Cross country runner Courtney Allen signed a National Letter of
Intent on Wednesday to attend the University of Nevada at Las
Vegas
HOLLISTER
She won’t be a member of the basketball team in Las Vegas, but San Benito High senior Courtney Allen will certainly stay true to the nickname Runnin’ Rebel.
Allen, a member of the Haybalers cross country and track and field teams, signed a National Letter of Intent on Wednesday to the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Although only the men’s basketball team is referred to as the Runnin’ Rebels at UNLV – the school’s nickname is simply the Rebels – Allen may have a better case to carry the moniker.
Excelling in long distance running, the two-time individual state qualifier – Allen competed at state her sophomore year as well with the Lady ‘Balers – decided on the Division I school after she made an official visit in November.
“I felt like I was at home there,” Allen said. “I really got along with the coach and the girls there and I’m just really excited.”
And Allen’s not the first person from San Benito to get along with UNLV’s coach, Tony Houchin.
San Benito boys cross country coach Jess Morales’ son Ben was actually recruited by Houchin years ago when he was an assistant cross country coach at Oklahoma State.
“Now, he’s recruited my other athlete,” Jess Morales said. “It’s kind of cool. He’s got two of my runners now.
“It was a good feeling because he’s a good coach and a good guy.”
San Benito High girls coach Josh Morales held similar feelings, and wasn’t surprised at all by Allen’s signing.
“I think she’ll be all right,” Josh Morales said. “She has the work ethic and as long as she puts in the work, she’ll be all right there.”
A Tri-County Athletic League champion as a junior, Allen qualified for the state cross country meet the last two seasons as an individual after posting a 19:02 her junior year and a 19:21 her senior year at the Central Coast Section Championships.
“I talked to Tony and said, ‘You’re getting yourself a good athlete,'” Jess Morales said. “She’s capable of running with any university out there. She put a lot of work into it and it was a dream for her. She deserves it.”
At state, Allen’s times dropped dramatically each year. She recorded a 20:04 her sophomore season (112th place), a 19:34 her junior year (93rd) and an 18:59 this past season, which placed the Hollister harrier in 47th.
Although recruited for cross country, college runners usually compete for both the indoor and outdoor track teams as well, making Allen, more or less, a three-sport athlete.
“I don’t even know if there is an off-season,” Allen said. “We’ll find out when I get there.
“I think it’d be better. You would stay in shape all year round. When you’re in the off-season, you don’t do as much as you could if you were competing.”
UNLV was actually the second school Allen visited. She saw San Francisco State prior to her trip to Las Vegas, while she also visited Chico, Stanislaus and Southern Oregon University.
Allen’s choice came down to Chico and UNLV, however, but she said the Northern California school had a large cross country team, which was something she was not necessarily looking for.
“I think if I went to UNLV I could start something really good there,” Allen said. “It feels like I would be contributing to something good.”
And the coaches and the players sold Allen on Las Vegas as well.
“I asked [Houchin] on the phone, ‘Well, it’s Las Vegas. Are there any distractions?'” Allen said. “But the university is kept isolated from that. When I got there, I didn’t even know I was in Las Vegas.”
The school is situated a few miles away from downtown, but Allen assures everyone she’ll be OK, nonetheless.
“I mean, I’m only gonna be 17 going in as a freshman,” she said, “so I don’t think I could do anything anyway.”
