Claire Allen '23 Recruiting Profile

My name is Claire Allen, and I will be entering my Senior year at Sandwich High School in Sandwich, Illinois, class of 2023. 

I remain a top thrower in both shot and discus in the state of Illinois and did medal in both Indoor and Outdoor State meets this year. In the 2021 IHSA 2A State Championships, as a sophomore, I placed 2^nd in shot with a throw of 12.25 meters and placed 4^th in discus with a throw of 40.68. At that time, I was the only sophomore competing against all seniors (there was no track season or state competition my freshman year due to Covid).  Unfortunately, our track season was cut short this year with many cancelled meets due to cold or rain, and there were some intensely cold and windy meets, but I was still able to put out some impressive throws, despite adverse weather conditions!   My PRs for this year were 12.05 in Shot and 40.33 in discus.  As a Junior, at the 2022 Top Times Indoor State Meet, I placed 1^st and was the State Champion in the Shot Put with a throw of 11.91.   At the 2022 IHSA 2A State Championships, I placed 6^th in the Shot Put with a throw of 11.79 and placed 2^nd in the discus with a throw of 39.82.  Unfortunately, my throwing ability this season was negatively impacted by a softball injury that had previously occurred which did alter my form and strength, as I was not able to weight train or effectively build on my skill set as I had hoped until my injury was resolved. I am currently nearing the end of undergoing both chiropractic intervention and physical therapy which has greatly improved my injury and I am now back in the training room and will be working with a coach privately this summer to address my form so that I can throw my Senior year the distances of which I believe I am certainly capable. My goal for Shot next year is 45 feet and my goal for discus is 145 feet or greater. I am very confident that I will be able to reach my goals with training and strengthening.  As a sophomore (and prior to my injury) my PRs were 12.25 meters in shot and 42.27 in discus).

Additionally, I will be attending a throwing camp at Duke University this summer to better enhance my skill sets in both events. I am excited for all the learning opportunities I will be afforded this summer!

While I continue to hold both the shot and discus records at my school, I was also named the Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year for 2021 by the area newspaper. While track remains the sport I wish to focus on during my college career, I am also a multi-sport athlete and play both volleyball and basketball (I no longer play softball).  I hold the school record for Free Throw percentage at 82.6% and scored nearly 350 points this past season.  I have been consistently named All Area and All Conference for basketball, volleyball, and track nearly every season as I have played at the Varsity level since my freshman year.

Academically, I have maintained a 3.5 GPA and have taken a variety of Honors courses throughout my high school career. I have a strong interest in pursuing a degree in marine biology. I consistently achieve All Academic Conference as well in each sport.

I consider myself a serious, driven, committed athlete. Participating in all the sports I currently have privilege to, I consider myself very lucky to have some natural talent in a variety of athletics.  I am a natural leader who helps my teammates when they need guidance, and I am able to reflect on the instruction I am given by both my peers and my coaches in order to better my own performance.  My competitive nature has instilled me to always give 100% to my event, even when my opponents are older, stronger, and more experienced- I can learn from every situation that is put in front of me. I am confident that I already possess many of  the qualities needed to excel in my chosen field events, and my skill and ability will only flourish as I mature and build strength and agility throughout the remainder of my high school career. 

I look forward to hearing from the colleges and universities who view my profile and are interested in learning more about me.  I am anxious to learn more about your program as well..

Sincerely, 

Claire Allen