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by Gary Larson
Austin Bauer concluded his cross country competition at Milaca by placing 35th at the 2009 Class A State Meet Saturday at St. Olaf College in Northfield.
It was Bauer’s second-straight trip to the state meet.
And, it wasn’t how he envisioned his senior cross country season would end when the season began in late August.
“It was definitely not the way I thought or wanted the season to end,” said Bauer, whose pre-season goal was to place in the top three at the state meet after placing 10th in 2008. “But, my body, especially my legs, just didn’t have it the last part of the season.”
After placing first in five meets during the season, including the West Central Conference North Division Meet Oct. 20, Bauer had trouble at the Section 5A Meet Oct. 29 at Pierz. He finished seventh to qualify for the state meet but his time was 17:22.20, his slowest of the year.
The late-season fatigue carried over to the state meet where his time was 17:19.5, nearly a minute slower than his 10th-place time of 16:34 last year.
“When the track season ended last spring I went right into training for cross country,” said Bauer, who competed in the 3,200-meter run at the state meet. “Looking back, I should’ve taken a couple of weeks off to let my body rest.
“I think I peaked in cross country just over halfway through the season. My legs started to give out a little at the conference meet and then got worse at the section and state meets. Against that kind of competition at state you have to be at your best and I wasn’t.”
Bauer ran with the leaders for the first 1,000 meters of Saturday’s race and was in third place for a while.
“I was near the front but I could feel my legs were already starting to burn,” he said. “You start to think ‘why won’t my legs go faster?’ and they just won’t.
“Then, it starts to become a mental thing when runners start passing you...that’s an awful feeling and it’s something new for me.”
About 100 meters from the finish line on the state course there’s a steep hill that tests the strength and grit of the runners.
“Last year I passed a couple of runners on that hill but this year some runners passed me,” said Bauer, who nearly passed out at the finish line. “Looking back, though, I’m very happy I was able to compete at two state meets. I had a great time and I’ve got a lot of good cross country memories.”
“Austin is a terrific runner who leaves his mark on Milaca’s program,” said Milaca Coach Joe Wildman. “He has tremendous dedication.
“What’s really neat about Austin is that he excels as an athlete, a musician and in the classroom. He’s so well rounded.
“We all wanted his final cross country race to go better for him but, things like that happen. He proved over the last two years that he was among the state’s top runners.”
Bauer plans to take a couple of weeks off, then start to prepare for the track season.
“I need a little rest but I’m looking forward to the track season,” he said.
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Sophomore Mubarik Musa of Worthington won the Class A boys race in 16:01.8 while senior Paul Koullick of Blake was second in 16:19.3. Grant Wintheiser of St. Cloud Cathedral led Section 5A runners as he placed eighth in 16:42.6.
Plainview-Elgin Millville won the boys Class A team title with a score of 100, just ahead of Perham which finished at 102.
Section 5A champion Cathedral placed third at 110 while 5A runner-up Mora was 15th with a score of 318.
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