Another Great Student Athlete in the Allen Family
Photo by Kevin Fleming
Demetrius Allen is a well known TJ Spartan who maintains a high GPA, participates in four sports, and was recently crowned King at the Eros dance. Demetrius is currently on the boys’ swim team at TJ, and has participated all four years at TJ. He is well known on the swim team and made his first appearance at state last year as a junior, and looks to go back to state and represent TJ well again this year. Demetrius wasn’t always interested in swimming though, and if not for his mother, Cindy Allen, he might not have ever gotten into the sport.
Demetrius first began swimming competitively during his freshman year at TJ. His mom Cindy, who is TJ’s swim coach and athletic secretary, asked him to come out to just try it. Before that, Demetrius enjoyed swimming in local pools during the summer just for fun. “When my mom had first asked me to try out I was a little nervous because I wasn’t sure if I was going to be good at it or not. But it turned out that I was, and now I appreciate the sport more,” said Demetrius, who is recognized as one of the top swimmers in the state in the backstroke. Along with swimming, Demetrius competes in football, where he played right guard, in wrestling, where he wrestled at 189 lbs, and in track running the 4-1 relay and throwing the shot put and the discus.
With all the sports activities in which Demetrius competes, it’s amazing that he is able to maintain a 3.7 GPA. Demetrius is a terrific student who is always challenging himself with classes like AP Literature with Susan Stokely. However, Demetrius’s favorite class at TJ is Drawing and Painting with Brooke Stoyer. “Ms. Stoyer is a teacher who is specific with the things she wants, but when it comes to class work, she is lenient and allows us a lot of freedom. In that class I get to express my creativity and that makes the class a lot of fun,” said Demetrius.
After high school, Demetrius will be attending Metro State College, majoring in Criminal Justice. “I’ve always been passionate about doing the right things in life, which is why I want to get a degree in criminal justice and pursue a career in law enforcement,” said Demetrius, who is entering the Police Cadet Program, which is sponsored through Metro, this upcoming fall. Being in the Cadet program will give Demetrius the opportunity to experience police work so that he may decide what type of Law Enforcement he will do after college. “I am excited about the Cadet program because I will have the experience of being a police officer while in college. What makes the program great is that it will pay my way through college,” said Demetrius, who added that he wanted to become a police officer and hopefully patrol the Denver Metro area. “There are a lot of people in Denver, and I would like to experience it and see the type of activities that go on downtown,” said Demetrius.
Demetrius is not the only one in his family to have attend TJ, nor is he the only Allen present at TJ today. Before Demetrius arrived at TJ, his older cousin Pierre Allen, who was a part of the back-to-back state champion basketball team in the years 04-05 and 05-06, along with his older sister, Ivory Allen, who was an amazing softball player at TJ, attended TJ. The two of them helped make TJ what it is today in athletics, and have represented the Allen family very well. Demetrius has done an excellent job of doing the same. At TJ, Demetrius’ younger brother Marcus Allen accompanies him. Marcus, who is a freshman, participated in wrestling and varsity football team, and is currently participating in both swimming and track. “It’s fun having my younger brother at the same school as me. We have a lot of fun together, and I help him with any problems that he has. In the class that we do have together, we have a lot of fun, but can sometimes mess around too much,” said Demetrius.
Marcus and Demetrius have a close brotherly relationship, and with the two of them attending the same high school, their relationship is even stronger. “I like having my older brother at TJ with me. He has set a great example for me by giving 100% at everything he does, never acting up, and treating everybody with respect. Demetrius is a role model to this school, and this year has taught me how to stay on track by balancing my schoolwork and athletics the right way. I’m going to miss him a lot when he leaves TJ, but I want to continue the legacy that he is leaving behind. I want to show him that I can do everything he has done, and possibly be better than him. One thing I appreciate Demetrius doing is teaching me from his mistakes, so that I don’t make bad decisions, and that I stay on the right path with my life,” said Marcus, who recalls his favorite memory of he and his brother in gym class with teacher William Burns. “Everyday in weight lifting class we always compete to see who is better, whether it’s foot racing or bench press. It’s just a lot of fun, and I’m going to miss him next year when he’s in college. I’m just glad that he had the chance to show me the ropes of high school,” said Marcus.
Out of all the things that inspire people in their lives, Demetrius is inspired by his mom. “My mom is a strong person who has been through a lot. She has never let anything pull her back and she does anything she desires, and I respect that about her,” said Demetrius.
With the swim team going further into its season, Demetrius is looking forward to the upcoming DPS swim meet. “I’m excited about the DPS meet because it is our chance to show off what we’ve got against the rest of the Denver schools. The meet will also show us how much we have improved since our first meet,” said Demetrius, who also said that he believes that he has a great shot to participate at state again. As for the swim team, Demetrius believes that they are going to have an outstanding season. “We have a lot of talent and kids are eager and energetic, and they are ready compete and demonstrate how good they are. I believe that all of the hard work that we have been doing this season will pay off for us in the end,” said Demetrius.
