Taco Bell Student-Athlete Spotlight
10/21/2011 2:20:00 PM | Swimming and Diving
Statesboro, Ga. - Sophomore swimmer Megan Ostrom decided at a young age that wherever she attended college, it was going to be some place warm. Having grown up in Minnesota, she was determined not to spend her college years chipping away ice or shoveling snow.
"I hate the cold, the snow and everything about it," said Ostrom. "Since the third grade I had told my parents that I would go to college some place warm. Then I came on my recruiting trip and fell in love with the team. Everyone was so welcoming... and it was warm. It was 70 degrees in November. I fell in love with Georgia Southern and I committed a week later."
During the recruiting process, Head Swimming and Diving Coach Nate Kellogg was impressed by the young swimmer and knew that she could be a valuable member of the program, both in and out of the water.
"Megan possesses the two qualities we value most in collegiate student-athletes: a tremendous work ethic and a fantastic attitude. She carries these qualities in and out of the pool. Academically, she holds herself to very high standards and is one of the most competitive swimmers we have. Megan simply hates to lose whether in practice or meets, which has certainly rubbed off on our team and helped to make us better."
The Georgia Southern Swimming and Diving team begins the 2011-12 season this Saturday, October 22 when it travels down I-16 to Savannah, Ga. to compete against Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) and ACC opponent Clemson.
Major: Exercise Science with a minor in Psychology
Interests: I love to shop and to scrapbook. I scrapbooked everything in high school!
Favorites:
Food: I could never choose one but I could live off of fruit, pickles, cheese, and chocolate.
Movies: The Pirates of the Caribbean movies, the Transformer movies, or any romantic comedy.
Type of Music: Country.
Athlete: Mia Hamm.
Why did you choose to attend GSU? After my recruiting trip with the Georgia Southern Swim team I fell in love with the team and the school. Since I am from Minnesota, it is much warmer in the south which influenced my decision as well.
What is your favorite memory so far as an Eagle? I have two. The first one is when the team was given a get out swim during Christmas training and our coach treated the team to ice cream. The second one is being a part of the relay team that broke the school record for the 400 medley relay at the conference championships last season.
What accomplishments are you most proud of? I am most proud of becoming a Division I athlete and being a role model for my younger sister.
What do you appreciate most about your team? I love how close the team is. They make it easy to go to practice and to want to work hard.
What are your goals for the upcoming season: My goals are to stay healthy the whole season and get personal bests in all of my events (100 Breaststroke, 200 Breaststroke, and 200 IM).
What are your plans after college? To attend graduate school and work in the field of physical therapy.
