Alpena’s Allen finishes 31st at state cross country championships

Alpena junior Xander Allen achieved a career-best finish at the MHSAA Division 1 cross country state championships on Saturday. Competing at the Michigan International Speedway, Allen placed 31st with a time of 15 minutes, 43.7 seconds, narrowly missing All-State honors. His teammate, Logan Szumila, finished 62nd in the field of 260 runners. Coach Joe Donajkowski noted that both athletes recorded some of the fastest times ever by area runners on the historic course.