Noble's Calvin Allen is the Driven Athlete of the Month presented by Landers Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Norman

Written by Michael Kinney

Calvin Allen burst onto the track and field scene last year like a meteorite. When he took fifth in the 5A State Cross Country Championship coming out of Noble High, he surprised a few people.

However, there was one person who knew what Allen was capable of before he set foot in NHS.

“I realized that about him when he was in fifth grade,” Noble cross country coach Brock Vinson said. “As a coach at Noble, I noticed that he had a gift and was very gifted in his endurance levels. It was about when he was 10 years old is when I recognized his abilities.”

At that same time, Allen began to notice he had a propensity for running long distances without getting tired. He just didn’t envision that skill taking him anywhere. 

“Well, probably fifth grade I was playing football and after about the 10th sprint, I was beating everyone by 20 meters, so my dad said, ‘You’re running cross country,’” Allen said. “I won my first meet and have been doing good ever since. I didn’t think much of anything, but everyone else seemed impressed, so I thought it was good.”

Now, as a junior, Allen is considered one of the top runners in the state for track and field and cross country.

In cross country alone he has already earned first place honors in several events, including the Choctaw Invitational, but he has his sights set on much bigger hardware. 

“Well, I’d like to be top three or state champion in track again this year,” Allen said. “I’d like to try to get top five, hopefully, in cross country. I want to get to state and try to get everyone a medal.”

While Allen is not the most vocal runner on the Bears team, he does lead by example. Not just with what he does in practice or on the course, but with how he takes care of himself. 

“He is an extremely coachable young man,” Vinson said of Allen. “When it comes to running, you have to really take care of your body. He pays attention and does what he needs to do on and off the course. There’s a lot more to it than just running, so he pays attention to what he eats and gets the nutrients where he needs them, hydrates the proper way, stays away from the negative stuff, and just really a fine-tuned athlete.”