This Day in Track & Field, December 24, Birthdays of Allie Ostrander (1996), Christina Schwanitz (1985), Wallace Spearmon (1984), by Walt Murphy

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by Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com), used with permission

This Day in Track & Field-December 24

Allie Ostrander came onto the scene when she won the NXN as a senior in high school in 2014. Allie has had an amazing career and is a champion of self-health. 

Christina Schwantiz is a two-time European shot put champion and bronze medalist at the World Indoor. 

Wallace Spearmon was one of the finest American sprinters of all time. He took 4th in London 2012, Dqed in 2008 (he should have been bronze medalist).

Significant Birthdays

Born On This Day

Allie Ostrander  28 (1996)   3-time NCAA Champion—Steeplechase (2017,2018, 2019/Boise State)

5000 Outdoors: 2017-4th, 2018-8^th, 2019-16th

NCAA Indoor Championships-2018 (3000-2^nd), 2019 (3000-4^th, 5000-8^th)

2nd at the 2015 NCAA X-Country Championships as a freshman, 4^th in 2017, 6th in 2018

Gave up her final year of collegiate eligibility when she became a pro in 2019

4^th in the Steeplechase at the 2019 U.S. Championships…ran a personal best of 9:30.85 in the qualifying round at

the World Championships in Doha, but didn’t make the final.

8th in the 5000 at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials shortly after graduating from high school…also 8^th at the 2021

Trials…7^th in 2024—ran a personal best of 9:21.82

        4^th at the 2024 U.S. X-Country Championships, 30^th at the World Championships

2014 Nike Cross Nationals Champion (Kenai Central H.S.,Alaska)

Announced after the 2021 Trials she was taking a break from her running career to concentrate on her health.

“This isn’t me retiring from professional running, it’s just me taking a step back to put my mental and physical
health first.”  Raced sparingly in 2022 & 2023

https://runningmagazine.ca/the-scene/allie-ostrander-is-taking-a-step-back-from-professional-running/

PBs:

4:14.76 (‘19), 4:35.79i (OT/’19), 8:54.27i (OT/’16), 15:21.85i (OT/’16), 32:06.71 (‘19), 9:21.82 (‘24)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allie_Ostrander

Podcast-May, 2020 (1:00): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8Wk1BjoYzU

(March-2016 Article)