Running more than a fever
Healthy Oosting eager to win it all
On the surface, of course, nothing looked even remotely wrong.
Arlington’s Ryan Oosting had just decimated the field in the Middlesex League Championships last October, blazing to a win in 12 minutes, 17 seconds at the Woburn Country Club’s 2.5-mile layout. He looked to be a strong favorite to battle for the Division 1 All-State crown against Tristan Shelgren of St. John’s Prep and Andrew Mah of Newton North.
But the lanky, 6-foot-1, 150-pound harrier said he did not feel right. Oosting was constantly tired and his legs were heavy. Something was very wrong.
“I didn’t feel like myself anymore,” he said. A physical revealed the culprit: Mononucleosis. Oosting’s shot at an All-State title, after capturing the mile and 2-mile championships the previous spring, along with the national 5,000 crown, were all but over. He raced hard over the Wrentham Developmental Center’s rolling 3.1mile course and still wound up a non-too-shabby sixth with a very respectable time of 15:59.41.
He chalked up the end of the fall as bad luck, but was still pleased with the way he battled through the adversity. He said, “I wasn’t very happy with it at the time, but looking back, sixth wasn’t bad at All-States running with mono.”
Now, heading into the cross country campaign rested and training off a stready diet of conservative 30-35 miles a week, Oosting has his sights set for the championship season in November where the truly elite runners rise to the top.
Arlington coach Kevin Richardson believes his 17-year-old star is quietly eager to attack the fall with a vengeance.
“I would say that Ryan has a bone to pick,” said Richardson. “I would argue Ryan wants this one more than any particular race. I have never seen Ryan run a race he couldn’t win. I’ve never seen anyone run like him. He’s strong, has a great kick and he’s intelligent.”
Oosting is pleased with his his fitness level and hopes to add an All-State title to add his impressive resume.
“I don’t necessarily think I have anything to prove,” he said, “but I want to show I can run cross country.”
With All-States slated for the notoriously hilly Northfield Mountain course, Richardson is confident the daily dose of inclines in Arlington will benefit Oosting and the rest of the squad.
“We regularly run on hills in Arlington,” said Richardson. “Ryan is such a strong runner, he can acclimate himself during the race.”
Oosting had a memorable close to his outdoor season, using his dual citizenship to represent the Netherlands in the European Athletics Under-18 Championships in the 3,000-meter run.
In Gyor, Hungary, Oosting was in a tight pack entering the bell lap, when he dug down for a 59.7 final 400 meters on his way to a third-place finish in 8:28.22.
“It was an incredible experience,” he said. “It’s different representing a country, compared to a state.”
Oosting hopes to save his fastest times for the indoor and outdoor ovals, but if he’s in position to run a scorcher this fall, he can do it.
“Cross country is definitely more running for the win,” he said, “but if the pace is fast I’ll really push the last mile.”