Jantzen Oshier Interview

 

Jantzen Oshier (Trabuco Hills, CA) is a rising middle distance star who jumped into the national spotlight after holding off Elias Gedyon to claim the Brooks PR mile title in a U.S. #1 4:07.52. The Cal-bound senior will run the adidas Distance Meet of Champions on March 26 in an effort to obtain an automatic qualifying spot for the adidas Dream Mile on June 11. Oshier sat down to talk about his big PR, training, and plans for the outdoor season.

 

You’re coming off a big 4:07 mile from the Brooks PR meet, did you expect to run

that fast?

 

To be honest, I was pushing for a 4:12 and anything under that I’d be stoked. I knew I was definitely in good shape, but I didn’t really know how good of shape I was in. I went out to win, and I knew with guys like Elias Gedyon in the race, the only way to really beat him is in the middle of the race. You can’t really outkick him, so that was basically my strategy, and overall it was a great experience.

 

Do you like the opportunity to race guys like Ammar Moussa and Elias Gedyon often or do you feel like there’s a lot of pressure to run fast every week?

 

I don’t feel like there’s any pressure whatsoever because I feel like it’s a blessing to train and race against this group of guys. If I wasn’t living where I am now, I wouldn’t be nearly as fast as I am. There are times when you get tired from racing at such a high level every single week, but for the most part it’s and incredible thing to be a part of.

 

What kind of training are you doing right now?

 

I run about 50 miles a week usually consisting of 3 workouts unless I have a race that week. I like to work out hard and fast, and focus on things I need to work on throughout the different phases of the season.

 

What are your race plans for the adidas Meet of Champions on March 26?

 

My goal is to qualify for the adidas Dream Mile at the end of the season, so I’m just racing for the win. There’s no overall strategy so I’ll just see how the race plays out in the first few laps and go from there.

 

You had a couple marquee wins last year in invitationals but the state meet didn’t go so well, are you going to have a different approach to that meet this year?

 

In the prelims I stepped on the rail and destroyed my ankle, I had to be carried off the track by one of my teammates because my ankle was huge. So it wasn’t necessarily a bad race, just an injury that held me back.

 

What are your overall goals this year?

 

I don’t have any goal times right now; I’m just focused on pushing myself as hard as I can go. I would really like to win Arcadia again, and my biggest goal is to win a state title which I haven’t done yet. So my main drive right now is doing well in Fresno.

 

Have you picked a college yet?

I’m going to Cal Berkley in the fall. The overall atmosphere of the bay area, the school, and the campus life were things I really liked. The team is exactly what I’m looking for in terms of a group of guys I want to train with. I loved Coach Sandoval and Coach Detmer and the overall atmosphere, and it just came together as the perfect place for me.

 

What are some things you like to do off the track?

 

I love to play music, surf, skateboard, and just hanging out with friends. The standard California lifestyle I guess.



Tune into the first stop on the Golden Stripes tour on March 26th at 7:00pm PST to catch Jantzen and others as they try to get their automatic bid to the Dream Mile or Dream 100 in NYC!  For more on the adidas Golden Stripes visit flotrack.org/goldenstripes.