It's not going out on a limb to say that Jessie Allen had a pretty good weekend.
The senior captured the IC4A 400-meter hurdles crown with the fastest time in the nation this year, 49.42. The time gave Allen an automatic bid to the NCAAs held next week in Idaho.
Allen's time is a new school record and gave him Duke's first IC4A title since 1971. Because he holds the nation's fastest time, he will be the top seed at the NCAAs, a remarkable jump from No. 22, where he was ranked before this weekend.
But Allen's success did not end with the hurdles. The Maine native anchored the Blue Devils' 4x800 relay team, which finished in third with a time of 7:28.11. During Allen's leg of the race, he ran a lifetime best of 1:50.6.
As a team, Duke finished in 13th place out of 104 teams. The Blue Devils finished 14th in the Indoors, and coach Norm Ogilvie was pleased to see the improvement.
"We had a fantastic IC4As," Ogilvie said. "Thirteenth place, that's outstanding. We're doing very well and we're really happy with how we're doing."
Joining Allen on the All-East team were the three other runners on the relay team and sophomore pole vaulter Seth Benson. Benson finished in sixth place with a leap of 16-feet, 3/4 inches. All-East honors are awarded to all competitors who finish the top six.
The 4x800 relay team was composed of Mike McKeever, Bill Spierdowis, Kyle Leonard as well as Allen. The team ran a strong race as Spierdowis also ran a career best during his leg of the race (1:51.1).
Spierdowis has been invited to compete in the USATF Junior Championships, which is open to athletes age 19 and under. At the Championships, held in Texas, he will have the chance to earn a spot on the Pan-Am junior team.
At the women's equivalent of the IC4As, the ECACs, Jillian Schwartz took home a title in the pole vault with her jump of 11-feet, 7 and 3/4 inches. Her title also clinched her a spot on the All-East team.
"This caps an absolutely stellar year [for Schwartz]," women's coach Jan Ogilvie said. "To win this championship is probably just the start for the next two years. She has really become dedicated to the sport."
But the real story of the weekend was Allen's performance in hurdles. Before this meet, Allen's previous best in the 400-meter hurdles was a 50.95. During Saturday's trials, he ran a 50.10, one-tenth below the NCAA qualifying time.
With an NCAA berth in hand, Allen was running with no pressure when he shaved his time again and ran the 49.42. The nation's previous high was a 49.49, ran by Southern Cal's Felix Sanchez. During the run, he was taking just 13 strides between each hurdle through the first five hurdles, something that requires taking the hurdles with alternate lead legs.
"Jumping from 22nd place to first is really quite remarkable," Norm Ogilvie said. "I've been around awhile, and I've never seen someone do something like that. In track, times are usually cut by 10ths or 100ths, and he cut one-and-a-half seconds. It was kind of a surprise."
The NCAAs are from June 2-5 at Boise State. Allen is looking to become All-America, awarded to the top eight finishers. Allen's time is good enough to earn him a spot at the USATF Championships, the Olympic trials and trials for the World University Games.
"This is big time stuff," Norm Ogilvie said. "I know it's cliche, but he's overcome a lot. He missed his entire junior year and missed most of the indoor season with an Achilles injury. But he's finally put it all together. We're proud of him."
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