As promised in today’s Enterprise-Record, here is the entire transcript of my sit-down with Scott Bauhs and Gary Towne regarding Bauhs’ completion of his Chico State career and transition to his professional one. Consider this his “exit interview” with both the Chico E-R and The Litter Box.

I don’t honestly feel like rehashing all the wonderful things Bauhs has done since he’s been here; luckily, the fine folks at Chico State have provided it for us here. You’ll need a PDF reader to check it out, and you can change that first entry to “won second national title.”

The Litter Box: As far as athletically, there obviously have been big moments for you in your time at Chico State. What stands out to you the most when you look back?
Scott Bauhs: Really it’s kind of the whole experience. It’s not just one thing, not just running. There have been classes I really enjoyed, I’ve met a lot of people and new friends. I was one of those stubborn high school kids that didn’t believe he’d ever need to make friends after high school, but Chico’s been a really great place to do it.

TLB: You’re probably used to this one by now, but looking at what you’ve done, you could probably have picked any college. Why Chico State?
SB: (Laughs) Yeah, I get asked this more than anything. The way I was recruited had a lot to do with it. The way I saw it was that when I was finishing high school, I had a lot of potential that people were just starting to see. Gary was a coach who was building a program with a lot of potential. I liked the chance to build something. Once we got together, we started to flourish, and I guess I just saw that as really appealing.
And there’s more to it than that. I mean, Chico’s really comfortable. As a runner, it has what you need, but more importantly, it doesn’t have stuff you don’t need. A lot of D-I schools try to lure you in with that stuff. There’s no beautiful facilities here, no ridiculous equipment or budgets. It’s just a place where it’s easy to get back to basics and get yourself into a good rhythm.

TLB: Gary, how did that rank as one of your selling points?
Gary Towne: Well, continuity is huge in our sport. So that was a factor for him. We also have (Bidwell Park), which is a good training place for us. I think the biggest thing was that he could have an impact here. You look at it and obviously the numbers and the crazy stats are there, but there are quite a few ways he’s impacted the program. The sense of community here is a big draw too, and I think he’s won a lot of people over to our program.

TLB: How would you describe Chico State distance running pre- and post-Scott?
GT: It’s hard to say exactly how much he’s changed it here, other than “a lot.” The publicity he’s garnered has been incredible, but I think the thing that really stands out is how he’s impacted our team. He’s inspired other athletes with his consistent approach, how he takes advantage of his opportunities, how he goes about his preparation, and he never limits the realm of what he can do. It sets a standard for everybody who thinks about coming here. Right now, we’re having a huge recruiting year. We’ve had success previously before Scott, but he’s made us that much more attractive.

TLB: Scott, you went through an entire season of cross country without not taking first in a race. That’s pretty unbelievable. When you look back on your accomplishments, what are your thoughts?
SB: My results are something I’m proud of, but it doesn’t guarantee anything for my next race. All I can do is run the best I can each time out. It’s a cycle. I always try to forget my last race as soon as I wake up the next day.

TLB: So you don’t really let any pressure to maintain momentum carry over?
SB: Every race is a learning experience. It’s been awhile since I haven’t won a race, but I don’t look at it that way. I don’t think of five straight wins, or whatever it is; I think of one win, five times. No race is going to be the same as the last one, so one awful race should be just one awful race. The same thing if it’s a race you win. You can’t expect that it will carry over; there’s no real momentum.
Because of that, you don’t have too much pressure. I at least don’t put pressure on myself. All I can do is put myself in the best position to succeed and stay relaxed.
GT: Yeah, there’s not a lot of carry-over in his races, honestly. He had a bad race in the Olympic trials, and I think a lot of people were thinking it was pressure. But it was more physiological than anything else. It was a long year of running. He was taking every race he could.

TLB: You hear a lot about the “mental” aspect of running. Is there something different about Scott in that regard?
GT: He’s one of those few athletes who can give you more than what he’s capable of. He’ll go substantially faster than you think he can, or that he thinks he can. It’s just a trait that very few people can do. It’s not coachable and it’s a huge reason for his success. Some say that running is 90 percent mental, but to be consistent at the running aspect alone, to do it that fast, is really challenging, regardless of how mentally prepared you are.
SB: I guess it’s something that comes naturally to me. It’s not something I think about. I’ve always seemed to have races that don’t make sense based on my workouts. Like, before our races, to find out what kind of shape we’re in, we have “indicator” workouts and time our splits. Then in races, I’ll hit my splits too fast, but I’ll be able to hold it. It’s not always logical.

TLB: Is that how it was in the (NCAA Division II) championships? I couldn’t make it out to Pennsylvania to see.
SB: Pretty much. I just went into it like any other race, with a goal to accomplish, a job to get done. I had a very pragmatic approach to it. I didn’t imagine taking control like I did, but the guy I imagined being my main competition got out hard with me. I noticed he was laboring — a lot. I was able to keep it up and he wasn’t, and pretty soon I was all by myself. I could have held back, but then it changes the race to a tactical one. It’s not that I don’t think I can win in a tactical race, but why chance it? Like I said, it seemed like even though my pace was too fast to start, I kept it up.

TLB: There is a good deal of athletes within the Chico State program that are top Division II talents, and certainly they help with the program’s reputation. Do you see yourself as the headliner, or is this a program that can promote itself on a team-based level?
SB: I think Gary does a great job of that, actually. Yes, our results do speak for themselves, but Gary promotes the program a lot. He likes to write, and he has this e-mail newsletter that goes out to a ton of people. I mean, it’s just this gigantic list that gets notes from Gary about upcoming races and stuff. (Litter Box note: That list is comprised of 461 recipients, and Towne’s prose usually highlights every Wildcat runner in the race. He does previews, as well as recaps. Very helpful for reporter types...) Anybody who’s remotely interested in us gets it and it gets them excited to follow us. For something that’s that small to do, and completely free, makes a huge difference. My mile earlier this year drew a ton of people (2,500, approximately) because Gary kept pumping it up and putting stuff out about it. It probably would have gotten about a quarter of that without him.

TLB: Scott, what differences do you see in the program since you started as a freshman?
SB: It’s funny, but I almost feel like I’m the “star quarterback” at Chico. Maybe it’s because we don’t have a football team. It would be impossible for me to have the same experience I’ve had if we did have one. That’s another reason I like it here, is that there’s the chance for people to follow us. Our baseball team gets a lot of attention, and even our basketball team, when they’re doing amazing, is kind of the big deal on campus. But I think about one in 10 people I come across recognize me and can talk about the running teams a little bit, and it’s pretty cool. I’m still not used to it.
GT: It’s pretty amazing to see the name he’s made for himself.

TLB: How much do you see Chico in your future after you finish up next week?
SB: Well, my girlfriend Audrey’s here for another year and a half, so coming back is kind of unavoidable ... But I want to come back and visit as much as I can, come back and get in some races here. Chico’s been a great place for me.
I still consider the Bay Area (Bauhs is from Danville) home, and it’s a bigger market to sell myself. I’m interested in trying to expand and build running in the East Bay, almost like rebuilding a connection to it. Obviously my parents are still there, but it’s also a great place to run. I can expand opportunities for that kids have coming out of school there.

TLB: It seems natural. A lot of the success you’ve had has come in that area. It seems like you had the half-marathon in San Jose and pretty soon it took off right away.
SB: I know, it’s funny. It’s kind of ridiculous, if you look at the (personal records) I’ve set in the Silicon Valley, between all the San Jose races and the Stanford Invitationals. It always seems like when I go to San Jose there’s good weather. That’s another reason to get back to that area.

TLB: Gary, is Scott’s leaving as bittersweet for you as fans might think? I’m imagining this probably is a pretty proud time for the program.
GT: You’re always going to miss someone you’ve grown close to, but I’m more excited to see how he does than anything. He’s going to be surrounded by faster runners. It’s healthy to change, both for him and for us. You’ve got to shift some things around sometimes, get a fresh start, and I think that will be invigorating definitely for him, but also for our program. I’m excited for him. It’s sad to see him leave, but it’s not like we thought we’d have him forever.