(Greenfield) Josh Baudler’s goal this season is to be an All-American.
The former Nodaway Valley Wolverine state champ is entering his sophomore cross country season at Southwestern Community College in Creston. “I kind of had that goal last year, but I didn’t quite get there. I think this year I’ll have things a little more figured out and can get closer. So we’ll see how that plays out. This year we’ve got quite a bigger team also. Coach and I have talked and we have some pretty big goals for the team.”
Last season he placed 37th at the national meet and the top 25 are considered All-Americans. He ran 27:10 and thinks he’ll need to be under 26:00 this year to reach his goal. “Mid to low 25’s I’m guessing so it’ll be quite a jump, but we’ll see if I can get there and stay healthy. That’ll be the main thing is staying healthy.”
Baudler admits going from a 5K in high school to an 8K in college was a big adjustment and one he didn’t necessarily like. “As we jumped into 8K’s I would be a little timid to go out faster. I was trying to save myself. The coaches kept telling me you just have to go out fast and trust in yourself to hang on. I finally kind of did that the last two and it worked alright. I’ll kind of play with that this year.”
His summer training has included increased mileage and some time in the weight room. “I’m farther ahead now than I was a year ago. I know what to expect this year…A year of experience will go a long way for me I think.”
The roster size has more than doubled from last season and their goal this year it to be a top ten team. Baudler was also a national qualifier last spring in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, and event he says he really came to enjoy late in the season.
