O-R Athlete of the Week: Amy Allen, South Fayette
Name: Amy Allen
School: South Fayette
Class: Senior
Sport: Track
Allen’s week: Allen took home four gold medals at the WPIAL Class AAA Track &Field Championships at Slippery Rock University.
Allen won the 200 dash with a time of 25.3 and the 400 dash with a personal record-time of 56.01. She joined Dea Monz, Melana Schumaker and Olivia Renk in crossing the finish line first in the 400 relay in 47.29 and Emma Fleck, Baylee Carpenter and Amanda Marquis in taking first in the 1,600 relay with a time of 3:57.80, three seconds ahead of second-place West Allegheny.
The 47.29 was a school record.
“I placed my sophomore year and got third (in the hurdles at the WPIAL event). I got ninth at states,” said Allen. “For the 4-by-100, you’re just running a 100 so it’s like a warmup race for me. I use it to get me ready for the 400 because that gets me ready to do an all out sprint. It puts me in the right mindset.
“For the 200, I just started running the 200 this year. I kind of warm up for it the way I do the 400. For the 4-by-400, I don’t even warm up. It’s something that’s just fun to do. I run that after all the other races so whatever happens, happens.”
Allen said she began to realize her potential in middle school.
“I guess I started to think I was pretty good when I was breaking all the records in middle school,” Allen said. “I still own one of two of them.”
Allen’s strongest race is the 400, and she came into the WPIAL tournament the odds-on favorite to win the race.
“I also like the relays,” she said, “because that’s more about team.”
Right now, Allen plans on running all four events at the state meet, which starts Saturday for Class AAA athletes at Shippensburg University.
“My expectations are to get on the awards stand,” she said, “by myself and with my teammates.”
Another sport: Before she decided on running track full time, Allen was a good soccer player. Her speed made her a handful for defenders to cover.
She played soccer since she was a youth and only recently gave up playing on her cup team.
“I liked it because it was a team sport,” said Allen. “It was something fun to do.”
Compiled by Joe Tuscano