"I was a little bit surprised when I was running. I tried not to look at the time while I was going through. I had a teammate of mine who was able to pace me over 2km and he really did a good job at getting the pace going.
"I looked at the clock with a lap to go and it was 6:46 so I thought if I can close well here I am on to something pretty special. So it was a bit of a shock but at the same time I knew I was in pretty decent shape."
Beating Quax's time was an unexpected bonus, Oakley said.
"Indoor times are a bit different because we don't have any indoor tracks here. All those guys are running in Europe or the States when they run indoors. To pass a few big names is really special and obviously, New Zealand has a rich history of middle-distance running."
Every world-class athlete has the Olympics as a permanent goal to qualify for. Oakley is hoping his performance in Boston is the next step to making it.
"It was a bit of a breakthrough for me. If I can stick at it for another two years then definitely Tokyo 2020 is the ultimate goal for me."
In 2014 Oakley made a name for himself in athletic circles by running a sub four-minute mile aged 21. But he said he had gradually been increasing his miles in training in the five-and-a-half years he has been in Rhode Island to focus on the longer events.
"I think I will stick with the mile indoors but I think the 3000m is a pretty good distance for me in between the 5km and mile. But it is an indoor event so I have to figure out where I want to be outdoors, whether it is the 5000 or 1500."
Oakley is one of three brothers on sporting scholarships in the USA. Josh, 21, and Jaime, 19, are squash players hoping to emulate the success of their mother and former world champion Susan Devoy.