THE SHORE ATHLETIC CLUB

OF NEW JERSEY

Home of the 2005, 2007 and 2009 USA Track and Field
National Club Team Champions.

              

 

 

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Saturday August 28, 2010

  STILL AVAILABLE/ STILL AVAILABLE - A limited supply of the great Shore AC 75th Anniversary Magazine, published to commemorate our club's three quarters of a century of achievements in track and field, road running, cross country, racewalking, and a whole lot more. The magazine is full of outstanding photos, stories and 68 pages of great stuff!!  To purchase a copy, send $13 ($10 for the magazine, $3 for postage) to Shore AC, PO Box 381, West Long Branch, NJ 07764.

Returning to Lake Takanassee
After 24 or 25 Years
By Brian Lundberg

  It had been twenty-four or twenty-five years.
  I arrived at Lake Takanassee feeling a bit nervous, as well as a bit nostalgic. Memory is fluid, unstable. I glanced around, surveying the scene, trying to connect the sights and sounds confronting me with those dancing in my head. The results were uneven. What seems like a lifetime ago, The Lake was my favorite place to race during the summer while getting ready for the high school cross country season: good people, low-key, fun, yet sufficiently competitive.
   I spotted some official-looking people and made my way over. I had to ask if Harry Nolan was still running. Someone pointed him out to me and I went over to introduce myself. He was, surprisingly, still quite young, and of course, he did not know me. Recollection playing with me, I was surprised to learn that he was more or less about my age all those many years ago.
   Elliott Denman, whom I remembered well by name only, was there, too. Compelled to share my story with Mr. Denman, I engaged him in a nice, one-way conversation: I hadn’t run The Lake in about twenty-four or twenty-five years. I just started running again after a twenty-four year break.
   I have been living and teaching high school literature for the past five years at an international school in China. I would be back in the States for several weeks during summer vacation. For nostalgic reasons, I wanted Lake Takanassee to be my first race back in the States.  Mr. Denman graciously made a point of introducing me at the starting line, informing other racers that I had come all the way from China. In the end, I hit my target time of 18:30.
   Running has always been connected to meaning for me. Meaning lies at the root of why I began to run. Running began for me as a quest for victory and individual achievement. Fortunate to have had a great and inspiring high school coach and exemplary teammates, running was transformed into a vibrant weave of camaraderie, budding friendships, interpersonal loyalties, philosophical explorations, and simple joy. Places and spaces of meaning shift over time, however. The things that made running so fulfilling were lacking in my college experience. I left running behind.
    Spaces shifted once again. I began to run consistently last July, building the mileage base on this 44 year old body and losing 30 pounds in the process. There is not much of an active running scene in Shanghai. I have not yet found others who run similar amounts, pace, and times that I do. Therefore, I run alone, with nobody else. Nevertheless, running has, once again, become meaningful, meditative. At the same time, I have made some potential contacts to share the sweat and significance as I move forward and pound the pavement.
    Shanghai hosts only a few road races per year. That makes my summer weeks at home in NJ particularly significant running-wise. I had an enjoyable time at Takanassee. I followed that effort with a 5:16.9 one-mile the following week at the Shore A.C. All-Comers meet, mostly on the basis of simple distance and some minor road work. A few more races remain before I return to China for the beginning of the fall term.
    A cliché, I know, but life sometimes makes circles, spirals perhaps.
   Years ago, I represented the Shore A.C. in North Carolina at a National Cross Country Championship meet. Today, I printed my application to rejoin the Shore A.C. Next year, with the necessary track work added to another year’s worth of distance, I hope to take this then 45-year-old body-self to a sub 5:00 mile. In that race, I will be wearing the Shore A.C. singlet. A different logo just would not feel appropriate. With my friends' memory and loyalty, the meaning just would not be there.
 


 (Shore AC has extended a warm "welcome back" to Brian Lundberg, who ran The Lake" for Madison Central HS (which now is Old Bridge High) two dozen, or perhaps a full quarter-century, ago.  We always welcome "alumni" and old friends.  We have forever felt that running The Lake, or walking it, is one of the greatest athletic traditions to be found in America - or anywhere. // Elliott D.)

 

 

SHORE AC ATHLETES EXCEL
 AT USATF MASTERS NATIONALS


   
Shore Athletic Club competitors played starring roles at the 2010 USATF  Masters National Track and Field Championships (July 22-25 in Sacramento,    California) collecting four gold medals, one silver, and six bronzes.
  Leading the way - as she has at so many National Championship meets in  recent years - for Shore AC was throwing events great Oniethea “Neni” Lewis.  Moving up to the women’s 50-54 age bracket, Shore AC’s “Neni” set a National record of 181-11 in the hammer throw, won the shot put at  44-8 3/4, and placed third in the discus at 124-6.
    Shore AC’s Roland Cormier won the men’s 70-74 2000-meter steeplechase  title with a 9:21.22 performance.   Teammate Maurelhena Walles ran second  in the women’s 35-39 400 meters in 58.91, then earned a gold medal with the 4x400 relay team that won in 3:52.85.
     Dick Hill of Shore AC had a busy Nationals, running fourth in the men’s 70-74 2000 steeplechase (10:33.75) and 10,000 meters (51:56), and fifth in  the 5,000 meters (24:43.)
   Tony Plaster of Shore AC ran a best-ever 2:14.77 800 meters placing fourth    in the men’s 55-59 division.  Teammate John Kuhi made his debut as a steeplechaser and placed fourth in the men’s 65-69 2000-meter barrier race (9:42.10) and added performances of 1:19.09 in the 400 and 3:04.97 at 800.           
   Shore AC racewalking star Panse Geer finished fourth in the women’s   60-64 5,000-meter race (30:56) and fifth in the 10,000 meters (1:04.23.)
    Pat Toland, soon to return to Shore AC membership, added a third  place in the men’s 40-44 shot put with a toss of 41-10.
    Many Shore AC athletes are already planning to return to Sacramento  next summer, when the California capitol city hosts the IAAF World Masters Championships.   

 

SHUTTLE HURDLES TEAM IS TRIUMPHANT AGAIN,
AMY THAYER WINS HAMMER THROW TO LEAD WAY
AS SHORE AC HAS BIG WEEKEND AT PENN RELAYS.

 

          

MARCELLUS MANNING (shown here) AND TEAMMATES JAMEL BALKMAN, NEGASI GERIMA AND JACOBY DUBOSE POWER SHORE AC TO ANOTHER TRIUMPH IN OLYMPIC DEVELOPMENT DIVISION 480-YARD SHUTTLE HURDLES RELAY AT 116TH EDITION OF THE PENN RELAYS AT FRANKLIN FIELD, PHILADELPHIA.   IT WAS SHORE AC'S THIRD SHUTTLE HURDLES VICTORY AT PENN RELAYS IN FIVE YEARS AND SIXTH ALL TOLD!!  WAY TO GO, GUYS.   (Photo courtesy of Mr. Joe Guty.)

 
   
Shore Athletic Club competitors had a successful Penn Relays, collecting
two championships, three second places and two thirds in the 116th edition of the classic meet at Franklin Fiield, Philadelphia. Competing in the Olympic Development Division, Shore AC’s Negasi Gerima, Jamel Balkman, Marcellus Manning and Jacoby DuBose won the 480-yard shuttle hurdles relay in 58.63; it was Shore AC’s third Penn shuttle hurdles title in five years and sixth all-time. Clubmate Amy Thayer won the hammer throw at 194-10.
  Earning second places were SAC’s DuBose in the 110 hurdles (13.86), Kyle Mazur in the javelin throw (194-9) and Panse Geer in the women’s Masters 5K racewalk (32:15.)  Taking thirds were Shore AC’s Alex Johnson (men’s Masters 75-up 100) and Paul Mongone (javelin.)   SAC's Ashhad Agyapong ran fourth in the men's 100 (10.48.) In relay action, Shore AC’s Crista Strachan, Maurelhena Walles, Lauren Henkel and Lindsay Thomas took fourth in the women’s 4x400 (4:03.58), while Marvin Lewis, Deon Bascom, Garrett Ellis and Jamal Roberts were fifth in the men’s 4x400 (3:17.51.)
      In relay action, Shore AC’s Crista Strachan, Maurelhena Walles, Lauren Henkel and Lindsay Thomas ran fourth in the women’s 4x400 (4:03.58); Marvin Lewis, Deon Bascom, Garrett Ellis and Jamal Roberts were fifth in the men’s 4x400 (3:17.51.)   Shore AC’s Gigi Giblisco, Steve Benedict and Devon Burroughs built a 30-meter lead after three legs of their men’s 4x400 section, before teammate Nole Thomas suffered an unfortunate  hamstring pull 80 meters into his anchor run.   
  The women’s triple jump saw Shore AC’s April Williams place fifth (42-2 1/4) and Tiina Magi-Sole seventh (40-3 1/4.) Shore AC’s Kelton Cumberbatch ran seventh in the men’s 400 hurdles (52.91), running out of the tight confines of lane one.   SAC’s Matt Forys placed 10th in the 10,000-meter run (31:07.54.)
   In Masters action, Shore AC’s Bob Andrews-Chris Harkins-Harry Nolan-Rick Lapp team ran sixth in the 50-up 4x400 (4:16.26), with teammates Dave Zurheide-Dave Friedman-John Kuhi-Walter MacGowan 14th in 5:08.04.    
   The college men's 4x800 final saw Manalapan High grad Robby Andrews run a stirring 1:47.78, giving Virginia a dramatic 7:15.38 win over Oregon, and UVa's first Penn baton title since 1943.
    In other Penn Relays highlights, Emanuel "Manny" Mayers of Lakewood anchored Mississippi State to the men's Championship of America 4x400 title in 3:04.92, with Monmouth Regional grad Kelly Fisher running leadoff for fifth-place St. Augustine's Lakewood grad Shavon Greaves ran second leg on Penn State's fourth-place women's 4x400 team.
    Seton Hall delivered two dramatic wins in its Penn Relays farewell appearance - Monmouth Regional alumnus Christopher Cox's 46.23 anchor lifted the The Hall to the IC4A men's 4x400 crown in 3:11.00, and Jernail Hayes' 52.89 lap anchored the Pirates to a 3:37.02 ECAC women's 4x400 title. Charles Cox, Chris's twin, led off North Carolina's third-place college division 4x400 team.
   Central Regional graduate James Plummer gave Rutgers its first-ever Penn Relays victory in the discus - the event has been on the Penn program for 110 years - with a whirl of 184-8. As someone in the press box said, "James Plummer is the greatest thrower to come out of Central Regional since Al Leiter. "   Leiter, of course, was a superb major leaguer and World Series champion, and now is one of baseball's premier broadcasters.

 

THE PRICE (SHORE AC’S NICK) IS RIGHT AS
SHORE A.C. ATHLETES CAPTURE FOUR FIRSTS
AT PRINCETON UNIVERSITY’S  ELITE MEET

    
Topped by Nick Price’s super 18.66-meter/ 61 foot, 2 ¾-inch Nationals-qualifying shot put victory, Shore AC athletes played many starring roles at the annual Princeton University Elite Meet, May 1st at Weaver Stadium.
   Price set a pair of all-time PRs and all his measured throws were over 60 feet in a great series.  “This was a great meet for me, but I know I can do a lot better,” said Price, who was cheered on by all his competitors in  the high-energy event that was the first final in Weaver Stadium.
   Other Shore AC winners were Kelton Cumberbatch in the men’s 400-meter hurdles (a season-best 52.04), Beth Marks in the women’s high jump (5-7), and the men's 4x400 relay team of Kelton Cumberbatch-Marvin Lewis-Ashhad Agyapong-Devon Burroughs (that recorded the club’s best time of 2010,  3:12.06.)
   Earlier in the meet, Agyapong ran a 21.18 200 placing second to Clement Campbell’s
20.81, and Lewis lowered his seasonal best in the 400, running 46.99 for third in a race won

by Princeton’s Austin Hollimon at 46.80.
   Additional leading Shore AC athletes men’s performances included Devon Burroughs’

53.46 400 meter-hurdles (placing third), Gigi Gibilisco’s 48.02 400 meters (placing fifth), Jeff Zodda’s 3:52.25 1500 meters (placing fifth), Eddie Diaz’s145-11 discus throw (placing

seventh) and  Jamel Balkman’s 15.14 110 high hurdles (placing eighth.)
   For the Shore AC women’s team, Lauren Henkel ran a solid 2:12.61 for fifth place in the very-competitive 800 meters, and Lindsay Thomas ran 14th in the 1500 meters.
   And we all cheered Justin Frick’s high-flying 7-1 ¾ win in the high jump.  Princeton senior Justin has been a Shore AC stalwart since his days at Freehold High School.  We all remember Justin's dramatic return from the Princeton University track team tour of China -

"just in" time to score key points for Shore AC in winning the 2007 USATF National Club

Team Championships team title!
      Princeton’s George Abyad, another Shore AC top collegian, came through with a 159-10 second place in the discus and a 50-4 3/4 seventh place in the shot put.
   All in all, it was another outstanding day for Shore AC athletes, members and friends, who are, as always, appreciative of the hospitality extended by Princeton University coaches,

staff and team members.
   AND NOW, LOOKING AHEAD:   It’s on to the first edition of The Rutgers Invitation Meet

this Saturday, and the NYC Qualifying Challenge at Icahn Stadium, Randall’s Island, NYC,

this Friday and Saturday.

  AND ALSO:  Let’s all applaud Shore AC member Lauren Henkel on her election to the New York University Athletic Hall of Fame, with the gala ceremony coming up on Saturday, May 8.
   In addition to all her great track performances at NYU,
Lauren was of NYU’s greatest soccer players!!   Way to go, Lauren!!

 

SHORE AC ATHLETES PLAY STARRING ROLES
WITH FIVE FIRST-PLACE PERFORMANCES
AT PRINCETON’S LARRY ELLIS MEMORIAL MEET


   
Shore Athletic Club athletes played starring roles at the 11th Larry Ellis Memorial Invitation Track and Field

Meet at Princeton University (April 16 and 17) with fivegold medal performances leading the way.
   Sylvia Galarza, former Rutgers University athlete, got it started with a winning women’s discus throw of 154-9 on a cold, drizzly Friday night.  This was her debut competing for Shore AC and it was a terrific one - her title toss came in the sixth and final round.
   Four more Shore AC golds came in Saturday field events on a cold afternoon at Weaver Stadium.
   Shore AC member and ex-Penn great Tuan Wreh won the men’s triple jump with a hop-step-jump of 52-1 3/4.   Earlier Saturday, he’d placed third in the long jump at 23-0 ½, an event that was won by his cousin and SAC teammate, Cadeau Kelley, who leaped 24-10.
    Taking the women’s high jump with a 5-7 clearance was Shore AC’s Bethany Marks at 5-7.   Shore AC’s Tiina Magi-Sole was the winner of the women’s triple jump at 40-6, while her husband, Christopher Sole (competing at virtually the same time) placed fifth in the men’s high jump at 6-4 3/4.
   Marvin Lewis, former Hampton University great, was a top Shore AC performer on the track, snaring a pair of very-very close second places, The men’s 400 went to Princeton’s own Michael Eddy at 47.76, just edging Lewis’s 47.81.  In the 200, it was Princeton’s Austin Hollimon’s first over the line in 21.46 with Lewis second in 21.66.
   Shore AC sprinter Kevin Thompson had a good day, too, running third in the 200 (21.70) and seventh in the 100 (11.02.)
   Friday’s men’s discus saw Shore AC’s Aaron Braxton (158-3) and Vinnie Insingo (156-3) place fifth and sixth.
    Also making impressive  Shore AC debuts were Garrett Ellis (22.26 200 and 49.94 400) and Devon Burroughs (54.68 400 hurdles.)
    Other Shore AC performances included Marcellus Manning’s ninth in the 110 high hurdles (14.81) and his 11.93 100; Jamel Balkman’s 15.77 in the 110 highs (despite problems with his spiked shoe) and his 11.93 100; and Lindsay Thomas’s 1:00.87 in the women’s 400 and 2:19.98 in the 800,  Taryn Landers ran an 18:30.24 in the women’s 5000 meters; Paul Mongone wound up ninth in the men’s javelin, calling it a day with slight back trouble after a 174-6 toss.
   Nicholas Reid of Shore AC ran the 800 and 1500 meters.
   It was a good meet for Shore AC-member collegians, too.
   Justin Frick won the men’s high jump for Princeton at 6-11 ½; fellow Princeton Tiger George Abyad whirled the discus 168-2 in second place and put the shot 52-0 ½ for fourth; Kristin Andrews of St. Joseph’s ran seventh in the women’s 400 hurdles at 1:04.70.
  Next up for the Shore AC team is the famed Penn Relays this weekend at Philadelphia’s Franklin Field.

 


SHORE AC’S BARRY KRAMMES WIN JAVELIN
AT SEA-RAY RELAYS IN TENNESSEE WITH
GREAT THROW OF 75.12 METERS/ 246 FEET 5 INCHES


   
Shore AC javelin throwing star Barry Krammes unleashed an outstanding toss of 75.12 meters, or 246 feet, 5 inches, to take the gold medal at the Sea-Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tennessee on April 10, 2010.
   It was a super performance by Krammes, the East Stroudburg University grarduate who also had the longest throw at the 2008 USA Olympic Trials.   It ranks him third in the nation thus far and puts him up on the IAAF international list for 2010.  Adam Burke of the US Army team was a distant second at 230-5.


MYASIA JACOBS WINS 100 METERS AT
USA WORLD YOUTH OLYMPIC TRIALS.


  
Cheers again for Ms. Myasia Jacobs, the Paramus Catholic High School sophomore who won silver and bronze medals in leading the Shore AC women’s team at the 2009 USA National Club Championships at Icahn Stadium, NYC.
   In her latest exploit, she won the girls 100-meter final at the USA Team Trials for the World Youth Olympic Games in Arlington, Texas April 3rd.   Running an 11.96 in the qualifying round and winning the final in 12.13 (into a severe headwind), she won easily and established herself as a top candidate for the historic first edition of the World Youth Olympics, to be held in Singapore this August.  She also placed fifth in the 200 with 23.91 (trials) and 24.51 (finals) performances.
  Najee Glass of St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City won the boys 400 in 47.72.

PAUL MONGONE LEADS SHORE AC
WITH JAVELIN WIN AT WEST POINT PREP INVITATIONAL


 
Ex-Rutgers star Paul Mongone won the javelin with a comfortable throw of 178-9 at the West Point Prep Invitational Meet at Fort Monmouth on April 10th.  Throwing off grass, Mongone didn’t go all out, focusing on the upcoming Larry Ellis Meet at Princeton and the Penn Relays in Philadelphia.
   Shore AC sprint star Kevin Thompson made his 2010 debut, placing second in the 200 final in 22,22 seconds.  Relaxing in the final strides, he was edged by just 1/100th of a second by Queensborough’s Donnell Lochart.
   Shore AC teammate Steve Benedict ran second in the 400 and second in the 200.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SHORE AC ATHLETES WHO DID A TRULY
TREMENDOUS JOB AT THE 2010 USATF MASTERS INDOOR NATIONALS.    
CHEERS TO ALL     


  
BOSTON, MASS. - Shore Athletic Club competitors played starring roles in the annual USA Track and Field Masters Indoor National Championships, collecting 10 gold medals, three silvers and five bronzes in the meet held March 26, 27, 28 at the Reggie Lewis Track and Field Center.
  Leading the way for the Shore AC delegation was throwing events star Oneiethea “Neni” Lewis, who struck gold three times in the women’s 45-49 division, with performances of 46-7 1/4 in the weight throw, 37-4 in the shot put, and 30-9 in the super weight throw.
   Three Shore AC racewalkers claimed gold medals over the 3,000-meter distance, with
Dave Talcott pacing the men’s 45-49 field (14:17.08), Erin Taylor winning in women’s 30-34 (15:16.61) and Panse Geer in women’s 60-64 (19:09.23.)
   Shore AC’s Charles Roll won the men’s 60-64 shot put (47-9) and placed second in the weight throw (48-10 3/4.)
   Tom Cawley of Shore AC ran off with the men’s 50-54 1-mile title (4:41.68) and ran
third in the 800 (2:07.07.)
   Taking gold medals as members of the winning women’s 4x400 40's relay team were Shore AC’s Maurelhena Walles and Shemayne Williams.  Walles added second places in the women’s 200-meter (26.91) and 400-meter (1:00.11) races, while Williams ran third in the 45-49 200 (27.86) and fifth in the 400 (1:05.66.)
    Shore AC member Roland Cormier ran third in the men’s 65-69 3,000 meters (12:43.68) and fourth in the mile (6:30.99.)
   Shore AC’s Rick Lapp raced to a third place in the men’s 60-64 400 meters (59.90) along with a fourth in the 200 (27.56) and a seventh in the 800 (2:30.88.)
  Snaring a third place in the men’s 55-59 pole vault was Shore AC’s Carl Huff with a 9-8 clearance.
   Other leading Shore AC performers were John Kuhi, fourth in the men’s 65-69 400 meters (1:18.32); Tony Plaster, sixth in the men’s 55-59 800 (2:16.02); Peter Falzarano, fifth in the men’s 65-69 shot put (32-10 1/4), and Harold Nolan, ninth in the men’s 60-64 mile (5:34.10.)  The men’s 65-69 800 saw SAC’s John Saarmann clock
a 2:54 and John Kuhi a 3:03.

SHORE AC ATHLETES COLLECT 1 GOLD MEDAL AND 3 SILVERS
AT WORLD MASTERS INDOORCHAMPIONSHIPS, MARCH 2-7, 2010
IN KAMLOOPS, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.


 
We applaud the Shore Athletic Club delegation that earned one gold medal and three silvers at the World Masters Indoor Track and Field Championships the first week of March, 2010.
  Leading the way was our great Shore AC all-arounder Greg Foster, many times a winner at past World Masters Championships.
  Foster ran a leg on USA's gold medal team in the men's 45-49 division 4x200 relay, teaming with Ben James, James Roberson and Michael Wolfe for a 1:43.58 triumph.
  Earlier, Foster earned silvers in the 45-49 long jump,going 20 feet, 0 1/2 inches, just one centimeter back of winner Odvar Viulsrud of Norway; and the triple jump, doing 43-6, trailing only USA teammate David McFadgen's 44-9.
  McFadgen had been a member of the Shore AC varsity team two decades earlier.
 The men's 50-54 division 800 meters saw Shore AC's Tom Cawley continue his tremendous comeback -he'd taken over 20 years off from track and field - to place a very close second to American teammate Jeff Lindsay.Lindsay hit the line a narrow winner in 2:10.70, with Cawley right behind at 2:11.05.
  Shore AC Masters coach and lifetime trustee John Kuhi placed 10th in the men's 65-69 800 meters, running 3:00.62.
  It was a big meet for other New Jerseyans with Sid Howard taking the men's 70-74 800 meters (2:43.48) and 1500 meters (5:42.06), and Roger Price winning the 8K race in 32:02 and running third in the 3,000 meters in 10:54.65.
  This was the first time the World Masters Indoor Championships had taken place in North America and New Jersey was well represented   


 


Shore AC Men's & Women's Varsity teams planning for a BIG 2010 Outdoor Season!  Meets Start March 26-27 with Monmouth University Season Opener and continue through April, May, June, July & August.  BE PART OF THE ACTION!!! For Details, Contact Elliott Denman at elliottden@aol.com or call 732-222-9213.  Or Tim Brennan at tbshoreac@aol.com
THANK YOUS & CONGRATULATIONS!!!

 

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