Miah Ostrowski’s range of experiences during his tenure at the University of Hawaii is tough to match.
He has connections to the football program’s last three head coaches. He’s played in a bowl game and a postseason basketball tournament. Heck, he’s even a veteran when it comes to senior nights.
Ostrowski will go through his second senior ceremony in the last nine months when the Warriors close the season against South Alabama on Saturday at Aloha Stadium. The UH receiver/former point guard was similarly honored after the UH basketball team’s last home game in March. But this week’s walk carries a sense of finality.
"Once I finished that last (basketball) game I was like I couldn’t believe it was over. But I knew I had football still, so I didn’t think of it as an ending to my sports career," Ostrowski said.
"This has been kind of sneaking up on me and who knows what life’s going to be like and how I’m going to be feeling when it’s all said and done. For now it still hasn’t hit me."
The Punahou graduate was part of June Jones’ final recruiting class and first enrolled at UH while the Warriors were on their way to the Sugar Bowl in 2007. He was a part-time student as a grayshirt that semester before starting his eligibility clock with full-time status in the spring of 2008.
Following a redshirt year, he played three seasons under Greg McMackin, waiting behind Greg Salas and Kealoha Pilares before getting a chance to start at slot receiver last year. He now enters the final game of Norm Chow’s inaugural season as head coach as the team’s second-leading receiver.
"I’m just trying to enjoy it; we still have this last game … you just have to maintain focus," Ostrowski said. "It felt good to get that win last week and we want to go out with another win."
Ostrowski had one catch for 11 yards in the Warriors’ win over UNLV, a third-down reception to help extend an opening drive that resulted in the Warriors’ first touchdown on their way to a 48-10 victory to end an eight-game skid.
But his final season has been somewhat rocky individually and collectively during UH’s 2-9 campaign. He has caught 27 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown, but also let several throws slip through his grasp.
"It’s a good learning experience for me," Ostrowski said. "I kind of went through a lot this year, through some ups and downs I never really faced. … I learned a lot from Coach Chow and the coaching staff besides football, that’s what I’m going to take and leave with.
"I just take advantage of the knowledge that’s been passed down to all of us and just have to run with it and see how you do in life after football."
Ostrowski graduated last spring with a degree in sociology and is taking classes this semester toward a second major in English. As for what’s beyond UH, "I just want to keep my options open and live life happy," Ostrowski said.
Keeping the focus on facing South Alabama means keeping thoughts of the postgame emotion sure to follow the game out of mind for now. Once the clock hits double-zeroes, some of those thoughts will include his father, Kui, who died last year just as Miah’s basketball career was blossoming.
"I know he’s there in spirit," Ostrowski said.
"It’s going to be hard. It’s hard seeing my mom and sisters (with) my dad not being there. I just wish he was here to see me play. He passed away before I really started playing, so I think about that sometimes and how he never really got to watch me play college ball. But I know he’s still up there watching."
