Chris Auckley
MOTrackFanatic @ outlook.com
@MOTrackFanatic
Rockwood Summit (Fenton) senior Rayvon Allen flew past the 50-foot barrier earlier this month in the triple jump at his conference track meet. Allen lept 50-10-5, for the MO#1 and US#3 mark. But Allen won't be satisfied to earn his second straight Class 4 state title in the event and get ready for college at Wichita State. Allen doesn't want to just be one of the best All-Time Missouri high schoolers in the event, which he now is. He wants to be the best. Allen's goal Saturday is to break the Missouri high school and state meet Record of 51-1.25, set by Ruskin's Brian Manning in 1993.
Allen doesn't want just another state title for himself, he wants several, and he wants to help his team win the Class 4 boys team title. And the Falcons have a good shot. Based off sectional performances, Rockwood Summit is projected to score 50 points and win the title, according to the figures compiled by former longtime Hardin-Central coach and Missouri Track and Cross Country Coaches Association secretary Dean Hays.
Last year, besides the triple jump title at 49-0.5, Allen took 7th in the 300-meter hurdles, and ran on the Summit 4x400 relay that was disqualified in the preliminaries. This year, Allen his taken his game to a whole new level. At the Mizzou Big River Running Company High School Indoor Series Championship meet in Columbia in late February, Allen dueled Park Hill standout Papay Glaywulu in the triple jump. Read Greg Hall's story on Glaywulu here: http://mo.milesplit.com/articles/212413-papay-glaywulu-proof-that-bad-kids-can-grow-to-be-great
Glaywulu posted a US#2 mark of 49-10 while Allen went for a US#5 49-7 at the time for the U.S. high school indoor season. Allen has dropped the high jump this year in favor of the long jump, and it's paid off big-time. Allen entered the state meet with a MO#3 mark of 23-9.5, tops in Class 4. Allen is second in the state and tops in Class 4 with a 38.04 300-meter hurdles clocking. In the 4x400, Summit has the ninth best time in the state and third in Class 4 with a 3:22.48 time.
Allen got his final meet in the Rockwood Summit maroon off to a fantastic start on Friday, Day 1 of the state meet. Allen ran 39.11 in the 300-meter hurdles to take second in the prelims. Then he went big. On his third attempt in the long jump, Allen flew 24-0.25. For good measure, Allen added a second jump better than his previous best with a 23-11.25. The mark puts Allen 36th on the national performance list and ties him for the 11th best mark in state meet history.
Today, Allen will look to go four for four, and win state titles in the triple jump, 300-meter hurdles, and the 4x400. If you see an athlete sporting a superman shirt and glasses, that's probably Allen. The Superman gear is his trademark look. Earlier this week, Allen talked about his 50-foot triple jump, shooting for the state record and a state team title.
Listen to the interview below: