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To All Track and Field Friends:::
We want to bring you up to date re: Our terrific Shore AC delegation to the USA Olympic Trials, scheduled to take place at famed Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, June 18 to 27.. The USA Olympic Trials will be the biggest and most important track and field meet staged in this nation in five years !!! We have 11 team members officially entered and we surely hope almost all of them get to compete at the Trials once all entries are finalized (Sunday night.) That would be truly outstanding and a real credit to all of us who have poured so much effort and dedication into the Shore AC cause all these years.. (At last look, Shore AC had more Olympic Trials entries than such as NY Athletic Club, Central Park Track Club, Boston AA, Garden State, etc etc etc. Amazing, just amazing !!! ) Rutgers University graduate and Shore AC discus throwing star James Plummer gives us such specially great pride!! What an athlete he is..in his classic ancient Grecian specialty event! After his great career at Rutgers (multi-IC4A, Big East, Penn Relays champion, etc, and past Nationals medalist) he earned his Masters and embarked on his career (faculty member and asst. coach) at Central Regional HS in Bayville, NJ. But, due to some injuries, as well as the Pandemic which erased all of his 2019 and 2020 seasons, he hadn't stepped into the ring for a true discus competition in a long-long time. But he's made a rousing return to action this spring and we know he has the talent and the drive to do a great job at Trials. He has an official best of 61.02 meters (just over 200 feet) in a meet at Middletown, NY to rank with the national elite. He's also had several long fouls beyond 62-63-64 meters and will have one more meet to boost his pre-Trials ranking, when he competes in the USATF NY vs NJ Association meet this Saturday (June 12) at Icahn Stadium, NYC.. (At Trials, of course, he will be throwing against an array of virtually full-time throwers, many with major corporate sponsorships. He nevertheless refuses to concede a thing to any of them ! ) Whatever happens at Trials, our sincere hope is that James Plummer continues with the same intensity and dedication in the months and years ahead. We'd love to see him compete in some of the international meets on the schedule later this summer and will remind him that he can also be a great candidate for the USA team that will compete in the next really big one after the Tokyo Olympics, that being the historic World Championships of 2022 (first ever to be held in USA), also set for Hayward Field. The Shore AC delegation to the Olympic Trials also includes Erin Taylor-Talcott, also a Rutgers graduate and generally recognized as one of the finest distance racewalkers in USA history...She will compete in the 20K racewalk at Trials.. Other notables in the Shore AC lineup include Scott Houston, a former National indoor pole vault champion and University of North Carolina graduate who has cleared over 19 feet; 71-foot-plus shot putter Josh Awotunde, formerly of Delsea High School and U. of South Carolina; high jumper Amina Smith, formerly of U. of Maryland now coaching at her alma mater; and 20K racewalkers Sam Allen (a Cornell freshman who was National scholastic champion for Kingsway High School a year ago) ; A.J. Gruttadauro (West Virginia Tech graduate and past NAIA national collegiate champion); Chelsea Conway (Lindsey Wilson College alumna), and Michael Mannozzi (past 15-time National champion now serving in the U.S. Air Force.) All these plus star pole vaulter Michael Cyphers, formerly of Wake Forest University, and veteran high jumper Kris Kornegay-Gober. formerly of North Carolina State. Fund-raising efforts to support all these athletes are now underway. Contributions may be sent to The Shore Athletic Club Development Fund, c/o Mr. Walter MacGowan, 1401 Third Avenue, Spring Lake, NJ 07762. Of course, her legions of fans are also rooting strongly for famed SAC "alumna" Ajee' Wilson, the 11-time National Champion out of Neptune High School, who was the world's number-one ranked women's 800-meter runner in 2020. "From the days we saw her winning all those races at our Shore AC all-comers meets, we knew that Ms. Ajee' Wilson was destined to reach the top of her sport," said Shore AC president Walter MacGowan. "All these years, she has been such a wonderful representative of her hometown of Neptune, NJ, the whole Jersey Shore area, and all of New Jersey, too. Needless to say, we wish her the very best at Trials. "And likewise for Allie Wilson. "Allie was our Shore AC office intern, had a superb career at Monmouth University, and just look at her now, training with and running for the Atlanta Track Club (directed by former Wall Township resident and USA Olympian Rich Kenah) with the elite of the sport, and consistently under two minutes for the 800. She has been getting better and faster every time out. "Her potential, too, is unlimited." And running the 800 with them will be the celebrated Texas A&M freshman, Ms. Athing Mu of Trenton, NJ, already the NCAA record-holder and leader of the power-packed Aggies squad. ELLIOTT DENMAN Elliottden@aol.com
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 This year, the 57th Annual Captain Zinn Memorial 5K races was a collaborative fundraiser for the club and our local catholic elementary school. Thank you to the Hill Family for bridging this partnership! We look forward to future years of working together. Save the date: Sunday, April 24, 2022.
 VERY GOOD NEWS: Monmouth University will confer a truly major honor on Coach Joe Compagni with the decision to name its recently (well two years ago) reconstructed outdoor track and field facility at Kessler Stadium, and adjacent field event venues, in his honor, joining such existing campus facilities as The Bill Boylan Gymnasium and The Richard Steadman Natatorium..
Formal naming ceremonies will be announced for a date this fall... In 24 outstanding years at the helm of Monmouth men's and women's track and field and cross country teams, Coach Compagni (who formally retired as head coach in 2020) led his athletes to 58 conference team titles, a long array of brilliant performances, and vast revisions in the Hawks' record books, along with an outstanding academic record. The greater Shore Athletic Club community extends its most sincere congratulations to Coach Joe on this great honor !!i BUT THIS VERY UNFORTUNATE NEWS: News bulletin: The Monmouth University men's and women's track and field teams will not be competing in the IC4A/ECAC Championships May 14-16th. Due to positive Covid results among Tier 1 members of the teams, the decision has been made not to compete at the events. Elliott Denman Elliottden@aol.com Dear Elliott, Walter, and Committee and members of Shore AC,
I am honored- and surprised at being given the Shore AC Humanitarian Award. Working at our food pantry is very rewarding- actually, it is a lot like working the refreshment tables at Jersey Shore Half Marathon, and other large races! It involves lots of planning, ordering, and serving- just no medal ceremony! It also depends on a very loyal, hard-working group of people to make it work. (Sounds like Shore AC again). The volunteers have given their time two days every week since last March (Tuesday for set up, and Wednesday for distribution). They were serving up to 266 families each week last year- numbers have backed down to about 160 a week lately. Each volunteer has their specialty. We have one person who worked for a circus. He oversees the tent set up (alas, no elephant to assist). Volunteers come with many different backgrounds. There is one volunteer who is in charge of refrigerated foods and bread (bagging, sorting, and keeping records). He brings experience from his job- as Race Director of the Jersey Shore Gran Prix. That's right, Phil Hinck has been our chicken and egg man for more than a year. From March 2020 until January 2021, the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry at Christ the King Parish in Long Branch served 6,637 families. When looked at it that way, it was kind of a marathon of grocery bags. Sometimes we have sprints though, when it is almost closing, and we have run out of bags. For those interested in field events we have the 50 lb. potato shlep. I thank Shore AC for giving me the opportunity to be part of a great track and field organization, with so many good people and unforgettable experiences. I am honored that you recognized the non-track activities as well. For all of you, if the time comes to put aside the spikes, implements, or racing flats, just know that there is still an arena where you can compete- on a different level. Donna Cetrulo  SHORE AC FAMILY MOURNS PASSING OF LESTER WRIGHT JR.
It is with ultimate sadness that the Shore Athletic Club family announces the passing of illustrious teammate Lester Wright Jr. After a long, courageous and valiant battle with pancreatic cancer, Lester Wright Jr., a lifelong resident of Long Branch, NJ, passed away on Tuesday, May 4, 2021. Over at least four decades, he had played many major roles in the sport of track and field, and his Shore AC team, As a competitive runner, he was a key member of the Shore AC Masters relay teams that raced to many successes at locales from Madison Square Garden to Meadowlands Arena to the Penn Relays and major meets at widespread venues. As a top-notch track and field official, he was well known as one of the best in the sport. As a keen advocate for youth track and field development, he organized the Cosmic Track Club, and its many members from around New Jersey amassed an array of honors at local, regional and national Junior Olympic meets, as well as many others. But perhaps his successful - and praised - role was that of organizer and meet director of the annual Shore AC Youth Cross Country Series. These events, annually run on Sunday mornings, from early September to late October, typically at the classic Holmdel Park cross country course, attracted hundreds of young runners from around New Jersey, and sometimes neighboring states. invariably cheered on by their parents, coaches and friends. Multitudes of these runners were presented their medals after each race, and many more earned the coveted Shore AC trophies, awarded at the end of each season. "He did so much for so many; he played so many roles in our club's long success story," said Shore AC trustee Elliott Denman. "He was a very special gentleman." In keeping with the Wright family's wishes, all arrangements will be private. He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lester Wright Sr. of Long Branch, NJ, and other family members. Mr. Wright Sr., now 99, is himself a Shore AC Masters star, with his epic triumph in the Penn Relays special Masters 100-meter dash for men 75 and over some two decades ago one of ihis many athletic successes. Lester Jr., of course, was there to see that happen, as were over 50,000 fans at Franklin Field and a worldwide television audience. There was no greater pride than that shared by father and son that well-remembered April Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia. Friends, teammates and associates are invited to send messages to Mr. Lester Wright Sr. at 4 Chelton Way, Long Branch, NJ 07740; or by email to ledel581@msn.com, or by phone to 732-222-1934.  "Track and field lost one of its greatest advocates and fans with the passing of Ed Grant, a long-time journalist who covered the sport at all levels and was a regular at many of the Northeast's major events for seven decades.
Grant, 94, died May 4 in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, and he leaves a legacy as a widely respected writer who attended more than 140 editions of the Penn Relays and Millrose Games in his lengthy career. He was the unofficial historian of New Jersey track and field, with more than 80 years of involvement in the sport beginning in 1938 as he attended his first meet at age 12. After competing in track and field as a high schooler at Jersey City's St. Peter's Prep, Grant went on to St. Peter's College, and in 1946 he attended his first of 74 consecutive Penn Relays. Starting in 1945, he was present at more than 70 straight Millrose Games. His work as a journalist included stints at the Jersey Journal, Newark News and the Star-Ledger, and he also put in more than 30 years at the Archdiocese of Newark's paper, the Advocate. In addition to newspaper work, Grant was a regular contributor to Track & Field News magazine and he published the New Jersey Track and Field Annual and monthly newsletter for more than 40 years. An inaugural member of the National High School Track & Field Hall of Fame, Grant was honored by the Penn Relays with the Jesse Abrahamson Award, and the Armory in New York City presented him with the Stan Saplin Award, both of which recognize journalists who have shown a devotion to track and field. Grant and his wife, Catherine, were married for 63 years until her death in 2014, and they had four children. Services are scheduled for May 17 at Our Lady of Peace Church, 111 South Street, New Providence, New Jersey. Visitation will be held May 16 at the Ippolito Funeral Home, 7 Summit Ave., in Summit, New Jersey." written by the USATF national office  GABRIELE RAN A PB TODAY AT UVA. HE HAS BEEN TRAINING HARD AND PROMISED A PR AND HE DID IT! HE IS NOW #2 ON THE SHORE AC LIST BEHIND KEMEL THOMPSON 48.05 IN 2003 AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE.
 What a great day yesterday, a perfect track day, 70 degrees, sun and no wind. We had seven teams taking up all the lanes as the CBA track, and a great competitive masters 4 x 400 relay, followed by a five team 4 x 200 fun relay. Everybody ran great. Top highlights were Plaster and Nolan running times that equaled there age (a goal of most masters track runners), Diane DeOliveira's sparkling 66 second anchor for Bell N Motion, Bill Hughe's speedy lead off legin the 4 x 200, and great runs by the SAC women's 60's teams (most who never ran a relay before) and the men's 70's team, made up of mostly 75 to 79 year old's. All of this under the watchful eye of the old master himself, Elliott Denman. Special thanks to Mo Mozee for the timing and keeping track of all of the teams, and Coach Joe and Scott
for also getting times and working with the club women on handoffs. Also a great overall win by the Hazlet Track Club. Looking forward to the 4 x 800 in a few weeks. Harry The following are the team and individual times from Mo's timing machine tape: Shore A.C. "A" Shore A.C. "B" Shore A.C. 70's Keith McQuitter (68.54) Brian Hill (66.76) Tom Delisa (90.55) Tony Plaster (69.97) Harry Nolan (74.48) Prezemek Nowicki (98.54) Chris Monroe (88.86) Andy Hicks (72.85) John Kuhi (2:26.95) DanCampbell (66.72) Rob O'Rourke (92.67) Hugh Sweeney (91.86) Team Times: 4:54.4 5:03.46 7:07.54 Shore A.C. Women 40/50 Shore A.C. Women 60's Bell N Motion Karyn Baig ( 75.02) Sue Patla (89.89) Joan (71.06) Christine Hill (85.62) Kim Hart (99.83) Mercedes (71.42) Christie Nie (81.22) Kathy Packowski (98.50) Karen (74.41) Leslie Nowicki (91.87) Diane Rothman (99.45) Diane DeOliveira (66.91) Team Times: 5:36.42 6:29.27 4:43.08 Hazlet Track Club Paul Henry (71.06) Pete Chechel (63.68) Jamie McCarthy (68.84) Greg Calhoun (61.40) Team Time 4:24.98 Thank you to Harry Nolan for this write up and organizing the event for our club members!  PHOTO COURTESY LAURA DELEANew Shore AC member Roberta Groner continues to do what she has done for the past ten years: amaze and inspire the running world. A busy mother of three and full-time registered nurse, somehow she finds the time to engage in the sport of running at a near-Olympic level. Roberta owns the third-best time in the marathon among masters (age 40+) American women with her jaw-dropping time of 2:29:07 in the 2019 Rotterdam Marathon.
Roberta kicked off her 2021 competitive campaign with that same red-hot speed. On a windy March 22 in Florida at the USATF Open 15K National Championships, she shredded the tough course with a phenomenal 51:56 performance. This feat earned her the women’s masters crown with a margin of more than 2 minutes over second place. And get this: her time was a mere 4 seconds behind the top masters male, multi-year USATF champion David Angell. Read all about it here in an article by USATF Running Professor Paul Carlin. We look forward with great anticipation to see what Roberta conquers next in 2021! |
AuthorShore AC Archives
July 2021
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