Brown blazes own trail at Danbury

By Mary Albl for DyeStat

DANBURY, CONN. – Three hours before he was set to race in the mile at the Danbury Dream Friday evening, Wilton’s Spencer Brown was informed his main competition, Darien’s Alex Ostberg, would not be racing. 

Ostberg, who last Friday ran a U.S. No. 2 time of 8:42.93 in the 3,200 at the Loucks Games (White Plains, N,Y.), rolled his ankle on Thursday, forcing him to sit out.  

“The thing that told me not to race today was I was doing a shakeout run this morning, and my ankle just didn’t feel right,” Ostberg said. “I’ve learned my lesson to be safe and cautious…some rest isn’t going to kill me right now.”

With the headline name out, Brown, the defending Dream champion, plans changed. 

“I had like a whole race plan for if he was in the race…since he wasn’t here I knew I had to be the big man and lead from the gun pretty much,” Brown said.

That’s exactly was the Georgetown-bound senior did. Brown, who went out to a 63 second first lap, led the entire race, and held off a late charge from Brien McMahon’s Eric van der Els and Ridgefield’s Austin Gilbert. Brown won the in 4:12.25. 

“The ultimate goal was to win,” Brown said. “My time was OK, not my fastest time, but I was still pretty happy. I give Alex a lot of credit for leading races a lot, because it is very hard to do. I felt like I could barely sprint that last lap because there was no one to catch up to.”

Before Ostberg had to bow out, the original plan was to shoot for an Adidas Dream mile invitation. Both Brown and Ostberg expressed interest in still wanting one. 

“I know for a fact that I’m capable of running in that 4:06-07 range,” Brown said. “Given the right competition…each meet this outdoor season I’ve just been getting in better and better shape.”

Ostberg, who said he plans to recover the next few days, said the focus may shift to running a fast 1,600 at the FCIAC Championships on May 26 in hopes of getting a Dream invite. 

In the boys’ 2 mile race, Coginchaug senior Christian Alberico won in a current US#5 time of 9:15.15. Amity sophomore Kyle Beaudette placed second in 9:20.14, US#8.