National Scholastic Athletics Foundation

By Pete Cava, National Scholastic Sports Foundation

A few years back at a post-championship wrap party, several members of National Scholastic Sports Foundation's staff were lingering over late snacks. The subject turned to Waltzing Matilda, Australia's de facto national anthem. Like a combination of chocolate and chipotle, NSSF staffers' conversations tend to be eclectic.

When someone asked who wrote the song, a tall, gray figure quietly and correctly responded: "Banjo Paterson." That settled the issue, since the man with the answer, Elliott Denman, is renowned as a font of information on anything from Aussie balladeers to Zimbabwe's Olympic teams.

And Denman – a retired sports reporter and 1956 Olympian who writes feature stories for NSSF's website and provides game-day coverage for the Nike Indoor and Nike Outdoor Nationals – will be inducted into New York University's Hall of Fame this spring.

"What do you say about Elliott Denman," mused Tom Surber, a member of USA Track & Field's media staff since 1987. "He's a very good writer and a quality reporter, always diligent as far as getting the facts correct. And he's been consistent through the years, such a gentle soul. For me, he's always been a pleasure to work with."

Denman, a 1956 NYU graduate, will be inducted in ceremonies on May 10 in Manhattan along with Joe Fink (soccer, 1973), Paul Palestis (fencing, 1998) and Boris Vaysburd (volleyball, 1995).

"It all began when I made the Olympic team," said Denman, who qualified for the 1956 U.S. track and field squad in the 50-kilometer walk. A member of Joe Yancey's New York Pioneer Club in those days – and a Sandy Koufax look-alike, minus the fastball – Denman finished eleventh at the Melbourne Games.

He's been competing ever since, winning the U.S. 3-kilometer and 50-kilometer walk titles in 1959. Last November 4 he completed the New York City Marathon for the twenty-ninth consecutive year. "Slowing down," he wrote afterward in a note to friends, "but still getting there."

After returning from the Olympics, Denman launched a lengthy career as a sports reporter. Working for New Jersey's Asbury Park Press, he wrote – capably and admirably – about every sport imaginable.

Denman returned to the Olympics – this time as a journalist – covering the Games each year from 1968 through 2004 (with the exception of 1980, the year of the U.S. boycott). He was accredited to the first IAAF World Track and Field Championships in Helsinki in 1983 and has attended each once since.

Already one of the rarest of breeds – a journalist who is also a competitive athlete – Denman took an active role in track and field's governance. He served on national race walk committees, first for the Amateur Athletic Union and, later, for USA Track & Field, AAU's successor.

He's also active at the local level as a key figure in New Jersey's Shore Athletic Club. He has served as meet director for countless events, including many national championships.

Denman retired from the Press at the end of 1999. He continues to work as a freelance journalist and he'll cover this year's Olympics in Beijing. "It keeps me going," said Denman. "I never want to stop. I love the meets, I love the people and I love track and field. The sport's been very, very good to me. It's part of my life. I want to keep helping it as long as I can."

Jim Spier, director of the Nike Indoor and Nike Outdoor Nationals, praised Denman's work on behalf of NSSF. "Elliott's a major asset to our on-line efforts during the run-up to the meets and during the competition," he said. "He's also a terrific person to have around. Everybody connected with NSSF congratulates him for making the NYU Hall of Fame."

Denman, who turned 74 on January 23, lives in West Long Branch with Jo, his wife of 47 years.

Look for his feature stories on this website, as well as his event-by-event coverage of the Nike Indoor Nationals in Landover, Maryland, March 15-16.

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