Miami Ohio University Athletics
Feature: Josh Linster's Long Journey to Miami
2/28/2018 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field, Cross Country
Feb. 28, 2018
For the junior field athlete, it all started when his mother packed up and took him to New York with her. She had a plan to leave Shiloh, S.C., where Linster was born, and find a friend or relative to live with up north. They moved in with an aunt in Long Beach, and Linster began high school at Long Beach High School. He settled in and quickly found himself a three-sport athlete, playing football and basketball while running track. All was well.
Then Sandy hit a month later.
Hurricane Sandy made landfall in the United States on October 29, 2012, as a post-tropical storm. The federal government declared a state of emergency in eight states, including New York, where the Army and Air Force National Guards were called to action. Winds in excess of 75 mph combined with a full moon to create high tides more than 20 percent their normal size. Streets were flooded, buildings were damaged, and homes were lost. Linster recalls the boardwalk from Broadway Street winding up at the front door of his house on Fulton Street - eight blocks away. When all was said and done, the death toll totaled 147.
"I had never seen anything like it before," he said. "The water destroyed that whole town."
Linster, his house now unlivable, was taken in by another aunt. When she moved upstate two months later, however, he was on his own. Over the course of the next seven months, Linster bounced between hurricane shelters and several relatives' houses. A good deal of his belongings are still spread out amongst those houses.
Still unable to find a permanent place to stay, Linster began sleeping at the homes of his friends during his junior year. When he could not find someone to take him in for the night, he slept under the boardwalk. Naturally, schoolwork took a backseat to all of this.
"My homework was that I was trying to live," Linster said.
Not wanting to push his problems onto someone else, he kept it to himself. Finally, things began to look better his senior year when he began to open up about his struggles, slowly but surely. Linster confided in the attendance monitor at school about his issues and became friends with her. She helped him out by bringing him food and even some clothes that no longer fit her sons.
When the spring hit, one of Linster's friend's moms took him in for the remainder of the semester. It was as close to a permanent home as he had had in years.
Linster wanted - and was talented enough - to play at least one sport at the collegiate level. The issue, though, was his grades. The toll his struggles took on his academics made it difficult to find a four-year institution that would offer him. The best option he was left with was Nassau Community College, located minutes away from his residence in Garden City, N.Y. Linster would have preferred a four-year institution, but Nassau is not your typical community college. The Lions boast one of the top football programs in the National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA), and they wanted Linster to come play wide receiver. The school has no shortage of student-athletes that go on to play at big-time four-year programs.
Linster did not see playing time as a true freshman for the 6-3 Lions. When the season was over, he decided to walk-on the track & field team. He made a quick impact, placing third in triple jump at nationals en route to being named an Honorable Mention All-American.
Linster saw the football field in three games as a sophomore, returning three kickoffs for a combined 10 yards and recording one tackle on defense during the team's tough 1-7 campaign. Though a concussion from a car accident kept him from winter track, he bounced back and again was named an All-American in track & field for his performance in triple jump with a leap of 45-9.25. He was also named an All-American in long jump after recording a 21-1.5.
Nearing the end of his second year of community college, Linster wanted to find a four-year school he could compete at in track and field. Among his list of potential choices was Miami. He reached out to Russ Peterson, the team's sprints and jumps coach. He got to campus for a visit and met Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Tom Chorny.
"Josh is a great person with a great story," said Peterson. "He has the skill set to continue this trend of 'great.'"
When speaking on how he reached out to Linster, Peterson said it was simple. "I presented our vision of the program and he wanted to be a part of it. He brings experience and a competitive edge to our jumps crew."
After a fall semester full of hard work, Linster donned the Red & White for the first time at the Indiana Relays in February. He placed fourth in the triple jump with a career-best 46-2.5. His first jump in Division I landed him in the top-eight in the Mid-American Conference.
"Competing for Miami was a dream come true," Linster said. "I enjoy being around the team and the energy we have with each other."
"Josh is a good addition to the team," said fellow jumper Kenny Glenn. "[I'm] Excited to see his growth in all aspects here at Miami."
Peterson concluded his thoughts fittingly, saying, "Miami is a better institution with him here and even more so once he graduates."
Linster's time for indoor competition is over, but his real season will begin when outdoor does. Miami will open their spring campaign with a three-meet weekend March 30-31. They will send athletes to meets at Cincinnati, NC State, and Stanford.
by Jeremy O'Brien -
OXFORD, Ohio - Joshua Linster has overcome considerable odds to make it to Oxford.
For the junior field athlete, it all started when his mother packed up and took him to New York with her. She had a plan to leave Shiloh, S.C., where Linster was born, and find a friend or relative to live with up north. They moved in with an aunt in Long Beach, and Linster began high school at Long Beach High School. He settled in and quickly found himself a three-sport athlete, playing football and basketball while running track. All was well.
Then Sandy hit a month later.
Hurricane Sandy made landfall in the United States on October 29, 2012, as a post-tropical storm. The federal government declared a state of emergency in eight states, including New York, where the Army and Air Force National Guards were called to action. Winds in excess of 75 mph combined with a full moon to create high tides more than 20 percent their normal size. Streets were flooded, buildings were damaged, and homes were lost. Linster recalls the boardwalk from Broadway Street winding up at the front door of his house on Fulton Street - eight blocks away. When all was said and done, the death toll totaled 147.
"I had never seen anything like it before," he said. "The water destroyed that whole town."
Linster, his house now unlivable, was taken in by another aunt. When she moved upstate two months later, however, he was on his own. Over the course of the next seven months, Linster bounced between hurricane shelters and several relatives' houses. A good deal of his belongings are still spread out amongst those houses.
Still unable to find a permanent place to stay, Linster began sleeping at the homes of his friends during his junior year. When he could not find someone to take him in for the night, he slept under the boardwalk. Naturally, schoolwork took a backseat to all of this.
"My homework was that I was trying to live," Linster said.
Not wanting to push his problems onto someone else, he kept it to himself. Finally, things began to look better his senior year when he began to open up about his struggles, slowly but surely. Linster confided in the attendance monitor at school about his issues and became friends with her. She helped him out by bringing him food and even some clothes that no longer fit her sons.
When the spring hit, one of Linster's friend's moms took him in for the remainder of the semester. It was as close to a permanent home as he had had in years.
Linster wanted - and was talented enough - to play at least one sport at the collegiate level. The issue, though, was his grades. The toll his struggles took on his academics made it difficult to find a four-year institution that would offer him. The best option he was left with was Nassau Community College, located minutes away from his residence in Garden City, N.Y. Linster would have preferred a four-year institution, but Nassau is not your typical community college. The Lions boast one of the top football programs in the National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA), and they wanted Linster to come play wide receiver. The school has no shortage of student-athletes that go on to play at big-time four-year programs.
Linster did not see playing time as a true freshman for the 6-3 Lions. When the season was over, he decided to walk-on the track & field team. He made a quick impact, placing third in triple jump at nationals en route to being named an Honorable Mention All-American.
Linster saw the football field in three games as a sophomore, returning three kickoffs for a combined 10 yards and recording one tackle on defense during the team's tough 1-7 campaign. Though a concussion from a car accident kept him from winter track, he bounced back and again was named an All-American in track & field for his performance in triple jump with a leap of 45-9.25. He was also named an All-American in long jump after recording a 21-1.5.
Nearing the end of his second year of community college, Linster wanted to find a four-year school he could compete at in track and field. Among his list of potential choices was Miami. He reached out to Russ Peterson, the team's sprints and jumps coach. He got to campus for a visit and met Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Tom Chorny.
"Josh is a great person with a great story," said Peterson. "He has the skill set to continue this trend of 'great.'"
When speaking on how he reached out to Linster, Peterson said it was simple. "I presented our vision of the program and he wanted to be a part of it. He brings experience and a competitive edge to our jumps crew."
After a fall semester full of hard work, Linster donned the Red & White for the first time at the Indiana Relays in February. He placed fourth in the triple jump with a career-best 46-2.5. His first jump in Division I landed him in the top-eight in the Mid-American Conference.
"Competing for Miami was a dream come true," Linster said. "I enjoy being around the team and the energy we have with each other."
"Josh is a good addition to the team," said fellow jumper Kenny Glenn. "[I'm] Excited to see his growth in all aspects here at Miami."
Peterson concluded his thoughts fittingly, saying, "Miami is a better institution with him here and even more so once he graduates."
Linster's time for indoor competition is over, but his real season will begin when outdoor does. Miami will open their spring campaign with a three-meet weekend March 30-31. They will send athletes to meets at Cincinnati, NC State, and Stanford.
Players Mentioned
Sprints/Jumps
/ Track & Field, Cross Country
Sprints/Jumps
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