Allen Community College’s track teams put up with nasty weather while contending with some of the most highly skilled athletes in the Midwest during four straight days of activity. THE WEATHER improved markedly for Sunday’s trip to Missouri, and so did Allen’s times.
The Red Devils traveled to Lawrence Thursday through Saturday for the KU Relays before converging upon Warrensburg Sunday for the Central Missouri Mule Relays.
The competitions allowed Allen athletes to post several national qualifying marks, and a school record to boot.
“Considering it was a high of 39 and a low of 29 throughout the night (Thursday), I felt our distance runners stepped up as best they could,” ACC coach Vince DeGrado said. “That might have been the coldest track meet I have ever attended.”
The conditions were particularly brutal for Allen’s steeplechase runners. A steeplechase is a distance race in which runners must clear several large hurdles and jump through a small water pit.
Jacob Spence overcame the cold to earn a national qualifying mark in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9 minutes, 52.28 seconds, which was only 3 seconds off the school record.
“I can’t help but wonder if Jake had better weather to run, he would have run 10 to 12 seconds faster.”
Brock Artis and Gabby Ruiz both qualified in the men’s and women’s 10,000-meter runs, respectively, in Thursday’s competition. Artis finished 27th with a time of 32:48.36, while Ruiz’s mark was 38:21.59.
Both had to run through a biting wind with flurries, DeGrado said.
“Times were running 30 to 35 seconds slower than normal, but all that matters with weather like that was to qualify and compete,” DeGrado said.
Conditions improved a tad Friday, although they still weren’t ideal, DeGrado said.
Because of Kansas University’s track configuration, Allen was able to run a 4×1-mile relay, a rarity nowadays.
The quartet of Dakota Parker, Tegan Michael, Josh Whittaker and Kevin White broke the old school record by finishing in 18:00.61, qualifying for nationals to boot.
“That probably explains why the record stood the test of time, because it’s such a rare event that isn’t run anymore,” DeGrado said.
On Saturday, Whittaker, Michael, Tucker Morgan and Evan Adams teamed in the 4×880-yard relay to finish fourth in 7:52.10, another national qualifying mark. The group missed its own school record by .08.
Morgan, Adams, Garrett Colglazier and Rodrick Simmons teamed to set another school record in the distance medley relay Saturday, finishing seventh with a time of 10:40.07. Again, that race was run in yards rather than meters, DeGrado noted.
“The 4×880 relay team wasn’t ranked very high but put a solid performance together,” DeGrado said. “Again the weather played a role, but this happens. The 4×100-meter relay team didn’t fare as well due to botched handoffs. Sometimes that happens with that relay. Coach (Tony) Davis wasn’t happy one bit, because he knows this team is better than what they showed out there.”
Even with the difficulties, “We held our own as usual with this caliber of meet,” DeGrado said.
The 4×100-meter relay team of Rodrick Simmons, Jethro St. Hubert, Jordan Fountain and Michael Burns won with a time of 41.35 seconds, qualifying for nationals in the process.
“We changed the legs up and it proved to be a positive result,” De Grado said. “They ran 41.35, even with two semi-botched handoffs. When they clean those up, they’ll run under 41 seconds easily.”
Bruce Barclay also ran a personal best in the 110-meter hurdles, finishing in seventh in 14.32 seconds, which also was a national qualifying mark.
“This was a very low-key meet,” DeGrado said, featuring a number of NCAA Division II, NAIA and junior college athletes. “It served a great purpose for some of our athletes.”
The Red Devils will travel to the Butler County Relays Saturday before heading to Great Bend May 3 and 4 for the Region VI Championships.
Allen’s results follow.
KU Relays
Thursday
Men
3K steeplechase (unseeded)
3. Jacob Spence, 9:52.28, NQ
7. Ryan Puslifer, 10:02.67
9. Garrett Colglazier, 10:12.45
10,000-meter run
27. Brock Artis, 32:48.36, NQ
1500-meter run
12. Dakota Parker, 4:08.35
21. Kevin White, 4:12.05
34. Tucker Morgan, 4:16.76
800-meter run
20. Evan Adams, 1:58.00
22. Tegan Michael, 1:58.20
41. Josh Whittaker, 2:00.86
Women
800-meter run
37. Debra Kime, 2:33.41
47. Mahalia Soap, 2:45.67
10,000-meter run
13. Gabby Ruiz, 38:21.59, NQ
Friday
Men
100-meter dash
18. Jethro St. Hubert, 10.88
400-meter dash
27. Rickardo Bailey, 51.31
4×1-mile relay
4. Allen (Dakota Parker, Tegan Michael, Josh Whittaker, Kevin White), 18:00.61, NQ, SR
110-meter hurdles
12. Bruce Barclay, 14.78
400-meter hurdles
23. Chris Donald, 56.89
Women
400-meter dash
22. Terika Henry, 59.73
Saturday
Men
4×100-meter relay
7. Allen (Rodrick Simmons, Jethro St. Hubert, Jordan Fountain, Michael Burns), 42.48
4×880-yard relay
4. Allen (Josh Whittaker, Tegan Michael, Tucker Morgan, Evan Adams), 7:52.10, NQ
Distance medley relay
7. Allen (Tucker Morgan, Rodrick Simmons, Evan Adams, Garrett Colglazier), 10:40.07, SR
Sunday
Men
400-meter dash
3. Kyle Smith, 50.44
7. Rondell Simmons, 51.73
100-meter dash
2. Rodrick Simmons, 10.68
7. Jethro St. Hubert, 10.95
110-meter hurdles
3. Bruce Barclay, 14.32, NQ
200-meter dash
3. Rodrick Simmons, 22.11
4. Kelvin Gant, 22.12
6. Jordan Fountain, 22.52
15. Jethro St. Hubert, 23.02
10,000-meter run
3. Ryan Pulsifer, 32:47.94, NQ
7. Kyle Schauvlige, 35:55.87
4×400-meter relay
3. Allen, 3:22.61
4×100-meter relay
1. Allen (Rodrick Simmons, Jethro St. Hubert, Jordan Fountain, Michael Burns), 41.35. NQ
Womem
1500-meter run
2. Danae McGee, 4:56.48, NQ
12. Mahalia Soap, 5:41.83
NQ-national qualifying mark
SR-school record
Red Devils qualify for nationals in several events
