Former Mustangs headline local contingent entered in U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials

A strong contingent of runners with local ties will represent Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo County this weekend at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Los Angeles.

Seven men from the Central Coast, including five former Mustangs, will approach the starting line around 10 a.m. Saturday with an opportunity to wear the United States’ uniform during the Olympic Marathon in Rio de Janeiro in August.

USA Track & Field’s final entry list includes a field of 211 men and 246 women who qualified for Saturday’s race. The 26.2-mile course will differ from the popular Los Angeles Marathon — which is slated for Sunday — and consists of one 2.2-mile loop, followed by four six-mile loops, primarily along South Figueroa Street.

Former Cal Poly standouts Ben Bruce, Ryan Cosens, Sean Davidson, Chris Frias and Phillip Reid are all scheduled to compete. Ex-Cuesta College runner and Los Osos native Sergio Reyes also qualified, along with San Luis Obispo resident Scott Bauhs.

Davidson set the Big West Conference record in the 10,000 meters as a senior at Cal Poly in 2014. Frias was the Big West Cross Country Athlete of the Year in 2012 and 2013, and he went on to win the conference’s track athlete of the year award in 2014.

Davidson, Frias, Reid and Bauhs train locally with the Asics Aggies Running Club, which is coached by Running Warehouse owner Joe Rubio. Rubio competed in the Olympic Marathon Trials in 1992 and 1996, and he has been coaching the Aggies for the past decade.

Though there isn’t much marathon experience among the Aggies contingent, Rubio said he considers Reid and Bauhs two of the best runners in California with “pretty good shots of making the team.”

“The thing with Scott and Phil,” Rubio said, “they both know how to compete.”

Veteran runner Jameson Mora ran a qualifying time as well, but had to withdraw from the event because of an injury. Former Boston University All-American Andrea Walkonen, who trains in San Luis Obispo, will compete in the women’s race that begins shortly after the men’s.

Bauhs is arguably the most decorated of the group, having participated on World Championship teams throughout his professional career. A Chico State graduate, Bauhs was the youngest American to complete both the 4-minute mile and a 28-minute 10,000-meter run.

He’s been working under Rubio at Running Warehouse for the past two years, a position that allows adequate freedom and flexibility to focus on training. Bauhs qualified for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials by completing a half marathon in Houston on Jan. 17, finishing in 1 hour, 2 minutes, 23 seconds, which stands as the fifth-fastest among 125 qualifiers at that distance.

“One thing that’s kind of nice about the Olympic Trials is that, really, the objective is to just beat as many people as you can,” Bauhs said. “You kind of throw any sort of time goals out the window, and especially now that it’s going to be pretty hot there.”

Temperatures are expected to be in the 80s on Saturday, adding another wrinkle to an already tense competition. The two early favorites in the men’s race are considered to be defending champion and 2014 Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi, and Dathan Ritzenhein, who finished second at the 2008 trials.

Distance specialist Galen Rupp, who won a silver medal at the London Olympics in the 10,000, also is entered and expected the challenge for a top-three finish.

“The only bigger stage that exists outside of the World Championships is the Olympics,” Bauhs said. “So, I’m not a favorite or anything, but I’m definitely going in there with the goal of trying to make the Olympics.”

Reid, a two-time All-American at Cal Poly in 2006 and 2007, enters Saturday’s race with a qualifying time in the half marathon of 1:03:32.

Bruce, who runs for Northern Arizona Elite in Flagstaff, is known more for his performances in the steeplechase. He earned All-American honors in the event as a Mustang, and finished fifth at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore.

He still brings in the eighth-fastest qualifying time in the half marathon.

For Frias and Davidson, both relatively green in the professional running ranks, Saturday will offer an exciting new experience against the top runners in the country. Frias said his typical training week consists of roughly 95 miles and two scheduled workouts with the Aggies mixed in.

“Ever since I graduated college, I was thinking about going to the trials,” Frias said.

“Originally I wanted to go in the 10K — and I still have that opportunity — but I thought if I could train with these guys and have a shot at going in the marathon, then I might as well try it.”

Davidson will make his marathon debut Saturday.

Running the distance for the first time in his career, Davidson said he’s going to keep his expectations grounded and work to “pick off as many people as I can in the race.”

Coaches have always told the 24-year-old Davidson he improves in races as the mileage goes up, and he’s inclined to believe them as he prepares for his first appearance at the Olympic Trials.

“I think that it’s a stepping stone more than anything,” Davidson said. “It’s a stepping stone into getting experience with races where you have the most elite runners competing against each other.

“To be a part of that it something special.”

This story was originally published February 12, 2016 at 1:53 PM with the headline "Former Mustangs headline local contingent entered in U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials."