Wayne State University Athletics

Ransom Allen outside Space X headquarters with his sister, Courtney.

Men's Cross Country 12/12/2023 8:22:00 AM Keilyn Carpenter, WSU Sports Information Student Assistant

FEATURE STORY - RANSOM ALLEN

DETROIT -- In 2019, when Ransom Allen joined the Wayne State University men's cross country team, he set a goal to be an All-American.

Five years later, the graduate student from Ithaca, Mich., is hanging up his uniform with three All-American awards next to his name.

In nearly 100 years of program history, Allen is just the second three-peat All-American. The first was Rachelle (Malette) Christensen, a four-year letterwinner for the Warriors (2005-08).

Allen shared that his All-American accolades are his proudest individual accomplishment.

Wayne State wasn't his only option, though Allen spent some time deciding between the University of Michigan and coming to Detroit.

"I wanted to go to a school where I could contribute right away," Allen said when asked what encouraged him to sign with the Warriors.

Allen's impact was immediate. As a true freshman, he was named the team's Athlete of the Year and earned Second Team All-GLIAC honors.

Wayne State Cross Country and Track and Field Head Coach Grant Lofdahl knew Allen had the potential to be great after his first college meet.

COVID interrupted his 2020 season, as it did to every other student athlete. With the cross country season canceled, he could dedicate more time to training and recovery.

"I think COVID was a big plus for my training. Having almost a year of uninterrupted training helped me build my mileage volume from approximately 65 miles per week to approximately 85 miles per week, while not worrying as much about having to feel good and fresh every two weeks like I usually would to race."

With a much lighter school load, he maximized his new time by taking more naps after training to recover.

As the world came out of lockdown, Allen's success began to take shape.

Amidst the All-American honors, Allen was named First Team All-GLIAC and earned NCAA Midwest All-Region accolades in each of his final three seasons.

This fall, as a redshirt senior, he won the GLIAC championship and the NCAA Midwest Regional. He became the first male Warrior to win either since 2003.

"It was a big goal," Allen added. "It says more about where the program is under Coach Lofdahl."

The greatness of Allen is not confined to what the stopwatch says. He's excelled in the classroom as well.

This past spring, Allen graduated with his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and a cumulative GPA just shy of 4.0. While completing his undergraduate degree, he was named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll (term GPA 3.5+) all eight semesters.

He is on track to graduate with a master's degree in the same field at the end of the 2024 Winter semester.

"He is very smart … he never gets rattled," said Lofdahl about why Allen succeeds in everything he does.

No matter the race, running has never induced high stress for him, which is part of the reason he is a three-time All-American. He runs because he enjoys it, not because he feels he has to win.

"I don't take running that seriously, it's not worth it to do that," said Allen.

For most people, balancing the time requirements of a laborious major and a college sport wouldn't come easy. For Allen, it felt more natural. Running has helped him stay mentally focused.

Allen said when he needed a break from school, he would go for a run.

Employing running as an escape from school allowed Allen to reach his training goal of approximately 85 to 95 miles a week.

The success in the classroom opened some opportunities for Allen.

After a few rounds of interviews, Allen was offered an internship with SpaceX in Boca Chica, Texas, during the summer of 2022.

"I was on the super heavy booster integration team working as an integration engineer. My day-to-day tasks were creating work instructions and troubleshooting build issues that technicians ran into."

During his time with SpaceX, Allen learned about the build process, the differences between manufacturing and design, and more technical information about rockets.

Allen noted he was even able to see the rocket being prepared to be sent to Mars.

The long work days and the extreme heat required Allen to adjust his training regiment.

"That summer was really tough. I wanted to get 100 miles a week."

Allen and Coach Lofdahl decided maintaining 85 miles a week and running in the evening would be the most beneficial training schedule.

Despite the athletic success, academic excellence and opportunities earned, Allen has maintained humility.

"He's just one of the guys," said Lofdahl.

When he wasn't running or working on his homework, he was with his friends or eating food not fit for a runner. His favorites will come as no surprise, including burgers, pizza and frozen burritos.

"Overall, it has been a great experience," Allen said about his time as a student-athlete at Wayne State.

Allen has loved his times with teammates and friends and life in the city.

The door of competitive running may be closing for Allen, but life as an engineer is just beginning.

Being a student-athlete has sharpened his time management skills and work ethic, while internships have taught Allen he may not have every answer right away.

When asked about the future, Allen wasn't positive. He thinks he will be a normal guy with an engineering job and possibly a family. Despite some uncertainty, he knows he is prepared.

"Both school and running have prepared me."

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Ransom Allen: 5' 10"; Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

Ransom Allen
: 5' 10"; Graduate Student