Profile of Boys XC Phenom: Freshman Alex Ostberg

By Jenn O’Neill
Be on the lookout for red headed freshman, Alex Ostberg, the newest member of the boys Varsity cross country team. He’s known for his incredible speed, endurance and race times and is a great addition to the team. Ostberg began training seriously at the end of sixth grade and has been working hard ever since as a member of the Wilton cross country team (because Middlesex Middle School didn’t offer XC as an extracurricular). He has seriously shocked the community with his running ability since the beginning of his career. He has done so many races. A few notable ones would include his wins in the USATF (USA Track and Field) Connecticut and New England cross country races both in 7th and 8th grade.

Last year, he went to nationals and finished 10th overall, but crossed the line as the first 13 year old finisher in the country. According to Alex, it was an awesome experience. “I was the youngest in my age category last year, I ran in the "youth" category, which includes grades 8 and 9,” Ostberg says. “I also have run in the Hartford Half Marathon twice, my best time being 1:18:47. I did the Darien Road Race last year in 36:08, finishing 2nd overall and I improved my 5K time to 17:09. This past spring I broke 5 minutes for the mile running 4:56. As you can tell, I'm definitely what you would consider a "distance guy." I'm a terrible sprinter/short distance runner,” he adds.
Ostberg is super excited to be such a huge part of the cross country team. “I'm definitely excited for the rest of the season, because our team has some great runners. I'm also really enjoying all of the new friends I've made on the team. It's really a great group. The coaches are great as well,” he concludes. All in all Alex is one to look out for and will be a great addition to the Boys Cross Country team this year.