Alpena’s Allen finishes 31st at state cross country championships
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BROOKLYN - Alpena junior Xander Allen posted his best state-meet finish Saturday, placing 31st in the MHSAA Division 1 cross country championships at Michigan International Speedway.
Allen, competing at the state finals for the third straight year, ran 15 minutes, 43.7 seconds. The time left him one place shy of a top-30 finish and All-State honors.
Teammate Logan Szumila, making his first state-meet appearance, finished 62nd in 16:00.1 in a field of 260 runners.
Both times rank among the best ever recorded by area athletes on the historic MIS course, according to Alpena coach Joe Donajkowski.
Allen entered the meet aiming for a top-30 finish after placing about 70th as a sophomore. He and Szumila had qualified the previous weekend at the regional meet at Delta College, where Allen took sixth in 15:34.86 and Szumila finished 11th in 15:41.86.
The Wildcats finished ninth as a team at regionals, so only the two individuals advanced.