One of the most accomplished distance runners
in Beaver County history, Allison Kotouch Pane was a record setting
star in high school and college. She ran cross country and track as
a schoolgirl at Ambridge, winning the WPIAL girls’ Class AAA cross
country championship as a sophomore and reaching second in the state
as a senior. Her two main track events were the 800 meter and
1600 meter runs. Allison won the WPIAL Class AAA title as a
freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior, and as a junior was state
champion in the 1600. At the end of her high school career, she held
several Beaver County and WPIAL records, and was Ambridge High
School’s valedictorian in 1985. After high school, Allison
moved to Eastern Kentucky University, where she was named to the All
Ohio Valley Conference All Star teams in cross country and track and
field each year from 1986 to 1989. She won the Ohio Valley
Conference cross country championship and 5000 meter title as a
freshman, and she was an Ohio Valley Conference Scholar Athlete from
1986 to 1989 and a GTE Academic All American in 1987. Before the
1984 state championship meet, Ambridge Coach Al Raggazini wrote
Allison a note that read: “Congratulations for being No 1 at
Ambridge Area High School, No 1 in Beaver County, and No 1 in
Pennsylvania. I’m very proud of you.” Before the 1985 state
championship, Raggazini told the Beaver County Times: “Kids like her come along once in a lifetime. Allison is
the best distance runner ever in Beaver County. There is no
comparison.”
One of the most accomplished distance runners
in Beaver County history, Allison Kotouch Pane was a record setting
star in high school and college. She ran cross country and track as
a schoolgirl at Ambridge, winning the WPIAL girls’ Class AAA cross
country championship as a sophomore and reaching second in the state
as a senior. Her two main track events were the 800 meter and
1600 meter runs. Allison won the WPIAL Class AAA title as a
freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior, and as a junior was state
champion in the 1600. At the end of her high school career, she held
several Beaver County and WPIAL records, and was Ambridge High
School’s valedictorian in 1985. After high school, Allison
moved to Eastern Kentucky University, where she was named to the All
Ohio Valley Conference All Star teams in cross country and track and
field each year from 1986 to 1989. She won the Ohio Valley
Conference cross country championship and 5000 meter title as a
freshman, and she was an Ohio Valley Conference Scholar Athlete from
1986 to 1989 and a GTE Academic All American in 1987. Before the
1984 state championship meet, Ambridge Coach Al Raggazini wrote
Allison a note that read: “Congratulations for being No 1 at
Ambridge Area High School, No 1 in Beaver County, and No 1 in
Pennsylvania. I’m very proud of you.” Before the 1985 state
championship, Raggazini told the Beaver County Times: “Kids like her come along once in a lifetime. Allison is
the best distance runner ever in Beaver County. There is no
comparison.”