.); 3. M. J. Bond ,(S.H.); 4. J. B. Mathews (R.). Height : 5 ft. 4 in. Intermediate Long Jump: 1. S. N. Harrison (T.); 2. U. A. Alexander (G.); 3. J. M. Pattinson (R.); 4. A. J. De Mulder (M.). Distance : 16 ft. 9 in. Junior Cricket Ball : 1. R. L. Bruce (M.); 2. M. T. Bell (S.H.); 3. M. C. M. Jesper (Q.); 4. R. H. Atkinson (Q.). Distance : 73 yd. 2 in. Intermediate 440 Yards : 1. J. M. Holdsworth (M.); 2. U. A. Alexander (G.); 3. I. Kirkus (R.); 4. G. P. Humpherson (T.). Time : 59.8 sec. Junior 440 Yards : 1. J. D. Carr +(T.); 2. M. T. Bell ,(S.H.); 3. C. I. D. Tomlinson (M.); 4. P. J. H. Mann (Q.). Time : 60.0 sec. Senior 440 Yards : 1. Equal. L. H. K. Mackay (G.) and W. Mitchell (Q.); 3. M. K. Oldham (S.H.); 4. C. D. Ibberson (R.). Time: 57.4 sec. Intermediate High Jump : 1. T. E. Giddings (Q.); 2. R. A. Wood (M.); 3. R. G. Armstrong (M.); 4. A. Hardman (Q.). Height : 4 ft. 11 in. Junior Long Jump : 1. R. A. Spencer (Q.); 2. J. A. B. Carruthers (S.H.); 3. J. D. Carr (T.); 4. J. R. Brown (M.). Distance : 16 ft. Of in. Junior Relay (4 x 110 yd.): 1. Queen's; 2. Temple; 3. School House; 4. Manor. Time: 53.6 sec. Intermediate Relay (110 x 440 x 220 x 110 yd.): 1. Manor; 2. Grove; 3. Queen's; 4. School House. Time : 1 min. 49.6 sec. School Record. Senior Relay (110 x 440 x 220 x 110 yd.): 1. Rise; 2. Queen's; 3. School House; 4. Grove. Time : 1 min. 48.0 sec. 49