Ogwaro is a member of the men's cross country team.
Phylicia Turner, Assistant Sports Information Director
11/10/2009 10:05:01 AM
CHARLOTTE, N.C.- Queens University of Charlotte is proud to announce the InterCon Male Student-Athlete of the Month for the month of October is men's cross country runner
Oscar Ogwaro (Los Angeles, Calif., Woodrow Wilson).
Ogwaro, a senior, ran in two cross country events during the month of October. He raced to an 18th place finish with a time of 24:32.66 in the Greater Louisville Classic. Ogwaro had been battling injuries and this was his first time back contributing to the team in a positive way. He was the second runner for Queens to finish and helped lead the team to a seventh place finish out of
38 teams in the division I top seeded section of the invitational.
His second race of the month was the Conference Carolinas Championship hosted by Queens. Ogwaro took home the first place finish running a time of 24:18 in the 8k race. His time tied the course record with Daniel Kanyarahuru, a former Queens runner and national champion. Queens went on the finish the race with the team title and a perfect score of 15. The title was the second for the men's program. Ogwaro was named to the Conference Carolinas All-Conference First Team.
We sat down with Oscar to ask him a few quesitons.
How does it feel to be Student Athlete of the month?
I’m thrilled. Representing Queens XC has been a royal stroke experience.
Why did you choose to attend Queens?
I honestly chose Queens because of running but It is a really cool educational institute.
What are your career goals?
Definitely to graduate and see how far I can go in the running world.
What does it take to be academically successful at Queens?
Balancing the hours between athletics, school, and a social life. It is something that I’m still working on myself.
How do you manage your demanding schedule?
Devoting a certain time to school through the week, I personally do my studies in small chunks so it probably takes longer than most student but its what works for me.
What is your ritual before taking a test?
Rituals before a test?! No nada, I don’t have any.
Any rituals before a race?
I usually listen to random metal rock during warm-up but then I turn to classical music right before just to calm myself down.
What is your favorite quote?
Once you're beat mentally, you might as well not even go to the starting line.
--Royal Stroke
What are your goals for your team this season? (or next season)
Winning the whole thing as a team would be great but I think the more realistic goal for us is to get on the podium; and I honestly believe we have got the talent too.
What are your favorite track memories here at Queens?
I do not have any yet but memories are made, and do look forward to making some this track season.
What is the most rewarding part about being a student athlete?
Being a student athlete is tough, especially running, but I think it sets a foundation for hard work and teamwork which is really important in the real world.