Allie Ostrander is our Alaska Athlete of the Week after a week of exceptional achievements and honors.
The 27-year-old former Kenai Central athlete finished fourth in the steeplechase at Stanford’s Payton Jordan Invitational in California on Saturday, clocking 9 minutes, 37.65 seconds to gain a spot at the Olympic Trials this summer.
On Tuesday, the mountain, cross-country and track running legend was inducted into the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame, cementing her legacy as one of the state’s most accomplished runners ever.
The three-time NCAA steeplechase champion showed she is still in peak form though, as she ran her signature track event for the first time in nearly three years and pocketed her Olympic Trials qualifying standard in the 3,000-meter event over barriers and a water jump.
Her performance on the track came nearly a month after finishing 30th overall and 2nd on the American team at the World Cross-Country Championships in Serbia.
The Olympic trials are June 21-30, in Eugene, Oregon.
Also receiving votes:
Ava Earl – The Girdwood runner was exceptional at the Penn Relays, powering to a runner-up finish in the 5,000 clocking 15 minutes, 42.72 seconds. The Northwestern junior bettered her previous best and program record by 3.8 seconds.
Jake Rafferty – The Service High slugger became the first Cook Inlet Conference baseball player to homer in three consecutive games at the Buddy Dale Invitational in Wasilla. He finished the tournament with a .538 batting average and seven RBIs in four games.
Edefuan Ulofoshio– The Anchorage native out of the University of Washington was drafted 160th overall of the NFL Draft after the Buffalo Bills took him in the fifth round. He is the 12th Alaskan to get drafted.
Have a candidate in mind? Email us your nomination: info@alaskasportshall.org.
