Profile: Scott Bauhs
Chico State's Olympic 10,000 Meter Team Hopeful
by Bob Burns
Chico State distance runner Scott Bauhs knew he was on the verge of a big breakthrough.
He just never imagined running so fast that he’d lap himself.
But that’s what he did – figuratively speaking – on May 4 in the 10,000 meters at the Payton Jordan Invitational on the Stanford campus. Bauhs clocked 27 minutes, 48.06 seconds for 25 laps – an NCAA Division II record, the fourth-fastest time ever registered by a U.S. collegian at any level, and an ‘A’ qualifying time for the Olympic Games.
His previous best in the event was 28:54.55, also run at Stanford, in 2007.
“He averaged 66 seconds per lap, and he beat his previous best by 66 seconds,” said Chico State distance coach Gary Towne. “He lapped himself.”
With one brilliant race, Bauhs went from being a very good Division II runner to being a candidate to compete in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. By surpassing the Olympic ‘A’ standard of 27:50.00, he ensured that he will qualify for the Olympics if he finishes in the top three at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene, Ore.
“Coming through high school, I knew I wanted to be a star runner,” Bauhs said. “I knew that if I kept going, I’d have a shot at the 2012 Olympics. But to know I have a legitimate shot right now … it’s kind of hard to swallow.”
This is pretty stratospheric stuff for a runner who “flew under the radar” coming out of high school, according to Towne. At San Ramon Valley High School, Bauhs had bests of 4:16 in the 1,600 meters and 9:09 in the 3,200 meters.
“He’s got a knack for putting his mind to something and believing he can achieve it, no matter how far-fetched it may seem,” Towne said.
While it was his sizzling Stanford 10k that put him on the map nationally, Bauhs had served notice on several occasions that he was on the fast track to becoming one of the top distance runners in the country.
He shocked Abilene Christian’s Nicodemus Naimadu in the 10,000 meters at last year’s NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships. In October, he set a U.S. age-group record for 21-year-olds by clocking 1:03:04 at the San Jose Half-Marathon. At the Ekiden Relays in Chiba, Japan, Bauhs ran a 28:30 split.
In February, Bauhs finished 10th at the USA Cross Country Championships. One month later, Bauhs finished 52nd at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Scotland.In an April 12 meet on his home track, with nearly 2,000 spectators on hand to watch him try to run a four-minute mile, Bauhs answered the bell, clocking 3:59.81. A week later, he lowered his 5,000-meter best by nearly 10 seconds at the Mt. SAC Invitational, running 13:31.90.
All the while, his sights were set on the 10,000 meters at Stanford.
“I knew I was going to do something special,” he said. “Every week from the World Cross Country Championships in Scotland was spent preparing myself for Stanford. I knew I was capable of breaking 28 minutes, just not by how much. I ran pretty much a perfect race.”
Australia’s Craig Mottram, the bronze medalist in the 5,000 meters at the 2005 World Outdoor Championships, finished first in 27:34.48. Bauhs was the first American across the line, and his 27:48.06 is the fastest time by a U.S. runner this year.
To qualify for the U.S. Olympic team, an athlete must have the Olympic “A” standard in his or her event. The “A” standard in the 10,000 meters is 27:50.00, and seven runners have met the standard in the last 17 months - Abdi Abdirahman, Galen Rupp, Meb Keflezighi, Jorge Torres, Ed Moran, James Carney and Bauhs.
Since he has met the Olympic qualifying standard, Bauhs can qualify for the Olympics by finishing in the top three at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials on July 4 in Eugene, Ore. It’s possible that he could finish outside the top three and still qualify for the Olympics, if one or more runners ahead of him don’t have the “A” standard.
“Before, when non-runners asked me what it take for me to make the Olympics, I had to tell them about (finishing in the) top three at the Trials and also having a certain time,” Bauhs said. “Now I just say I need to finish in the top three. It’s nice know that’s the only obstacle in my way, even though it’s a huge obstacle.”
Bauhs chose Chico State early in his senior year at San Ramon Valley, even before he ccompeted in the national high school cross country championships. Had he waited, he probably would have generated some offers from Division I schools. But another San Ramon Valley runner, Katie Lee, had set numerous school records while at Chico State, so Bauhs followed her lead.
“I signed early, which was fortunate for (Towne) and fortunate for me,” Bauhs said.
Bauhs finished third at the 2006 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships, but his first big breakthrough came at last year’s outdoor track championships. In the 10,000, he was up against Nicodemus, the Abilene Christian senior who had won 10 NCAA titles on the track. Bauhs won by a couple of strides in 29:31.90.
“It all started at started at the national championships when I out-kicked Nicodemus,” Bauhs said. “He appeared to be unbeatable.”
Bauhs won his second national championship on May 24 when he won the 5,000 meters at the 2008 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Walnut, Calif. Other collegiate runners have opted out of their eligibility early, signing professional contracts, but the Chico State junior plans to return for his senior seasons in cross country and track.
“If people aren’t throwing money at you, it’s probably not worth it,” Bauhs said. “A lot of the people who left college early were unhappy with their situations, but that’s not the case with me. Plus, I have a lot of things left to do in college, like winning an NCAA cross country title, either as an individual or with the team. I’d really like to win the cross country team title. In track, I’d like to run the distance medley at the Penn Relays, and I wouldn’t be able to do that on a professional team.”
Towne credits Bauhs for putting the Chico State program on the map nationally.
“The light he’s cast on the program is amazing,” Towne said. “Ninety percent of the people around him are more surprised by his accomplishments than Scott is. He’s a soft-spoken, quiet kid, but you don’t do what he’s done without a lot of confidence.”
Bauhs doesn’t second-guess his decision to attend Chico State.
“Maybe I could have signed with a school that had prettier locker rooms, but there are different ways to do things. You don’t need much to be a good runner. You can be a fast runner from anywhere if you have good coaching and the right attitude.”
© 2008 Bob Burns and Pacific Association. All rights reserved. |
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