By Elliott Denman

BY ELLIOTT DENMAN


EDISON, NJ - They were small in number but they produced an array of large results.

In a meet at Thomas Edison Park, named for the man who lit up the world, they really lit it up, too.

That's the story of the Shore AC varsity team quartet - Je'von Hutchison, Chidi Okezie, Brandon Jones and Larry Ramirez - who represented the
club with major distinction at the fifth annual Garden State Track Club Twilight Meet on Saturday evening, May 25, at the
Thomas Edison Park track and field facility in Middlesex County.

Okezie and Hutchison clocked two of the best times in club history in claiming their triumphs.

Okezie dashed off with the 200-meter title in 20.81 seconds with Hutchison fourth in 21.37.

But Hutchison had already run off with the 400 crown in an outstanding 46.28.  This was one more major highlight to Hutchison's brilliant spring season. He'd anchored Team USA to a big win in the 
4x400 USA vs the World relay at the Penn Relays and is just back from his appearance with Team USA at the World Relay Championships in
Yokohama, Japan.

Jones claimed the triple jump title by a large margin with a performance of 51 feet, 3 1/2 inches / 15.63 meters.    He completed his successful day with a

a 21.92 win in his section of the 200, good for sixth-place over-all.   Looking ahead, this 2016 Olympian for Belize will be a top candidate for August's Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.

Ramirez, rounding into top form, ran one of his best-ever 800-meter races and his quickest of

the 2019 season with his strong fourth place in 1:52.00.  This was a race won by Derek Holdsworth in 1:49.70 with the fast-closing 
Ramirez just 0.51 out of second. 

The Masters Mile saw Shore AC's Brad Barket take second place in 5:01.84 back of winner Phil Reilly's 4:53.56.  Barket, now an outstanding professional
photographer, had been a brilliant scholastic runner in his days at The Peddie School, Hightstown.  He now looks forward - along with a long list of other
outstanding athletes - to a return performance at The Peddie School for the 33rd annual NJ International Meet, hosted by Shore AC,
on Saturday, July 6.

The open 1500 meters went to John Dove in 3:55.85 as Princeton University varsity athlete Drake Anzano of Toms River ran 4:01.18 in
third place.

A huge THANK YOU to Joe Renzella for his ongoing dedication and support to our country, running, the Shore A.C. and last but not least the Capt Zinn Memorial Races!! You are a true inspiration and it was a honor to have you with us for yet another year at this very special event! 

Capt Zinn Memorial Races pays a tribute to all veterans and military personnel. Local American hero and runner Joe Renzellla joined us at the Zinn Races Sunday morning, running with his flag and patriotic attire. Anyone that knows Joe know his ind spirit and dedication to our great country. Joe was drafted into the Army in 1965 and served 10 years, doing 3 tours of Vietnam. He earned a total of 35 decorations for his bravery and valor under fire. 

Joe is a very active in the local running community and a member of the Jersey Shore Running Club. He's always proudly running at the Capt Zinn Memorial Races. The Zinn races have been hosted by the Shore A.C. for over 5 decades and were originally held at the Asbury Park Boardwalk. Ron Zinn walked those early races, including 1964, before the Olympic Trials, which got him to the Tokyo Olympics, 

Capt Zinn was a two-time Olympian in the race walk (1960 and 1964). He graduated from West Point, served in the Vietnam War, and was sadly killed in action in July of 1965. 

High-level achievers and major-meet medalists in all categories highlight the
Honors List of awardees who will be saluted at the annual Shore Athletic Club
Awards Banquet scheduled for March 10 at The English Manor
catering facility, Ocean Township, NJ.

   Michael Kish, double medalist in the M65-division sprints at the
World Masters Championships in Malaga, Spain, has been named winner
of the Johnny Hayes Memorial Award as the club's athlete of the year.

 Newest members of the Shore AC Hall of Fame will be Tony Plaster,
John Soucheck, Larry Scheid and Mike Geraltowski.

 The complete list of honorees:

   SHORE AC 2018
JOHNNY HAYES MEMORIAL AWARD
ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
MICHAEL KISH
 
SHORE AC 2018
MEN’S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
NATIONAL INDOOR POLE VAULT CHAMPION
SCOTT HOUSTON
 
SHORE AC 2018
WOMEN’S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
KRISTIN ANDREWS
 
SHORE AC 2018
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
MR. TONY PLASTER
 
SHORE AC 2018
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
MR. JOHN SOUCHECK
 
SHORE AC 2018
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
MR. LARRY SCHEID
 
SHORE AC 2018
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
MR. MIKE GERALTOWSKI
 
SHORE AC 2018
WISNE R BROTHERS MEMORIAL AWARD
FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
TO THE SPORT OF TRACK AND FIELD
MR. FRED DWYER
 
 
SHORE AC 2018
MEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
LARRY RAMIREZ
 
SHORE AC 2018
WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
PARIIS GARCIA
 
SHORE AC 2018
IRWIN BERNSTEIN MEMORIAL AWARD
MASTERS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
RENO STIRRAT
 
SHORE AC 2018
BOB ROGGY MEMORIAL AWARD
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
MIKE BRAZZEL
 
SHORE AC 2018
BOB ROGGY MEMORIAL AWARD
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
ONEITHEA “NENI” LEWIS
 
SHORE AC 2018
DR. GEORGE SHEEHAN MEMORIAL AWARD
MEN’S DISTANCE RUNNER OF THE YEAR
JUSTIN SCHEID
 
SHORE AC 2018
MARY CONRY MEMORIAL AWARD
WOMEN’S DISTANCE RUNNER OF THE YEAR
KELLEE McEWEN
 
SHORE AC 2018
CHRIS MALONE MEMORIAL AWARD
MASTERS DISTANCE RUNNER OF THE YEAR
BOB SKORUPSKI
 
SHORE AC 2018
RODNEY CRAIG MEMORIAL AWARD
YOUTH ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
JESSICA ABBOTT
 
SHORE AC 2018
RODNEY CRAIG MEMORIAL AWARD
YOUTH ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
KAI’LEEL JEFFERSON
 
SHORE AC 2018
COLLEGE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
ALLIE WILSON
 
 
SHORE AC 2018
COLLEGE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
DYLAN CAPWELL       
 
SHORE AC 2018
HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
DEVIN HART           
 
SHORE AC 2018
HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
JARED CONTE
 
SHORE AC 2018
HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
EMMA VASEN
 
SHORE AC 2018
WILLIAM FUNKHOUSER MEMORIAL AWARD
MEN’S RACEWALKER OF THE YEAR
ANTHONY J. GRUTTADAURO
 
SHORE AC 2018
WOMEN’S RACEWALKER OF THE YEAR
CHELSEA CONWAY
 
SHORE AC 2018
MATTHEW STUPER MEMORIAL AWARD
YOUTH RACEWALKER OF THE YEAR
SAM ALLEN
 
SHORE AC 2018
MATTHEW STUPER MEMORIAL AWARD
YOUTH RACEWALKER OF THE YEAR
GRACE ENDY
 
SHORE AC 2018
DON JOHNSON MEMORIAL AWARD
MASTERS RACEWALKER OF THE YEAR
ERIN TAYLOR-TALCOTT
 
SHORE AC 2018
ELLIOTT DENMAN AWARD
FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
OVER THE YEARS
MR. PHIL HINCK
 
SHORE AC 2018
TOM AND PHYLLIS FYFE AWARD
TO THE FAMILY OF THE YEAR
THE HILL FAMILY
 
SHORE AC 2018
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
TIMOTHY McQUEEN
 
SHORE AC 2018
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
DR. IVAN BLACK
 
SHORE AC 2018
“GET UP AND GO” AWARD
MR. JOSEPH RENZELLA
 
SHORE AC 2018
COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD
MR. SCOTT LINNELL
 
SHORE AC 2018
TEAM SPIRIT AWARD
DAN CAMPBELL
 
SHORE AC 2018
TEAM SPIRIT AWARD
SUSAN STIRRAT
 
SHORE AC 2018
TEAM SPIRIT AWARD
NICHOLAS REID 
 
SHORE AC 2018
TEAM OF THE YEAR AWARD
PENN RELAYS SHUTTLE HURDLES CHAMPIONS
FIFTH STRAIGHT YEAR !
 
SHORE AC 2018
TEAM OF THE YEAR AWARD
MILLROSE GAMES
WOMEN’S DISTANCE MEDLEY CHAMPIONS
 
                      
SHORE AC 2018
MOST IMPROVED ATHLETE AWARD
DESMOND HOWELL
 
SHORE AC 2018
PRESIDENT’S AWARD
MR. LESTER WRIGHT, JR.
 
SHORE AC 2018
KEN WILLIAMSON AWARD
OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR
MR. THOMAS HASSARD
 
SHORE AC 2018
COURAGE AWARD
MR. THOMAS ZARRA
 
SHORE AC 2018
JOURNALISM AWARD
MR. PAUL MULSHINE
 
SHORE AC 2018
SERVICE AWARD
ERIN O’NEILL
 
SHORE AC 2018
SERVICE AWARD
DAWN WILCOX
 
SHORE AC  2018
DEPUTY’S AWARD
DAVID GARRIDO

NEW YORK, January 26, 2019 – Both a world indoor men’s and national high school indoor girls’ record were broken during the 2nd annual Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge Saturday at The Armory’s New Balance Track & Field Center.

Seattle-based Brooks Beasts 4x1mile men’s relay team blazed the “Fastest Track in the World” with a time of 16:03.68, taking down HOKA NJ-NY Track Club’s previous mark of 16:12.81 that also was set at The Armory in 2017.

North Rockland High School (NY) 16-year-old junior running sensation Katelyn Tuohy set the national high school mark in the women’s 3,000m with a time of 9:01.81. She bested the previous mark of 9:04.51 by Mary Cain (Bronxville High School, NY) in 2013 in Boston. It was the first opportunity for Tuohy, the 2018 national high school cross country champion, to compete against professionals. 

“I was having a great time out there,” said Tuohy who finished third behind winner Amanda Eccleston’s 8:56.68. “I was so close to breaking 9 minutes, but that will give me motivation for the future.

“My goal was to see what it was like to race against professionals, but I had a time goal for a sub-9. It was a little intimidating, but I had a lot of fun. It was so much easier racing with girls who are better than me and I just worked off them.”

Next up for Tuohy is a return to The Armory to compete in the girls’ high school mile in the 112th NYRR Millrose Games on Saturday February 9th.

The Brooks Beasts Team of David Ribich, Henry Wynne, Brannon Kidder and anchor Izaic York ran much of the race toe-to-toe with HOKA NJ-NY Track Club until York took control midway through his mile anchor leg. HOKA NJ-NY finished at 16:16.05.
“I love to have a stick in my hand because that stick represents all four of us,” an emotional York said afterward. “It fires me up. These guys are my best friends, they are like family.”

Brooks Beasts coach Danny Mackey told the four runners in October they would break the 4x1mile record.

York’s three teammates were on the track cheering him on as he headed for the finish line. The team was convinced before they stepped on The Armory track that the record was theirs.

“We had a confidence going into this,” said Kidder, who ran the third leg. “Our whole team is healthy right now. There were three other guys who could have been on this relay (team) right now. We knew we had great milers.

“We were so confident coming into this race. When you visualize a race like this over and over you replay that moment when you break away.”

U.S. Olympic silver medalist Joe Kovacs performed for the first time at The Armory and didn’t disappoint The Armory crowd as he won the shot put event with a 68 feet, 1.7 inches throw. He’ll return to The Armory for the NYRR Millrose Games where he’ll throw in the center of the 200-meter track against a strong field including 2016 USA Olympic gold medalist Ryan Crouser.

“Being able to be right in the center of the field you can’t beat that,” Kovacs said looking ahead to the shot put setting for the NYRR Millrose Games. “You can’t beat that – all the energy and all the spectators. I was a little bit quiet today, but two weeks from today I promise you I’ll turn the volume up.”

Outstanding USA miler Craig Engels also will return to The Armory in two weeks following an impressive victory. Engels won the men’s 1,000m with a 2:18.98, the fastest time in the world this season, a good tune-up for his NYRR Wanamaker Mile appearance.

“I felt really, really good,” Engels said. “That was a good race and it’s a cool distance and we don’t get to run it often. This track is awesome, and the crowd was awesome – this is one of the best in the world. (The NYRR Wanamaker Mile) will be a good level field with Yomif (Kejelcha) and (Edward) Cheserek and all the U.S. guys in there.”

Jamaica middle-distance star Natoya Goule, owner of the third fastest 800m in the world for 2018, turned in an outstanding performance with a 2:37.55 to win the women’s 1,000m.

Ajeé Wilson won the women’s 600m with a 1:25.91 time and will be back in two weeks to defend her women’s 800m American record. Interestingly, Wilson’s 600m was the fastest in the world this season, which is previously held by Goule. Wilson and Goule will be competing head to head in the Jack and Lewis Rudin Women’s 800m at the NYRR Millrose Games.

Saturday’s meet included 14 professional events mixed in with The Armory’s signature college event. The former Armory Track Invitational was renamed last year in honor of longtime Armory president and founder Dr. Norbert Sander, who passed away in 2017.
​
For more meet results from the 2nd annual Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge please click HERE and go to www.ArmoryTrack.com.

ASBURY PARK - After 55 years, new chapters keep adding to the lore of the Asbury Park Polar Bear Races.

The authors include such notable figures on the statewide running and racewalking circuits as Justin Scheid of Succasunna, Beth Marzigliano of Belmar, John Soucheck of Little Silver and Maria Paul of Long Branch.

Their triumphs Saturday in the Polar Bear event - Scheid and Marzigliano in the 5K run, Soucheck and Paul in the 10-mile racewalk - ensured their places in the annals of this longest-going event on the busy-busy, year-round Shore area calendar of footracing competition. 

A year-end feature at Holiday time since their origin in 1964, the Polar Bear Racewalks have endured virtually every form of meteorological extreme over the years - everything from rain and snow to the blizzard of 2010 to the oncoming Superstorm Sandy of 2012.  But after Friday's all-day rain, some 400-plus Polar Bear athletes welcomed the mild (temperatures in the 50's) but gusty conditions on the boardwalk Saturday.

Scheid, the former Georgetown University star, capped it all by racing off with over-all honors in the 5K and crossed the finish line just south of Convention Hall in 15:42, a clocking that moved him to sixth place on the all-time Polar Bear ranking list, a stellar roster still topped by mile great and USA Olympian Marty Liquori's 15:23 dating back to 1975.  In the process, he relegated another USA Olympian, Bill Reilly of Oceanport, who'd run 15:45 in 1971, down to seventh all-time.

"The wind was a little rough at times, but that was not a huge problem, considering all the things that I know have happened here over the years," said Scheid, smiling, after his decisive decision over 2017 champion Joseph Amoresano of Hoboken (who ran 16:34) and third-placer Eric Laurel of Portland. Oregon (16:57.)

Marzigliano, meanwhile was running a brilliant race of her own.  With an 18:13  clocking, she led all women and outran all but the top seven men.  Just one previous Polar Bear women's titlist - ex-Villanova star Amanda Marino, who'd run 17:41 in 2016 - has ever been quicker on the Asbury Park boardwalk.  Her leading challengers were Kiera Russo of Eatontown (18:43) and 8-year-old sensation Ava Johnson of Howell (20:42.)

The co-featured 10-mile racewalk had opened the program at 10 a.m. and multi-past champions Soucheck and Paul were the class of the field.  Soucheck led the men with a 1-hour, 38-minute, 22-second performance and Paul outwalked all the women in 2:02:56.  For both, it meant elevated positions in the Polar Bear archives.

It was an eye-opening 16th all-time Polar Bear walk win for Soucheck, and the fifth Polar Bear win for Paul.  Soucheck now has a wide lead on former Toms River resident Ray Funkhouser (a 10-time past Polar Bear winner, dating back to 1983) while Paul shares the women's all-time Polar Bear lead with Panse Geer of Hazlet and Sherry Brosnahan of Bridgewater.  All three have now walked to five Polar Bear wins.

Special Polar Bear honors were reserved for Middletown's Dr. Harold "Harry" Nolan, and Raritan resident Eliot Collins.   Nolan, who placed 76th in the 5K at 24:42, added to one of the longest-running streaks anywhere in the sport. It was his 55th consecutive Polar Bear completion - he's never missed one - and some of his past finishes included return trips home from Nebraska, Utah and New Hampshire.  

Noted journalist-author Marc Bloom - the former St. Rose High School cross country coach - was the only 70-up runner over the line (in 22:21) ahead of Nolan.

Collins won the Polar Bear "daily double" title, racewalking 10 miles in 2:15:10, then running 5K in 39:53.

Veteran runner Dave DeMonico - adorned as Santa Claus - was a big part of the event again, too.   After his National Anthem trumpet solo at the 5K race's start, his mid-race serenades put added bounce in every runner's stride. And when it was over, he led a small corps of runners in taking a quick ocean dip - the equivalent of a three-meter freestyle.

"It wasn't so bad going in, but you really felt it when you came out," said DeMonico.  "But that's a big part of the Polar Bear experience, too."

The races were again hosted and organized by Shore Athletic Club volunteers, led by Middletown's Erin O'Neill.  Champions Scheid, Marziigliano, Soucheck and Paul. and super-vets Bloom and Nolan, are all Shore AC members.

By ELLIOTT DENMAN