Track and Field Blogs - Scott Bauhs

I don't really want to get too in depth with this but I figured I'd go on the record (or whatever posting a blog is) in saying that I had a relatively bad experience with John Chaplin last year.

I believe I was the 21st athlete in the 5000 last year in a race where they said they were going to allow 18 athletes. I was hoping a few athletes would scratch the 5000 since the 10000 was the day before but since they didn't really have any reason to scratch they didn't bother just incase they wanted to run the race the next day, but it was obvious that a few of them probably wouldn't show up so I called every number that I could find in the USATF website to try to get in. I got a hold of a few people but the only one with any real power was John Chaplin and he told me that he didn't care how many people were in the 5k and that his decision was final. He said that he cares about the development of athletes but that the USA championships is not the place for it and he said that there is a petition process and that people can file a petition based on anything they want. Matt Gabrielson and Gilliat Ghebrey apparently new about this petition process because they were mysteriously added to the field despite Thomas Morgan, Stephen Haas and myself being ahead of Ghebrey and more runners ahead of Matt. I don't want to blame the athletes for what they did because they should do whatever they can to get into the race but the process was certainly suspect. Needless to say Morgan, Haas and I were upset and we continued to complain to anyone that would listen. The morning of my race I got a call from Jim Estes letting me know that I was in the race and to go pick up my packet. I then got last place....

I intended to write letters to key people in the USATF after that process to complain and ask them to change their ways, but out of laziness I just tried to put it past me and make sure that this year I wouldn't let myself in a similar situation and make sure I was automatically qualified for the field. Last years experience was a great learning experience and a big motivator for me this year, Chaplin may not believe in the USA championships as a developmental race but when it is all said and done I'm pretty sure that I will see last years race as a key part of my development.

I learned last year that its not necessarily how fast you are but who you know. I also learned this at the first Stanford Invite, Mt. Sac and the Pre-Pre meet where I was put in B sections of races where I probably warranted being in the top section. Now I am fast enough not to worry about it which I am incredibly thankful for but I hope that within my career I can see things change and I can see the sport I love become at least a little less political. Last year is in the past and I am new and improved but the sport of Track and Field still has the same problems. The USATF certainly isn't blameless but these problems exist on all levels of the sport. The USATF does a lot of good things and there are a lot of good people in the USATF but some people are just stuck in old ways.