ARCATA, Calif. — Chico State’s Scott Bauhs and Humboldt State’s Lizzy Prescott have been named 2007-08 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Male and Female Athletes of the Year, respectively, it was announced on Monday at the CCAA Executive Council Meetings in Arcata.
The award is voted on by the 11-member institutions’ Sports Information Directors at their annual meeting.
Both Bauhs and Prescott enjoyed remarkable seasons and made major impacts at the conference, regional and national levels.
A junior distance runner from Danville, Calif., Bauhs recently capped an outstanding season by claiming Division II All-American honors at the NCAA Championships after winning the 5,000 meter. He was named the 2008 NCAA Track and Field Athlete of the Year at the banquet before the National Championship meet began.
Entering the meet, Bauhs held the top Division II time in the 1,500, 5,000, and 10,000 meters, but choose to only compete in the 5,000 meter at the NCAA Championships. He also holds Olympic qualifying “A” standards in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters and will be going for a spot on the upcoming Olympic team.
Bauhs set the NCAA Division II record for the 10,000 meters at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford on May 5, running the fastest time for an American this year – 27:48.06 – and reaching the Olympic “A” standard. Bauhs' time is the ninth fastest ever by an NCAA athlete at any level, and the fourth fastest by an American NCAA athlete.
His 5,000 meter finish on April 18 at the Mt. SAC relays was the third fastest time ever by a Division II athlete and the fastest ever by an American. The time of 13:31.90 is also an Olympic Trials “A” standard.
Bauhs set two school records and improved on another this season. In the 1,500 he broke a Chico State record, which had stood since 1971. His school record in the 5,000 meters bettered the previous record by over 30 seconds and he also shaved another minute off his own previous school record in the 10,000 meters.
In addition to his NCAA accomplishments, Bauhs earned a spot on the US World Championship team after a tenth-place finish in the Men’s Open race at the 2008 USA Cross Country Championships held in San Diego in February. At 21 years old, he was the youngest athlete to make the nine-member team, which went on to represent the United States at the World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was the also the only collegiate runner to earn a spot.
In Scotland, Bauhs place 52nd in a field of nearly 200 at the World Cross Country Championships. His time of 37:15 in the 12-kilometer race was the fourth-best by an American and eighth-best by a non-African.
In April he became the 308th American to run a mile in under four minutes (3:59.81), a feat he accomplished in a featured race in front of an estimated 2,400 fans at Chico State’s University Stadium.
In November, Bauhs was one of six American runners selected by USA Track & Field to represent the United States at the Ekiden Relays in Chiba, Japan. He was the top American finisher (sixth overall) at the San Jose Half Marathon in October and posted the fastest time ever recorded by an American 21-years-old or younger (1:03.04).
Prescott, a senior from Castro Valley, Calif., capped a decorated four-year career by leading Humboldt State to its first-ever NCAA Division II national championship.
During the Lumberjacks’ run to the national title, Prescott pitched every inning of all four games at the tournament, including a 10-inning game and a 17-inning marathon. In all, she pitched 41 innings, posting a 4-0 record, allowing only one run while striking out 52 batters and walking none.
Prescott’s list of honors included National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA)/NCAA Division II first team All-American honors and West Region Pitcher of the Year; Daktronics third-team All-American and West Region Pitcher of the Year; NCAA Division II Softball Championships Tournament Most Valuable Player; and CCAA Pitcher of the Year and first team All-CCAA.
Prescott led the nation in strikeouts (452), innings pitched and victories (48) while pitching in an NCAA Division II record 63 games. Her 56 starts and wins total rank second on the NCAA single-season charts while her 410 innings pitched and 452 strikeouts rank third in NCAA history.
