SPU: Two-year letterwinner. ... USTFCCCA All-West Region indoor in 5000 meters (2020). ... All-GNAC in 5000 (2019).
Sophomore (2020): INDOOR – Ran in four meets. … Set the indoor and all-time school record (indoors or outdoors) in the 5000 meters by clocking 14 minutes, 35.10 seconds at the UW Invitational on Jan. 31. The old indoor record was 14:56.77 by Turner Wiley in 2016. The previous outdoor records were 14:39.6 (converted from 3 miles) by Walt Notter in 1969, and 14:49.48 (an actual 5000 meters) by Chad Meis in 2010. … That was Otero’s first indoor 5000; he ran a pair of outdoor 5Ks as a freshman in 2019. … It also was his first NCAA provisional qualifying time. … Ran just the 3000 at GNAC, placing 7
th in 8:42.77. … Ran the mile twice with a PR of 4:17.48 at Portland Indoor Two on Feb. 9. OUTDOOR – Did not race at the season-opening Ed Boitano / Puget Sound Invitational. … Rest of the season canceled because of the coronavirus.
Freshman (2019): INDOOR – Set the school record in the 3000 meters with an 8:29.42 in the SPU Final Qualifier on Feb. 23 at Dempsey Indoor. The previous record was 8:30.32 by Will Harrison in 2013. ... Ran the 1200-meter leadoff leg on the 4000 distance medley relay at the GNAC Championships. That foursome, which also included Alec Llamas, Jesse Phan, and Elius Graff, finished in 10:23.59 was SPU's best in that event since 2007. ... Placed 11th in the mile (4:25.13) and 13th in the 3000 (9:03.15) at GNAC. ... Finished 3rd in the 3000 – his first time in that event – at the Cougar Indoor in Pullman, crossing the finish line in 8:53.99. ... Made his college debut with a 4:23.80 in the mile at the season-opening UW Indoor Preview.
OUTDOOR – Raced to an All-GNAC 3rd-place finish in the 5000 meters at the conference meet on May 11, clocking 14:58.57. That came on the heels of the previous day's 4th-place finish in the 3000 steeplechase in which he clocked a personal-best time of 9:19.33, a drop of 13 seconds from his previous PR of 9:32.51 from the PLU Open on March 9 in Tacoma, a race that went into the books as his first collegiate victory. ... Did his first-ever steeple the previous week at the season-opening Ed Boitano / Puget Sound Invitational, coming across the finish line in 9:53.84. ... In his first collegiate 1500, coming at the Doris Heritage Track Festival on March 16 at West Seattle Stadium, broke the 4-minute mark with a 3:59.82. Bettered that two weeks later with a 3:58.23 on March 29 at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic in Hayward, Calif. ... Ran a sub-15 in his first college 5000, going 14:57.28 on April 19 at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, Calif.
Kalaheo High School: Won the Hawaii state championship in the 3000 meters as a senior in 2018, coming across the finish line in 8:57.38. ... Also placed 3rd in the 1500 in 4:11.50. ... Won all four of his 3K races as a senior, posting his first sub 9-minute time on at the Cal Track / Ruby Tuesday Invitational with an 8:50.18. ... Won Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA) as a senior in 4:03.47, a PR by 7-plus seconds, and his first time below 4:10. ... Placed 3rd in the 3000 at state as a junior in 2017, and 5th as a sophomore in 2016. ... Won Hawaii state cross country championship as a senior in 2017.
Personal: Colby Adam Otero. ... Education integrated studies major.
Fun facts: Ran with the high school team as a 6th- and 7th-grader, then joined track as an 8th grader. ...
If not for cross country and track, would pursue wrestling.
Did wrestling until his junior year in high school, when he chose to focus on running. ...
Favorite sport to watch is wrestling. ...
Dumbest movie he ever saw was "Krampus." ...
Book he just couldn't put down was "The Rules of Survival" by Nancy Werlin. ...
Favorite junk food is buffalo wild wings. ...
Favorite healthy food is poke. ...
Favorite TV program is "Family Guy." ...
His dream vehicle is a 1999 white Toyota Tacoma pick-up truck. ...
Loves to shop for T-shirts. ...
Favorite sports team is the U.S. national track team. ...
Favorite athlete is American wrestler Kyle Dake. ...
His pre-race ritual is to listen to music by rapper Lil Yachty. ...
If he could invite anyone to dinner, it would be rapper Kendrick Lamar, and says no matter what kind of food he served, "it'd have to be drenched in hot sauce." ...
If he could be any action hero, would be Shazam "because he can be a hero and a kid at the same time." ...
In 10 years, wants to be teaching in Hawaii and surfing every day, and "hopefully, I'll have a wife and kids by then, too, maybe even a house."
INDOOR PERSONAL BESTS
Mile: 4:17.48 (2/9/2020)
3000: 8:29.42 (2/23/2019)
5000: 14:35.10 (1/31/2020)
OUTDOOR PERSONAL BESTS
1500: 3:58.23 (3/29/2019)
5000: 14:57.28 (4/19/2019)
3000 steeplechase: 9:19.33 (5/10/2019)
CAREER RESULTS
