Allen leads the nation heading into NCAA Indoor triple jump

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - Lake Superior State senior Jon Allen is seeded first in the men's triple jump heading into the 2011 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, which begin Friday in Albuquerque, N.M.

Allen, who is the defending NCAA outdoor triple jump champion and an indoor All-American, won the 2011 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference indoor title with a meet record jump of 15.80 meters. His distance ties Abilene Christian's Ramon Sparks. Pittsburgh State's Kiara Jones is seeded third at 15.31 meters, while St. Augustine's Orolando Duffus is fourth at 15.27 meters.

Last year, Sparks won the indoor title with a distance of 15.93 meters, while Jones was second, Duffus third and Allen fourth (15.45 meters).

"Jon is training and competing at his best right now, and will hopefully continue his great jumping and peak at the NCAA Championships," LSSU coach Matt Sparks said. "We know that going into NCAA's, there is a target on his back after winning the outdoor title and having the furthest jump indoors thus far. Jon is a great competitor, and I know he relishes this opportunity. I'm excited to see what he can accomplish."

To view Allen's performance, spectators can go to www.NCAA.com, and click on Multimedia>NCAATV/Streaming.