SHORE A.C. MASTERS SCORE AT THE 2022 USATF NATIONAL MASTERS TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS

By Harold Nolan

A group of Shore A.C. master’s athletes traveled to Lexington, Kentucky to participate in the 2022 USATF National Masters Track and Field Championships, and helped the team land a 9th place out of over 100 teams in the men’s division. The event was held on July 28-31 on
the University of Kentucky campus. Led by double gold medal winners Michael Kish and Barry Blake, all of the clubs runners came home with at least one gold medal, as well as with others, a number of seconds and thirds.

Micheal Kish (70-74), returning from his double gold victory in the recent world masters track 
meet repeated his wins in both the 100 and 200 meter events at the nationals. Kish clocked in
at 13.22 for the century and 27.11 for furlong.  Race walker supreme Barry Blake (65-69) had 
back to back wins in two days in both the 5k and 10k walking events, clocking in with 33:25.16 and 1:10:13.42 respectively. Harry Nolan took advantage of having recently moved into the 75-79 age group, and scored one gold and two silver medals.  On Friday, Nolan won
the 2000 meter steeplechase in 11:06.06, and followed over the next two days with seconds in both the 800 and 1500 in 3:03.87 and 6:45.58.  In the 800, he was nipped in the final forty yard sprint of the race by world masters 75-79 champion Gary Patton of Iowa.

The man for all events in track and field, Rick Lapp (70-74) who had earlier this year been giving
emphasis to his 400 and 800 running, switched back to his main events, which resulted in one gold, two silvers and one bronze medal.  On the final day of competition, Lapp scored his win of the meet in the long jump with a leap of 13’21/2 feet.  He also won two silvers in both the 80 meter hurdles (15.13) and the 300 meter hurdles (53.66), while coming away with the bronze medal in the triple jump in 28’51/2 feet.

The octogenarians of the club also had excellent showings. Stan Edelson, 81, turned on the steam down the homestretch of the 80-84 800 meter to win in a fast 3:49.75, and then was nipped at the wire in the 1500 the next day by half a second, clocking in at 7:56.04 for the silver.  On the opening day of the meet, he had a 5th place finish in 5k run event in 33:25.16.  Fellow 80-84 teammate Roland Cormier scored a gold medal in the 2000 meter steeplechase in 13:06.42 and a silver in the 5k run in 29:41.36. He sustained an injury in the steeplechase event, and was not able to compete in the 1500 meters on Sunday as he had planned.

Club Hall of Famer Carlton Huff battled it out in the men’s 65-69 pole vault, placing third with a 10’0” jump.  New club member Luis Campos also placed 2nd in the 5k (31:07) and 10K (62:16) race walks, with Michael Mannozzi winning the 35-39 10k walk in 52:40.

All of the meet participants were graced with excellent weather on the last three days of the meet in a region where 90 to 100 degree heat usually prevails.  The track was a sea of club tents, with some teams having brought between 20 to 30 athletes each. The masters track and field group will be working toward bringing more club masters club members to the 2023 outdoor meet in Greensboro, NC, including many from the long distance  running group, as well as some of our excellent field event athletes who did not participate this year with a goal of moving into a top three team finish.