Student-Athlete of the Week: Alex Oelsner

On a boys track team that sometimes struggled to fill its highlight reel this season, Niwot senior Alex Oelsner often provided the missing footage. As the team’s leading thrower, Oelsner amassed several top 10 finishes in shot put this year, including fourth in the Northern Conference championships held May 5. He also competed in discus for the team, and even ran in the sprints from time to time.

His season-best shot put attempt of 48 feet 10 inches at the Holy Family Tiger Tornado Invitational on April 18 earned him a berth in last week’s state track meet. There, he placed 10th, with a throw of 47 feet, 3.25 inches, his third best of the season. For Oelsner, a trip to the state meet was icing on the cake of a “fun” season, even if he was the only Niwot boy to make the cut in an individual event.

“I was really honored to be able to qualify,” he said. “All the hard work paid off.”

Oelsner, who also played tight end for the Cougars’ football team, has a GPA “around 3.5”, and plans to attend Northwestern University in Evanston, IL this fall, where he will study economics. He also hopes to join their football team as an invited walk-on, which is one of the things that attracted him to the Big 10 conference school.

“Northwestern is a great fit for me,” he explained. “Sportswise, they have a lot of respect for walk-ons, and obviously they’re a great academic school. It’s going to be a great program to be a part of.”