The Allen Community College track and field team has been busy over the past few weeks.
Two weekends ago, Allen made the short trip to Emporia to start its season before heading south and splitting up to compete at three different meets in Texas and Oklahoma.
The Emporia meet, while small, was significant because it marked the first time in over a year that head cross country and track and field coach Vince DeGrado was able to join his team at a meet. DeGrados NJCAA-mandated suspension for an altercation that took place at the end of indoor track season in 2018 ended earlier this year.
It was just good to be back, DeGrado said. And you could tell the kids were happy to have me back as well, which was nice. It kind of dawned on me that this meet was the first time these freshmen have had me at their meet since theyve been at Allen.
With the weather not being great and with it being the first meet of the season, DeGrado decided to treat the meet as a workout to prepare for bigger meets.
It was a good day for the ACC relays starting with the 4×100 team which finished fifth with a time of 42.70. Both 4×400 teams took top 10 with a second place finish (3:22.88) and sixth (3:30.12).
Individual 400 runners also made themselves known with four runners landing in the top 10.
Jeremiah Revere (49.64) and Michael Knowles (49.90) took fifth and sixth while Ja son Axon took seventh (50.06). Robin Anderson (50.14) took 10th.
Josh Doria (1:56.29) and Yoel Yoel (1:57.97) both finished top-five in the 800 with a third and fifth-place finish.
Joel Fane (1:59.27) took eighth and Joshua Clethen (1:59.87) took ninth.
Last, but not least, Henos Andebrhan took 10th in the 1500 with a time of 4:10.29.
After that warm-up, it was time for the real thing.
DeGrado took his top two relay teams, the 800 and the distance medley, to Austin to compete in the Texas Relays while the rest either went to the Bobcat Invitational at Texas State in San Marcos or the Oklahoma Baptist Invitational.
The DMR and 800 relay teams were up against the likes of big-time, division one teams including Kansas, Wichita State, Texas, Arkansas and Texas Tech.
In both races, they were the only junior college squad competing.
In the 4×800, the Red Devils took seventh overall, beating out Houston Baptist and Mississippi State with a time of 7:48.81. The team consisted of Joshua Clethen, Yoel Yoel, Michael Knowles and Xari Barros.
