EVEN THE whirlwind preparations involved in gearing up for a cross country meet pale in comparison to the disrupted schedule put in place amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic shut down spring sports before they really got started.

It also hit college coaches in other ways. After all, there are only so many ways to recruit a player you’re unable to visit with in person. DeGrado adapted quickly by filming videos to send to prospective recruits. “If I couldn’t bring them to campus, I’d take the campus to them,” he said.

He fared as well as one could have hoped. He lost three female runners after they declined to attend because of the pandemic.

But, DeGrado has once again built one of the top men’s junior college squads in the country.

In fact, Allen is ranked No. 2 in the NJCAA Division II rankings, just behind Cowley County.

(As an aside, the Red Devil men won their first meet of the season Sept. 4 at the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic in Hutchinson. Among the teams they defeated was Cowley.)

DeGrado noted both teams were without key runners in the event.

“But we’ve got a great group of guys and girls,” he said, “and we’re going to make a run for a national title. We’ve gotta make it to November, and we’ll see what it’s like once we line up. But I like our odds.”

ALLEN’S men won their second event Sept. 19 in Newton, at the 2020 Muthama Rogers XC Invitational.

Allen placed three runners in the top 10, to win the team results by 20 points over Hutchinson.

Allen’s Brig Merrit took seventh overall, finishing the 4-mile race in 20 minutes, 54.2 seconds, a pace 5:13 a mile.

Allen’s Devan Crow was right behind in eighth, at 20:58.0, and Raymon Gonzalez took ninth at 21:01.6.

Others from ACC were Henos Adebrhan in 15th at 21:19.0; Owen Taylor, 23rd at 21:42.4; Burch Greene, 35th at 22:06.0; Michael McMorris, 36th at 22:08.9; Kyle Henry, 40th at 22:15.7; Bret Plumlee, 75th at 23:48.0; Phillip Semien, 79th at 23:55.1.

As an aside, the men ran were to run an 8K, or nearly five miles. 

“However, the lead cart went the wrong way, so it ended up being a four-mile race,” DeGrado said, “little did we know at the time.”

Allen’s women were led by Rachel Bycroft, who ran her 5K in 20:02.5, which was good for 22nd overall. Elka Billings finished in 20:51.1, good for 44th, while McKenna Ensfeld took 48th in 21:04.6.

DEGRADO noted the tenuous nature of collegiate athletics in the age of COVID. None of the other ACC teams will hit their respective fields or courts until January, and those will be truncated schedules. 

That, and the downturn through the spring and summer gave DeGrado a new sense of perspective. (He even launched his own podcast centered on people in or near Allen Community College.) 

“Before anyone got upset or mad, I reminded myself that at least we’re able to be out here and run,” he said. “We’re able to compete.”