2008 Woodie Awards
Bauhs runs toward professional career, away from track season
By: Mike Wagner
Issue date: 11/19/08 Section: News
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Bauhs announced Monday that he plans to sacrifice his senior track and field season to become a professional runner. He plans to gather funds while training through a major shoe company's sponsorship, prize money and garnering appearance fees, he said.
The two-time national champion will run his final collegiate race at the NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championships on Saturday in Slippery Rock, Pa.
The race will be bittersweet for Bauhs, he said. It could be the most important of his career, but afterward he must say "farewell" to his teammates.
After graduating this semester, he plans to train in Mammoth Lakes under Olympic coach Terrence Mahon in hopes to qualify for the summer's World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, he said.
"We're looking at a future legend," Athletic Director Anita Barker said. "I don't know that we'll see someone with the caliber that Scott has."
Bauhs attributes his success as a runner to the support from his friends, family and men's cross country head coach Gary Towne, he said.
"Gary truly is an amazing coach," Bauhs said. "There's only a short list of coaches in the entire world that could have led me to accomplish the things that I've accomplished."
Many coaches and athletes across the nation are aware of Chico State largely because of the success of Bauhs, Towne said.
"Since his arrival at Chico State four and a half years ago, Scott has developed from a standout high school runner at the state level to one of the fastest collegiate runners of all time," he said.
Bauhs proved he was one of the best ever when he won the 10,000-meter national title May 24, 2007 over Division II Track Athlete of the Year Nicodemus Naimadu.
This race is Bauhs' most memorable, but he hopes to change that with a win this weekend in his Chico State jersey, he said.
"This community has really come together in an incredible way to embrace what I've been doing," Bauhs said. "I'm always going to be a Chico State Wildcat."
Mike Wagner can be reached at
mwagner@theorion.com
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