Jesse Allen got his first taste of big-time competition last week-something he'll be seeing a lot more of soon.
Allen finished fourth in the 400-meter hurdles Friday at the NCAA Championships in Boise, Idaho. The graduated senior ran the race in 49.90 seconds while earning All-America honors, becoming the first Blue Devil to do so since 1981. Baylor's Bayano Kamani took the title, completing the race in an unbelievable time of 48.68 seconds.
And although Allen's finals time was the second best effort of his career, he was frustrated with the way he ran. His time was, after all, nearly 0.5 seconds slower than the nation-best time of 49.42 that he posted two weeks earlier at the IC4As.
"I didn't run my best race in the finals," Allen said. "I cruised through the preliminaries, and Kamani ran a great race, but I still feel I should have finished in second."
Allen came into the week as the No. 1 seed following his performance at the IC4As. But during the run Friday, Allen studder-stepped before several hurdles, which cost him a lot of time over the course of the race.
"I tensed up," Allen said. "It was a little bit nerves, but I just froze up. Around the fifth hurdle Kamani ran past me and it kind of shocked me. I tensed up, and in hurdles when you do that, you're just not as smooth."
And while Allen was not entirely satisfied, coach Norm Ogilvie is much less critical of Allen's performance.
"He looked great during the preliminaries and did even better during the finals," Ogilvie said. "[Kamani] just really stepped up in that race. It was the first sub-49 run by a collegian this year, so hats off to him."
In the preliminaries last Wednesday, Allen had little difficulty winning his heat, finishing in 49.93 seconds. Although he had a bit of trouble with the first hurdle in the preliminary, Allen was fine the rest of the way. His time earned him the No. 2 seed Friday, right behind Kamani, who finished in 49.75.
"I cruised through the preliminaries," Allen said. "I had an easy time with it. I looked to my left and to my right, and no one was there, so I just cruised. I was the second seed in the finals, I had a good lane, but I just froze up a bit."
Allen's incredible race at the IC4As and his NCAA appearance have presented several unique opportunities, among them, a shot at the Olympics. But first, later this month Allen travels to Eugene, Or., for the USA Track and Field Championships, the last competition in which he'll wear his Duke uniform.
This Saturday, Allen will race in the Pontiac Grand Prix in Raleigh. The race is a part of the Golden Spikes Tour, a budding pro track tour, but Allen will race as an amateur. The competition will be broadcast by CBS Sunday, and Allen will certainly have his hands full. Among those he will compete against is none other than current Olympic champion Derrick Adkins.
"It's going to be ridiculous," Allen said. "It's a great opportunity but a little overwhelming. It's unbelievable to have your name up there with guys like that."
Ogilvie knows that races like the one Saturday will not be easy, but in the end, they will help the graduated senior in his future racing plans.
"It is a loaded field," Ogilvie said. "That's one of the situations where Jesse could finish eighth of eight, and still run the best race of his life. That just shows you what the NCAAs can do for you. It opens up opportunities to run against the very best."
The opportunities do not end in Raleigh, however. Allen has received several offers to run professionally, including one from Reebok, but he is going to remain an amateur to prepare for the Olympic Trials.
Allen will remain in the Durham area to train with his coaches at Duke and hopes to get his time down below 48 seconds in the coming year. If he does that, he feels he can make the Olympic team and compete in track's premier stage.
"It all depends on how much faster I get," Allen said of his Olympic chances. "If I can improve a whole second and drop into the 47s, I have a good shot at making the team.... We'll just see what happens."
In the meantime, Allen will still savor his recent appearance in the NCAAs.
"The experience was great," Allen said. "It was good to know that even though I did not run a great race, I could still have a great time. It was just a great experience for me."
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