Valarie Allman stood larger than life Monday afternoon, the American flag draped around her shoulders following another Olympic gold medal in women’s discus. But Allman’s first throws coach still saw the accomplished ninth-grade dancer she helped welcome to the sport 14 years ago.
Her moves have remained flawless all these years later in Paris.
“Goosebumps, a little bit of tears,” Shamaine Knechtel, 54, said as she watched Allman celebrate inside the Stade de France 4,864 miles away. “It’s amazing to know we have someone who put Longmont on the map. And she’s done it twice now.”
Knechtel was one of a few hundred Boulder County residents to show up to a watch party at Silver Creek, where they cheered on the former local standout turned global megastar.
They jumped off the gym bleachers as Allman, a Raptors’ 2013 grad, became the first American woman to win two golds in the discus, clinching the final with a throw of 69 ½ meters. Knechtel sat front row, next to Silver Creek’s former and current track and field coaches, Barbara Keith and Jacy Riel.
The stories they could tell. All they had to do was get a discus in her hands.
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As a freshman in 2010, Allman already seemed destined for great things — just in the world of dance. Gifted in ballet, tap and the more modern disciplines, she was good enough to be a part of “The Pulse on Tour”, which was a traveling dance program and show led by the choreographers of TV hits “American Idol,” “Glee” and “So You Think You Can Dance?”
It took a pasta dinner with the school’s track and field team to seal the deal.
“One of the things I always think about is how humble she is,” Keith, 71, said.
Keith retired from teaching science after 41 years in the district last spring, citing recent hip and knee surgeries. Even in rehab, she wouldn’t miss this moment.
“She’s just a very dedicated young lady who wants to excel with her goals and perfect her skillset,” Keith said of Allman. “And then in her downtime, she still has time for family and friends.”
Surrounded by signed pictures Allman recently left with the school, fans were hit by a brief wave of anxiety after she scratched her first throw of the finals. Her next, though, cleared 68 meters, leaving behind the rest of the competition.
“As a track coach, you understand how competitive it is,” Riel said. “It is amazing to have, not just Val — we have Elise Cranny from Niwot and Anna Hall (heptathlon) who graduated from Valor (Christian High School). These girls are amazing to make it to this level. Val is an inspiration.”
Speaking of Cranny, a few miles away at Niwot High School, some of her supporters gathered to cheer her on in the women’s 5,000-meter final.
The watch party featured roughly 80 fans, including athletes who hope to one day follow in her footsteps. They took in multiple track and field events displayed on the big screen in the commons. They cheered every time that she or Allman appeared.
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Cranny finished the race in 14 minutes, 48.06 seconds, a full 10 seconds ahead of her preliminary time, to take 11th.
Eva Klingbeil once roamed the same halls as Cranny, winning her own cross country state championship in 2021 before graduating and moving on to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She made sure to stop by her old stomping grounds before heading back east.
“I’ve met her before. She’s really awesome,” Klingbeil said. “I think she just works really hard. She’s a good role model to young athletes, and it’s really cool to see someone like that having so much success. And the connection with her being from Niwot, I think it’s just really cool.”
Cranny’s former club and high school coach, Maurice Henriques, traveled to Paris to root for her in person. Cross country and distance coach Kelly Christensen, who did not get the chance to instruct her, helped lead the watch party.
“She’s just such a calm and encouraging human, very humble and doesn’t have an ego, and it’s always about the sport when she talks to the kids and how to take care of yourself,” Christensen said. “She’s always been more focused on team than herself, and I think she’s still that way and likes to surround herself with a lot of people that will support her. She’s just a humble person, so she’s easy to like, and the kids gravitate towards her when she’s around.”
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