Boise State track and field athlete Allie Ostrander is competing in the 5,000-meter run and the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor National Championships in Eugene, Oregon this Saturday. There will only be about 90 minutes between the events.
This will be the first time since high school that Ostrander has competed in two events in one day.
“This is just a new opportunity for me to explore another one of the ways that it can challenge me,” Ostrander says.
Ostrander has been running track and field since elementary school in Alaska, where she participated in the Hershey’s Track and Field program, a program for youth ages 9-14.
The steeplechase event is new to Ostrander.
“It’s really different than any event I’ve ever done and the barriers give you something to focus on other than just running and adds a whole new dimension to the race,” says Ostrander.
Ostrander says she feels well-trained for both races and has been focusing more on the technical aspects of race-day and for getting the most out of her recovery between events.
“I think I just need to be ready and mentally prepare for a lot of different scenarios and just be calm in the race atmosphere and kind of let my instincts take over,” says Ostrander.
Ostrander has attracted a lot of media attention from the track world for her accomplishments. She says she’s developed some strategies for the media pressure.
“I think the most important thing to remember is that even though there’s a lot of hype for these races and even though it matters a lot to me, that it still is just a race and if I go out there and do everything that I do and leave every ounce of my strength on the track and I just have to be happy with that and realize that life will go on.”
Both of Ostrander’s parents are runners, as well as her sister. She loves that the sport challenges her in a different way every time she laces up her shoes.
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