Penn Hills’ Angelo Allen carries momentum into spring track season

By: Josh Rizzo
Sunday, April 25, 2021 | 11:01 AM

Angelo Allen laid the groundwork for what could be an outstanding spring with a strong winter track and field season.

Everything the Penn Hills junior has done far has shown the winter was a preview of what is to come.

Allen won the shot put with a throw of 50 feet, 0.5 inches during the TSTCA meet April 17 at West Mifflin. He also placed fifth in the discus with a throw of 138-11.

“He’s a really athletic kid,” Penn Hills coach Lee Zelkowitz said. “When you see him do the spin, he is so quick. With his strength, quickness and athleticism, he should be able to have a big season.”

Allen broke a 52-year-old school record in the shot put during the indoor season and medaled at WPIALs as a freshman. Taking advantage of the weight room allowed Allen to add muscle and strength, which he hopes will add distance to his throws.

“I’m thinking he could throw in the upper 50s,” Zelkowitz said. “It wouldn’t shock me if he threw 60 feet.”

Winning at the TSTCA meet was another step for Allen. Zelkowitz said some of Allen’s throws had tapered off after he broke the record in the winter.

“It was a good comeback,” Zelkowitz said. “When the outdoor season started, his throws were going down. He worked really hard in the offseason. He’s going to start throwing much farther.”

Penn Hills had several other top 10 finishers at the TSTCA meet. Mylah Faulk placed fourth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:01.82, Sara Miller placed ninth in the discus with a throw of 80-5, and Joshua Lee finished ninth in the 400 with a time of 54.33 seconds.

Zelkowitz was pleased with how the Indians have progressed so far. Penn Hills has a smaller team this season, and the lineup is full of young contributors.

“This is the smallest team I’ve had. We only have about 30 kids,” Zelkowitz said. “For a AAA team, that is small. The great thing is we are young. I only have four seniors who are boys and no seniors who are girls. I’m loaded with freshmen and sophomores. All the kids are working hard and starting to see success.”

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