RI State Contender, Robert Allen Breaks Andrew Springer Record

 Robert Allen knows where his place is among the state’s elite in Rhode Island. The Cranston West senior is right at the top alongside a handful of runners that will be vying for the individual cross-country state crown in just a few more weeks.

 

With that distinction, the Falcon standout is also well aware of what comes with being one of the contenders.

 

“There’s a lot of pressure on me,” he said. “But I never get nervous, I get anxious. I can’t wait for it to come.”

 

Allen, a runner-up finisher at last year’s championship meet, gave himself a reason to get slightly more anxious for this fall’s upcoming states. Under ideal autumn-like conditions for racing on Thursday, the talented harrier took advantage of the weather and a fast-early start to capture the fifth annual Bronco Invitational with a record-breaking time of 15 minutes, 27.79 seconds for the five-kilometer course.

 

Allen broke the two-year-old mark set by former Westerly High All-American Andrew Springer, who toured the moderately-challenging layout at Burrillville Middle School in a time of 15:31 in the 2008 event.

 

For the fleet-footed Allen, he not only dipped under a record that was held by one of the most celebrated runners in R.I. history and the 2009 Nike Indoor National mile champion, he also was 29 seconds below his previous best that he ran on Sept. 8 when he copped the Injury Fund Cross-Country Carnival, held on the same course.

 

Running the final 150 meters, Allen caught a glimpse of the finishing clock and knew he was onto something special. When he bolted across the line, he let out a huge scream.

 

“At the end, I had so much emotion I just had to yell,” Allen said. “When I saw my time 15:07 (with 150 meters to go), all that pressure built up and I had to yell. I had to. I was shocked. When I saw 15:27, I was shocked.”

 

North Providence High senior Alex Gallo finished second in the race with a strong 15:39.61 clocking. Dan Kilcoyne, a junior from Chariho Regional High, was also under the 16-minute mark with his time of 15:57.20.

 

Allen took command after the opening mile, going past the split at an even five minutes. He maintained a consistent pace throughout his race and solidified his finish during the late stages.

 

“When I went into the woods for the final half mile, that’s when I started my surge,” said Allen, who placed second at last month’s New Balance Ocean State Invitational in Warwick, R.I. “I just kept going and going.”

 

With its outstanding depth, Smithfield came home with the team hardware with a 65-97 win over runner-up East Greenwich High. The Sentinels, who had four of their runners among the first 15 finishers, averaged a time of 16:46.58 from their varsity contingent.

 

The girls’ race also featured a record-breaking performance and another victory by a Cranston West harrier. Sophomore Michaela Hackett virtually led from gun to wire, breaking the tape with a winning time of 18:46.0. Hackett’s twin sister, Alexandria, claimed second place with a 19:03.29 effort.

 

The 2010 champion improved on her time by nearly two minutes from her fifth-place performance at last month’s Injury Fund X-C Carnival.

 

“I felt pretty good,” said Michaela. “It was hard, but you have to keep pushing yourself, and this weather is just so good for running.”

 

With three of its runners among the top six, the Falcons easily took team honors, defeating second-place Prout School, 51-131. Cranston West is currently ranked No. 4 in the statewide coaching rankings.

 

The Bronco Invitational, which also included a pair of junior varsity races, attracted more than 700 runners.

 

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The class championships for R.I. athletes will take place on Oct. 30. The following week on Nov. 7, runners will line up for the state championships. Both meets are held at Ponaganset High... For complete results of the Bronco Invitational, go to RITCA.com