ECE student athlete runs into WSU record books

You might spot him and a few teammates running together near campus if you happen to be an early riser. It's part of a 75-mile a week workout for Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Nick Allen.

After missing the 2002 season on the Wayne State Men's Cross Country team -- he had mononucleosis the summer before and decided to redshirt -- Allen returned this fall to complete what Head Coach Rick Cummins described as the 'best distance career by a Wayne State men's country runner'.

Here are some of Allen's accomplishments this season:

Named Runner of the Year for the second time by the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).

Led the Wayne State Warriors to a team overall sixth-place finish at the 2003 NCAA Championship meet held November 22 in Cary, N.C. It was the best men's NCAA Championship cross-country finish in Wayne State history. Allen came in 19th among the best runners in the country.

Led the overall second-place Warriors with a first-place finish at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional November 8 in Hudsonville, Mich. It was the fourth time Allen earned first team all-region honors.

Finished first at the 200d GLIAC Championship at Ferris State, October 25.

Set a WSU record with a time of 24:27:48 at the Paul Short Run in Bethlehem, Pa., on October 5.

Finished first in four regular season cross country races.

Allen, has been living the running life since his graduation from Plymouth High School in 1999. He lives with teammates in an apartment near campus. Days and evenings are regimented to fit in his training, studying and strict eating needs to achieve his running and academic goals. He maintains a B average. He plans to graduate next December. He is pondering the notion of running professionally for a few years. He is also hedging his future by exploring job opportunities.