Kenai Central graduate Allie Ostrander ran in front of Boise State track fans for the first time Saturday and did not disappoint.
The Soldotna runner topped the 5,000-meter record at the Dona Larsen Park facility in Boise, Idaho, with a time of 16 minutes, 9.27 seconds. Boise State said the time virtually assures the redshirt freshman of a spot in the NCAA West Regional Championships at 5,000 meters.
Ostrander was paced for the first three kilometers of the race by teammates Clare O’Brien and Megan Lacy. After the pacers dropped away, she was able to finish under her target time of 16:10.
“It was really cool to compete in front of the people that support us,” Ostrander said in a statement released by Boise State. “We don’t have a lot of home outdoor meets, so our fans follow us from afar. It’s awesome for them to get the chance to see us race and for us to show how much we appreciate their support.”
Ostrander’s personal best in the distance still stands at 15:21.85, which she ran in her debut in the indoor track event at the University of Washington Invite in January 2016.
In July 2016, Ostrander ran the 5,000 in 15:24.77 to finish eighth at the U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. After missing the cross-country and indoor track seasons due to injury, this is Ostrander’s first 5,000 since the trials.
