SHORE AC ATHLETES DO VERY BIG THINGS AT OLYMPIC TRIALS. THANKS/THANKS/THANKS TO ALL HELPED THE TEAM CAUSE!!!

July 2021

Dear Shore AC Friends and Teammates:                                               
 
I'm back home now after eight great days at the USA Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon...
The Trials were held at the magnificent new $275 million Hayward Field that will also be the site of
next year's World Championships, the global extravaganza which will be coming to the USA for the
very first time and just the second time ever to North America ((Edmonton had hosted in 2001.)
 
Heat conditions were intense, and specially so the final weekend….110 and 111 degrees ! .
But let me tell you that the entire 10-athlete Shore AC delegation was red-hot, too.
They turned in a series of superb, clutch performances in USA's biggest meet in five years!!
Of course/of course the Trials, along with the Olympic Games, are a year late due to the pandemic
but our Shore AC athletes were right on time,  right on the button !!.
We set PBs (personal bests) and SBs (seasonal bests) all over the Trials landscape, at both Hayward Field,
 and the downtown area of Springfield, where the 20K racewalk was held on the final Saturday.
 
It was a Trials which saw our wonderful alumna and 11-time National Champion Ajee' Wilson
 (who has been such a huge source of pride for us ever since her days competing in Shore AC 
summer all-comers meets, and then at Neptune High School) advance to her second Olympic Games
 and such good NJ-NY friends as Sydney McLaughlin, Rudy Winkler, Noah Lyles, Athing Mu,
 Curtis Thompson and Keturah Orji come through with brilliant triumphs and earn trips to the Tokyo Games.
 
The Shore AC Varsity Team did so many fine things and here's a rundown:
Josh Awotunde, fifth in the men's shot put with a PB of 21.84 meters/ 71 feet, 8 inches.
  Take note: Josh is now 44th in the history of the sport and at age 26 getting better all the time!
AJ Gruttadauro, fifth in the men's 20K racewalk at 1:37:51.
Sam Allen, sixth in the men's 20K walk at a SB, PB of 1:37.59.
James Plummer, seventh in the men's discus at 59.73 / 195 ft, 11 inches..
Scott Houston, seventh in the men's pole vault with an SB of 5.75/ 18 ft, 10 ¼ inches.
Amina Smith, seventh in the women's high jump with an SB of 1.87 / 6 feet, 1 ½ inches.
Chelsea Conway, 10th in the women's 20K racewalk with a SB, PB of 1:54.25.
Erin Taylor-Talcott, 11th in the women's 20K racewalk, at   1:54.48.
Michael Mannozzi, 12th in the men's 20K racewalk at SB of 1:44.35.
(Michael was also competing for US Air Force and teammate
  Kris Kornegay-Gober, in the men’s HJ for the US Coast Guard.)
 
And thus Shore AC, which has a wonderful history dating all the way to the 1930s and saw its
 first athletes (John Borican and John Grimek) compete in the Olympic Trials as far
  back as 1936, continued to add to its incredible heritage.
 
Be it known that USA Track and Field, the national governing body for the sport, lists a dozen teams as the "long standing/traditional" clubs registered with USATF at least prior to Jan.1, 1980,
and thus “grandfathered” in for special recognition and special status at the Trials. Just five
of  them were represented at the 2021 Trials and the performances of our tremendous 10
again put us at the forefront of the sport.
 
So let me say "truly well done" to all these oh-so-worthy athletes and say
"thank you/thank you/thank you" to all who gave their support and made
these great performances possible.
 
Most sincerely,
 
Elliott Denman
Shore AC Lifetime Trustee
USA Olympic Team Melbourne 1956..