Staying on the run
JACKSON TWP — Cam Stauffer might decide to run to Duquesne University for freshman orientation.
The Seneca Valley High senior and resident of Harmony recently made a verbal commitment to attend the school to run cross country, indoor and outdoor track.
He will receive a scholarship to do so and will focus on distance events in both indoor and outdoor track.
Stauffer also considered Penn State and Boston College before settling on Duquesne, also a Division I program in the aforementioned sports.
"Duquesne is close to home and they have a strong business management and finance program, which is what I'll be majoring in," Stauffer said.
Though he has been running competitively since the eighth grade, the seed for Stauffer's success was planted long before that.
"I had always enjoyed running," he said. "I joined the high school teams just to see where it went.
"Cross country is my forte," Stauffer added. "It's the more tactical of the three sports and I like the different courses you see, as opposed to running around in a circle with track."
That is not to say he hasn't had success with all three.
Aside from lettering in all three sports since he joined the varsity squads during his freshman year, he's got plenty of hardware to go with them.
As a junior, he placed fourth in WPIAL Class AAA in both the cross country championships and the 1,600 meter run in spring track.
Last fall, he was second in the WPIAL in cross country and was named Butler County Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year for the second straight season. He also holds several SV indoor and outdoor track records.
He's currently ranked fifth in the state in the 3,000-meter run (9 minutes, 4 seconds) heading into this weekend's Tri-State Indoor Championships at Slippery Rock University.
The event will include athletes from 76 high schools in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.
After that, it's on to the Pennsylvania state championships in State College Feb. 21, for which Stauffer has already qualified in the 3,000 event.
"My biggest frustration is getting him to slow down," said SV indoor track coach Scott Zeckzer. "He has an impeccable work ethic and it is a blessing to work with a kid like that."
In addition to his desire to succeed at an individual level, Stauffer's drive also includes team-minded motives.
"I feel I let the team down if I don't fulfill my standards," Stauffer said. "I've always felt that way."
