THE 39TH ELLIOTT DENMAN NEW JERSEY INTERNATIONALTRACK AND FIELD MEET HOSTED BY THE SHORE Athletic Club

7/10 & 7/11/2026
AT J0E COMPAGNI TRACK AT KESSLER STADIUM
Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ
 By Joe Compagni
Close to 500 athletes from more than a dozen states as well as Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Israel and the Dominican Republic joined us at Monmouth University for this year's Elliott Denman New Jersey International Track & Field Meet.
It was a record-setting day, with 5 (pending) World & American masters records on Saturday 7/11/2026.
Rick Lee had a pair of those himself, with a world mark in the 65-69 2000m steeple (7:00.48) and then an American record in the 5000m (17:35.89) about an hour later.
Nora Cary of the Shore A.C. set a new American record in the 70-74 mile (6:34.39). Cary, 71, was the USATF Masters Long Distance Running Athlete of the Year in 2024.
An All-star team of Maureen Zivic, Sara Schwertfeger, Courtney Decker and Anna Connor set the first record of the day, a World and American record in the 40-44 4x800 of 8:50.64.
In the same race, Shore A.C.'s Robert O'Rourke, Przemek O'Rourke, Jack Frame, John Kuhi broke the record in the 80+ 4x800 with a time of 17:53.62. 
The masters athletes were surely not the only stars. 
The men's 800 had 19 men finish under 1:50, led by Wes Ferguson in a new facility record 1:45.40 and Rynard Swanepoel of the Atlanta Track Club Elite in 1:45.70. Ferguson went on to finish 2nd at the U.S. Championships behind only Cooper Lutkenaus. 
The women's 800 was won by Olympian and UPenn All-American Nia Akins in 2:01.50. Akins won her 3rd U.S. Championship in the 800 at Icahn Stadium on July 26. She now runs for the Brooks Beasts in Seattle, one of more than 30 clubs from across the country who joined us for the meet. Also in the 800 field were prep superstar Paige Sheppard (2nd in 2:01.84), World & U.S. Champion Ajee Wilson, and Stanford All-American Olivia Baker of NJ, among others.
With over $3,000 on the line in the event, the men’s Elite 1500 race had another deep field. Atlanta Track Club Elite teammates Aidan Ryan and Luke Houser took the two spots, running 3:37.37 and 3:37.57, as nine men ran under 3:42.1 (sub-4:00 mile pace). 
Jordan West, one of the top 12 shot putters in the country, was among those who used the meet to tune up for the U.S. Championships in NYC, as he won his event representing Garage Strength in 19.27m (63'2.75').
Lloyd McCurdy set a new facility record in the triple jump, going 15.75m (51'8.25").
Another tremendous field event performance came from Rosa Ramirez of the Dominican Republic. Her 18.43m (60'5.75") winning effort in the shot put is one of the top throws in the country, a new Monmouth facility record and a new NJ International Meet record.
Mylana Hearn put up an elite mark in winning the triple jump - a meet and facility record 13.26m (43'6"), en route to the U.S. Championships.
Athletes from age 5 to 85 competed in the meet honoring Shore A.C. founder and 1956 Olympian Elliott Denman, who was on hand to enjoy the day with his family and many other track fans. More than $8,500 was awarded to the top open and masters finishers in the meet, now one of the top outdoor meets on the East Coast each year.
Full results are available HERE, and more information can be found at The Shore A.C..
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