Southwestern’s Cassidy Allen will compete in the National Scholastic Foundation’s Outdoor Nationals, presented by Nike, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Thursday. P-J file photo by Tim Frank

Cassidy Allen walked down a hallway at Southwestern Central School on Monday afternoon. Accompanied by Trojans’ girls track & field coach Adam Frisbee, the smile on the just-graduated salutatorian’s face got wider and wider as the applause got louder and louder.

Cassidy almost appeared embarrassed by all the attention.

“That’s the most nervous I’ve seen her,” Frisbee said.

When Cassidy walked out the door, she was greeted by fire trucks from the Lakewood, Celoron and Busti fire departments, which escorted her to a reception at the Lakewood Fire Department Training Grounds and Clubhouse.

As send-offs go, this was pretty special.

That’s only fitting, because Cassidy has had one special spring season in Western New York, and the stage is about to get even bigger this week.

A lot bigger.

ııı

A “high school national championship like none other in the sport’s history” is the way the National Scholastic Athletics Foundation describes the Outdoor Nationals, presented by Nike, which are being held today through Saturday at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon.

Competing at this event is Cassidy, who completed one of the finest outdoor track and field seasons in Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association history last week when she was a triple winner at the Section VI Division 2 Championships at Bill Race Field in Falconer.

The University of Akron commit broke her own New York State Division 2 record in the pole vault (13 feet, 7 inches); won the triple jump (38-4), while setting a school record in the process; and won the 200 meters (25.47). Her mark in the latter event was second all-time in Southwestern history.

It was the kind of performance that has left Southwestern assistant coach Adam Brown, who has accompanied Cassidy to Eugene, Oregon, still in awe.

“I don’t remember anybody ever taking first place three times (at a sectional championship),” he said. “At Southwestern, it has never happened, and to dominate the way that she did. Little-known fact is she actually qualified for the nationals in the triple jump as well.”

However, since the pole vault and triple jump competition will be held at the same time Thursday, Cassidy will only compete in the former.

“When she gets out there, she’ll have her earplugs in and she’ll be in kind of her own world, and she’ll be ready to go with it,” Frisbee said. ” … My expectations? Honestly, I feel like we have a very good chance to see a national champion. Fourteen feet-plus, I think she’s ready for it.”

Cassidy had a workout with her pole vault coach, Mike Auble of Warsaw, on Sunday, which left her pretty excited.

“It really went well,” she said. “My class meet I had a (personal record), at sectionals, I (had a personal record) and I just had another very good practice, so I’m feeling pretty good going into nationals.”

That combination of athletic success runs in the family. Her twin sister, Kayla, who will also attend the University of Akron, was the Section VI Division 2 pentathlon champion.

“This year alone has been pretty crazy,” Brown said, “because we didn’t know if we would have a season, and then we lost so many kids last year. But one thing we always say is, ‘We have the Allens.’ To see them just dominate the way that they dominate in every event you put them in.”

Cassidy’s expectations for Thursday against the field of 32 is to “just go out there and compete tough.”

“Just do what (Fredonia native and former Olympic silver and gold medalist Jenn Suhr) always does,” she said. “You always hear how tough she is when she’s on the runway. I’m just going to try and embrace that and go out there and do what I know how to do.”

Added Brown: “The national record holder will be there, but, hey, there’s a reason you compete, and anything is possible.”

ııı

Cassidy said that delivering her graduation’s salutatory address last week left her a “little bit” more nervous than competing in a track & field meet, but from all reports she figuratively knocked the speech out of the Fran Sirianni Athletic Complex.

Asked what she shared with her classmates, Cassidy replied: “I really wanted to let them know what it really meant to be a Trojan.”

She should know.

After all, there hasn’t been a challenge she hasn’t cleared.