Incredible profile in Newsweek on Allie Ostrander whom they call "America's next running phenom"

I really hope she does well. I hope she has a long storied life as a pro runner and wins a ton of races and medals.

That being said the world is littered with female phenoms.. I've just seen too many come and go through the years to get excited about any of them now.

just bc she is small doesn't make her have weak bones. yes, she MAY be more at risk for fracture, but as long as she eats enough, gets a period, and recovers, she will be fine. I've known girls way "bigger" than her and have all sorts of problems. some are just naturally skinny. those who starve their bodies to be skinny have the issues.

But there are plenty of colleges that are academically better than Boise State and also have good teams. If she's supposed to be very academically motivated you'd think she'd choose one of those places.

another hunch? wrote:

Did getting degrees from Stanford really help Ryan and Sara Hall in their careers? If the effect was marginal at best, then it was probably smart for her to go train with the school/coach where she thinks she would have the best training for her given background/situation.

Also - I don't recall even hearing that Stanford was on her radar (maybe they were not interested in Allie - or vice-versa)? I read several places that her choice really came down to Boise and Oregon.

Finally - note that her options are still open! I'm sure the Ducks would welcome her as a transfer student if she becomes less enamored with BSU for any reason.

If she is as academically motivated as it says in the article, you'd think she'd want to go somewhere that has a strong student body and also bodes well for future jobs, etc. beyond running.

I didn't realize the graduation rate for BSU was so bad! But they do have the nation's only degree in raptor biology. Must be a tough program.

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/boise-state-university-1616

An A at one high school in the US might be a B, C or D somewhere else. Admissions officers at top colleges know the difference. It is amazing how many hs runners advertise 4.0 or better GPA's in their bios. This is most likely grade inflation at its best.

I don't know anything about the quality of Alaska schools but I can't imagine they are comparable to the best high schools in wealthy States in the lower 48.

I also can't imagine that an A at Boise State can be fairly compared to an A at Stanford or any other elite university. With such a horrid graduation rate, Boise State must be bending over backward just to keep any student it has happy and feeling successful.

jeeeeeeez wrote:

But there are plenty of colleges that are academically better than Boise State and also have good teams. If she's supposed to be very academically motivated you'd think she'd choose one of those places.

She picked the school because she liked the coach and felt comfortable in Boise. That's all that needs to be said.

Not every white girl distance runner is "smart." Smart nowadays just means your parents had the money to put you in elite education from K-12. Alaska's school system is horrible. I think it ranks below Mississippi. Allie probably didn't have the test scores to get into Stanford, she probably had about a 22 ACT. Which is average and right around what Boise State accepts. No need for the girl to kill herself to barely pass at Stanford.

jeeeeeeez wrote:

If she is as academically motivated as it says in the article, you'd think she'd want to go somewhere that has a strong student body and also bodes well for future jobs, etc. beyond running.

When I read posts like this, I honestly wonder whether the person writing has ever been to college or seen a college. There are lots of reasons that the very top students often go to state schools or other schools that don't make the top of every list. Location, coaches and teams, fellowships they're offered, just like the place, lots of reasons. Pretty much everyone has observed this.

What does white have to do with it?

I recall there was an article saying Stanford was interested. Could be many reasons why she didn't pick it. Also could be an academically hard worker but not natural genius. Who knows. Given Stanford's injury/drop out rate and her current success, seems like a good choice. Also may be $ reasons.

Sometimes it's good to be a big fish in a small pond.

What has she run for 1500m? Has she got enough speed

She went to Boise cause no other major program would want to take on someone who still hasn't grown into their body. We've seen it all before. She's one injury away from growing into her body and never reaching the same form again. Major news sources should refrain from hyping up girl phenoms like this. "Enjoys cooking" is code for probably has an eating issue and eats overly healthy, hence not enough calories for estrogen production.

Post Hole Digger wrote:

jeeeeeeez wrote:

If she is as academically motivated as it says in the article, you'd think she'd want to go somewhere that has a strong student body and also bodes well for future jobs, etc. beyond running.

When I read posts like this, I honestly wonder whether the person writing has ever been to college or seen a college. There are lots of reasons that the very top students often go to state schools or other schools that don't make the top of every list. Location, coaches and teams, fellowships they're offered, just like the place, lots of reasons. Pretty much everyone has observed this.

Haha not that my words will mean anything on an anonymous messageboard but I attended a well known school and chose it partly because I knew prospects coming out of school would be higher than at some of my other choices. Years later it has paid off.

Can't they talk about anything else but her appearance/size? And calling her an "ingenue?" Personally I'd be insulted by this article if I were her. I can't imagine a similar article being written about her male equivalent. Let's count all the times her appearance is referenced...

1) "pixie"

2) "standing perhaps 1 inch over 5 feet tall"

3) "the diminutive ostrander"

4) "her slight frame, feathery features and feathery voice"

5) "exudes a Tinkerbell vibe"

6) "fairy tale veneer"

7) "stands at 5'1 and weighs in the neighborhood of 100 pounds"

8) "the doll sized freshman"

J

jeeeeeeez wrote:

If she is as academically motivated as it says in the article, you'd think she'd want to go somewhere that has a strong student body and also bodes well for future jobs, etc. beyond running.

Maybe she doesn't want to be a big pharma doctor that pushes drugs on people.

THE PHENOM IS OVER!!! REDUCED TO CRYING LIKE A LITTLE GIRL BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T WIN, BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, I CANT WIN, IM GOING TO QUIT! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

jess from crabtown wrote:

Can't they talk about anything else but her appearance/size? And calling her an "ingenue?" Personally I'd be insulted by this article if I were her. I can't imagine a similar article being written about her male equivalent. Let's count all the times her appearance is referenced...

1) "pixie"

2) "standing perhaps 1 inch over 5 feet tall"

3) "the diminutive ostrander"

4) "her slight frame, feathery features and feathery voice"

5) "exudes a Tinkerbell vibe"

6) "fairy tale veneer"

7) "stands at 5'1 and weighs in the neighborhood of 100 pounds"

8) "the doll sized freshman"

J

That's always how reporting works for women, it sucks

ALLIE O FOR CHAMPIONSHIPS wrote:

THE PHENOM IS OVER!!! REDUCED TO CRYING LIKE A LITTLE GIRL BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T WIN, BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, I CANT WIN, IM GOING TO QUIT! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Well to be fair people with that real drive do get irrationally upset about not winning so that's good

seen it all before wrote:

"Enjoys cooking" is code for probably has an eating issue and eats overly healthy, hence not enough calories for estrogen production.

What an ignorant thing to say.