ATHLETICS September 1971 Just as last year marked the transition of Athletics from mid-March to mid-September, so this year, moving with the times in which we live, saw the conversion from English Imperial measurements to Metric measurements. Gone are the days when we can boast of running 100 yards in this or that number of seconds and, perhaps more difficult still, the realisation that heights of 5 ft. or 6 ft. have to be replaced by 1.52 and 1.83 metres respectively. Such changes inevitably involved various organisational adjustments, both physical (such as the groundsman's chain measure being altered to 20 metres) and clerical, with Standard times and record times being subject to review. These conversions are however officially laid down, and due to our age-grouping changes last year the only existing School records we need to review are confined to the Senior group. The old Intermediate (Under 16f) and Junior (Under 15) age-groups are now extinct. Being aware that these columns are for the consumption of Old Boys every bit as much as for present members of school, it would perhaps not be amiss to publish a list of the records as they existed up until the time of the axe. Intermediate (Under 16f, March 1st) 100 Yards 220 Yards 440 Yards 880 Yards 1 Mile High Jump Long Jump
1946 1966 1966 1960 1960 1961 1954
C. Frank C. A. Wood C. A. Wood R. A. Spencer R. A. Spencer D. G. Woolley M. D. Fish
10.8 sec. 24.4 sec. 55.4 sec. 2 min. 11.6 sec. 4 min. 57.9 sec. 5 ft. 4f in. 18 ft. 71 in.
I. U. Warrington
11.3 sec. 25.8 sec. 59.4 sec. 5 ft. Of in. 17 ft. 71 in. 88 yds.
Junior (Under 15, March 1st) 100 Yards 220 Yards 440 Yards High Jump Long Jump Cricket Ball
1946 1948 1938 1961 1961 1957
P. J. Blincoe E. P. Bulmer
I. B. Robertson M. J. Howard P. N. B. Smith
It is not a little surprising that Robin Walker, now the holder of no less than 3 Senior records, fails to feature in any of the above list. This, however, only emphasises still further the degree of dedication to the task he has set himself in recent years. Whereas the changed Intermediate and Junior list of records is in the process of establishing itself under the revised distances, the Senior record list (with times officially adjusted to the new measurements) now stands as follows:— 100 Metres 200 Metres 400 Metres 800 Metres 1500 Metres High Jump Long Jump
1930 1967 1971 1971 1971 1962 1958
W. D. Draffan T. B. Ward E. R. Walker E. R. Walker E. R. Walker J. A. B. Carruthers D. G. Macpherson
11
11.2 sec. 23.4 sec. 51.0 sec. 2 min. 0.5 sec. 4 min. 26.2 sec. 1.73 metres 6.54 metres
