Northwest Wayne News

DETROIT -- Ransom Allen of the Wayne State University men's cross country team was named a College Sports Communicators (CSC, formerly CoSIDA) First Team Academic All-American on Wednesday afternoon. After a Second Team selection for the 2021 season and a First Team nod in 2022, Allen joins Elly Maleski (swimming) as the school's only three-time honorees in the 72-year history of the Academic All-America program.

Maleski was voted Academic All-American in 2013-14, 2014-15, and 2015-16 - all Second Team selections.

Allen concluded his career last fall by becoming the first male runner at WSU to be a three-time All-American by the USTFCCCA (13th in 2023, 9th in 2022, and 25th in 2021), joining Hall of Fame inductee Rachelle Malette (2006-07-08) as the only cross country runners to be three-time All-Americans in school history.

He earned USTFCCCA All-Midwest Region accolades each of the last three seasons (2021, 2022, and 2023), including Midwest Region Athlete of the Year in 2023 by winning the regional meet. Allen garnered All-GLIAC recognition all four seasons with a Second Team honor in 2019 followed by First Team certificates in 2021, 2022, and 2023. He was the GLIAC Runner of the Year in 2023 after winning the conference title.

Allen was selected as a GLIAC Commissioner's Award recipient for academic and athletic excellence both in the fall of 2022 and the fall of 2023.

Allen's selection gives WSU nine CSC Academic All-Americans during the 2023-24 academic year, including Anais Ruyssen from women's tennis as their third ever Academic All-American of the Year. Since its inception, WSU has had a total of sixty-seven honorees ninety-six times, including twenty-five two-time recipients. Since 2000, WSU has had seventy-one Academic All-Americans by CoSIDA/CSC.