Brendan Baker Strength & Conditioning Graduate Assistant (Tennis, Cross Country, Track & Field, Swimming & Diving) | Wayne State University Athletics Website
Brendan Baker Strength & Conditioning Graduate Assistant (Tennis, Cross Country, Track & Field, Swimming & Diving) | Wayne State University Athletics Website
On Saturday afternoon in Joplin, Wayne State University runner Ransom Allen concluded his collegiate cross country career with a 13th place finish at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships. The event was hosted by Missouri Southern State University at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course.
Allen, who automatically qualified for the championships after winning the NCAA Midwest Regional, was Wayne State's sole representative in the men's race. His performance earned him All-American honors for a second consecutive year.
"This was a wild race, with a lot of strategy and a lot of movement in the lead group. Ransom hit the 1-mile mark around 4:27, which is extremely fast with several hills and turns thrown in. He did a good job of sticking with the plan in the middle stages and made a move to catch the lead pack around four miles, but by the 9K mark he was redlining. He hung in there pretty well as guys were kicking near the end, and 13th at NCAA's is absolutely not something to hang your head about. He's had an incredible career at Wayne State with three top-25 national finishes, and he's an even better person than he is a runner," said head coach Grant Lofdahl.
The graduate student from Ithaca, Michigan completed one of Wayne State's most successful cross country seasons by winning four out of six events this year. His victories included first-place finishes at events such as the Warrior Challenge and GLIAC Championships.
Allen's time on Saturday placed him third overall in program history behind his own previous record from last season and Don Richardson’s record set in 1974.
In total, Wingate University won its first championship title with 70 points, narrowly defeating Colorado School of Mines who scored 78 points. William Amponsah from West Texas A&M claimed individual victory with a time of 29:04.30.
A total of 263 runners participated in this final cross country event for 2023, held over a distance of 10 kilometers.
Wayne State now looks forward to their next cross country season starting fall 2024.
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