Alex Ostberg, one of the prized senior high school boys cross country recruts in the country, especially after running a 14:16 5K on the track last spring, has commited and signed with Stanford University. The Connecticut state champ and top Foot Locker Nationals contender Ostberg shares on how he came to his decision to join the Cardinals and how the college recruiting process went for him.
What made you ultimately decide Stanford over the other schools that you were considering?
Stanford offered the best balance of athletics and academics that I was looking for. I started my college process by looking for the best academic schools in the country with strong running programs so that combination was a major factor in my decision making process. In addition, Stanford had excellent facilities, and support for their athletes. Finally, the people there sealed the deal. The guys on the team were just like my current teammates, and the coaching staff was very supportive and ambitious. I got the sense that if I chose Stanford I could unlock my full potential as a student athlete.
How many visits did you take and what did you enjoy about each visit?
I also visited Princeton and Harvard officially. I took unofficial visits to a lot of the other Ivies as well as Georgetown. I thoroughly enjoyed every one of my visits and returned home after each visit with more and more positives about each school.
What are things that stood out the most to you about the coaches and program at Stanford that felt like it would be a good fit for you?
Coaches Milt and Oliver were both very genuine people who are not only great coaches but also great role models for the team. It was very clear to me that all of the guys on the team respected coach Milt tremendously. He is 100% devoted to the individual progress of each of the members of the team.
You didn't race much in the month of September. Was that a time you were taking recruiting trips on the weekend? Would you recommend other elite high school runners to try that approach as well getting in visits considering how busy the meet and travel schedule can get from October into December?
I had a pretty good idea that I wanted to make my college decision by November 1st, so that meant that I would get my visits done on the early side so that I could have uninterrupted training leading up to championship season. It is hard to balance visits, schoolwork, and the running. For this reason I had to push off my bigger races until after I had finished my visits.
Of your four major races so far this season at Woods Trail Run, Manhattan, FCIAC, and Class state meet...which race have you been most pleased with or feel like it was your best of the season so far and why?
I would have to say that my performance at the Manhattan Invitational is the one I'm the most proud of. That was a meet where I executed the race plan under pressure with great competition. It is very satisfying to win against solid competition, but to win against elite competition (Bryce Millar, Edwin Rutto, Blaise Ferro) is very exciting. To come within 2 seconds of beating Edward Cheserek's course record was also very exciting.
What are things that stood out the most to you about the coaches and program at Stanford that felt like it would be a good fit for you?
Coaches Milt and Oliver were both very genuine people who are not only great coaches but also great role models for the team. It was very clear to me that all of the guys on the team respected coach Milt tremendously. He is 100% devoted to the individual progress of each of the members of the team.
You didn't race much in the month of September. Was that a time you were taking recruiting trips on the weekend? Would you recommend other elite high school runners to try that approach as well getting in visits considering how busy the meet and travel schedule can get from October into December?
I had a pretty good idea that I wanted to make my college decision by November 1st, so that meant that I would get my visits done on the early side so that I could have uninterrupted training leading up to championship season. It is hard to balance visits, schoolwork, and the running. For this reason I had to push off my bigger races until after I had finished my visits.
Of your four major races so far this season at Woods Trail Run, Manhattan, FCIAC, and Class state meet...which race have you been most pleased with or feel like it was your best of the season so far and why?
I would have to say that my performance at the Manhattan Invitational is the one I'm the most proud of. That was a meet where I executed the race plan under pressure with great competition. It is very satisfying to win against solid competition, but to win against elite competition (Bryce Millar, Edwin Rutto, Blaise Ferro) is very exciting. To come within 2 seconds of beating Edward Cheserek's course record was also very exciting.
What was the best part of the recruiting process for you and the toughest part?
The best part of the recruiting process was making the final decision. It was a big relief and my family and I knew it was the right decision for me. The toughest part was narrowing down my options. I have a tremendous amount of respect for all of the coaches I communicated with throughout the process and ultimately I knew I would have to turn down all of them except one. Given that all of the schools I was considering were such fantastic institutions with great running programs, it was not easy to say "no."
In order to get into a school like Stanford, a student-athlete has to have the grades and tough enough workload to be accepted as well. If don't mind asking, what is your GPA and SAT score as well as what kind of course load have you been taking with advanced level classes?
I take my academics very seriously and that has been the case my entire high school career. In order to be accepted you have to present admissions with a profile that showcases your talent but also shows that you are a well-rounded student athlete.
What are keys for your success to balance and be successful both in the classroom as well as your running?
I bring the same mentality to my work in the classroom and on the track. I dedicate myself to the task at hand and I work at it until I know I have put forth my best effort.
Looking back at your junior year, can you point to a specific race performance that may have gotten your name out there to be recruited and recognized on a nation-wide scale among top D1 programs? That suddenly you had an influx of recruiting letters coming to the school?
There was no particular moment where I began getting heavily recruited. Due to all of the recruiting regulations and restrictions there was never a point in time when I was overwhelmed by the process. As I progressed throughout my junior year and began to come onto the national scene I started getting more letters and emails, but my parents and coaches told me not to engage in conversation with too many coaches. Although I would have loved to speak with all of the coaches who were interested in recruiting me, realistically there are only so many hours in a day to devote to the college process.
Last year, the Stanford program pillaged the Northeast of all its top girls distance running talent as part of its 2014 freshmen class. Do you think they could pull in a few more top kids from your way again and why do you think Stanford recruits so heavily in that area?
Stanford recruits a select group of student athletes who are strong students and runners, so I think that last year there happened to be an abundance of talent on the girls side in the Northeast who were also fantastic students. I think that if you are a strong student and an elite runner, there aren't many places to look beyond Stanford that offers that same blend of academics and athletics.
What are you hoping to gain from your next 4 or more years at Stanford? What do you hope to achieve in your running at the next level?
I want to continue to pursue the sport at its highest level. Obviously, it's going to take a lot of hard work and it may not be a smooth journey the whole time but as long as I buy into the program and have faith in the coaching staff I'm hoping to end up at the top of the NCAA and beyond.
