Northwest Wayne News

Ransom Allen of Wayne State University achieved a significant milestone at the NCAA Midwest Regional event in Evansville, Indiana. He emerged victorious in the men's 10K race, defeating 213 competitors on Saturday morning. This victory marks him as the first men's cross country runner from Wayne State to win this event since Nick Allen's triumph in 2003.

Allen's winning time was 30:38.00, surpassing Noah Fisher of Findlay by over 11 seconds. His performance follows wins at the Warrior Challenge, Roy Griak Invitational, and GLIAC Championships earlier this season. As a result of his achievements, he will compete at the NCAA Championships in Joplin, Missouri.

The Wayne State team secured eighth place out of 32 teams with a total of 249 points. The competition featured runners from various conferences including the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), and Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC).

Other notable performances for Wayne State included Tyler Buchanan finishing 24th with a time of 31:29.30 and Zac Truman securing the 40th spot with a time of 32:00.10. Both Allen and Buchanan received All-Region honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Freshmen Seth Pianga and Jared Platt also made their regional debuts with respective finishes at 69th and 131st places.

Wayne State Coach Lofdahl commented on his team's performance: "These guys have been so solid all year, but the 10K is a different animal and it got to us a bit today...This was yet another outstanding race for Ransom."

Grand Valley State, Lewis, and Saginaw Valley State earned automatic qualification to the NCAA Championships by finishing in the top three positions at this event.

Wayne State now awaits further announcements regarding potential participation in upcoming national competitions.