A local elite distance runner has made his college decision.
Bellefontaine cross country and track standout Hayden Maus recently signed his letter of intent with Ohio Northern University, officially continuing his running career at the next level.
Maus was joined by family, teammates, and coaches during the signing ceremony held in the Sloan Distance Learning Center at Bellefontaine High School.
He chose Ohio Northern because of its strong engineering program and his connection with the cross country and track programs. His father also serves as the men’s and women’s cross country and track coach at ONU.
“I chose Ohio Northern because it checked all the boxes,” Maus said. “I wanted a smaller school with a great engineering program, and Ohio Northern ranks 12th in the nation for engineering. Visiting ONU felt like home, and I have a great relationship with the team and the coaching staff as well.”
“There is a rare trait in certain runners that can be hard to find, and it’s not being afraid to make it hurt. To reach the higher level, you need to learn to love the pain, and that’s what really stood out to them.”
“It feels very rewarding to be able to solidify my future with a great program and to display my hard work. College running has been a goal of mine since the beginning of my career. It’s every athlete’s dream to compete at the next level, and I’m very excited to see what I can do and how I can improve.”
“My goals would be to break school records at ONU, compete in multiple national meets, and possibly leave college as a national champion.”
Maus has put together a standout career at Bellefontaine High School. He is a 2-time CBC champion in cross country, 3200-meter CBC champion in track, and holds the school 5K record with a time of 15:33. He also earned All-Ohio honors in cross country (15th place finish) and All-Ohio honors in indoor track in the 3200 meters (4th at state), while qualifying for indoor nationals in the 3200 meters. Maus is also a four-time First-Team All-CBC selection in cross country.
Academically, Maus has maintained a 4.1 GPA and plans to study mechanical engineering at Ohio Northern.
Longtime Bellefontaine coach Ben Davis praised Maus for his development.
“Hayden had some talent in middle school, but really excelled in high school because of his exceptional work ethic,” Davis said.
Maus is the son of Jason and Lindsey Maus.
