The Gavin Bathgate Story
If you have spent some time in Alfred, New York, chances are you've seen Gavin Bathgate running around town. He is almost impossible to miss, wearing an bright orange knitted hat on almost every run he takes. Gavin is graduating this semester with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He has been an extremely successful runner for Alfred State. Before his final conference championship run, he sat down to tell us some of his fondest memories, giving us a sneak peek on the kind of human and athlete he is.
First, the orange hat, assuming he wore it for a symbolic reason. As he started to explain "I wear it because it's bright and it's hunting season and we're in Alfred," quickly realizing it's just a safety precaution. Changing topics, he started to talk about what he thinks makes him a successful runner. As he started explaining his regime, he pulled out his cell phone, where every single run he has taken the past six years of his life is logged. He started by explaining his time commitment, at least 6 ½ hours a week is dedicated to running, not including practice time. On his own accord, a minimum of 56 miles a week is a religious commitment for Bathgate, sometimes going as high as 69 miles a week. So far this year, he has run a total of 2158 miles in 245 hours and 32 minutes. The consistent hard work has proven worth it, Bathgate's athletic accolades are nothing short of extraordinary:
9x AMCC Runner of the week
3x All Conference AMCC XC
2x AMCC XC Champion
2x AMCC Runner of the Year
CSAC Champion 3000m Steeplechase, 5000m, 10,000m (2x)
5x All Conference CSAC Outdoor Track & Field
Rankings (Alfred State):
#5 All Time Indoor 3.000m
#2 All Time Indoor 5,000m
#8 All Time 3000m Steeplechase
#7 All Time 5,000m Outdoor
#7 All-Time 10,000m Outdoor
Coach Tim Giagios explains what Gavin Bathgate has done in propelling the program over the years. "Since taking over this program, Gavin has been a cornerstone of consistency. It's not easy coaching a team half-way through a year and then through a pandemic, but with a person like Gavin, it does make it a lot more manageable. The other coaches and I can regularly count on him to lead our distance crew and help hold everyone accountable. The increasing success of this program would not be possible without Gavin taking on such a strong leadership role."
Apart from his accolades and weekly regimen, his memories as an Alfred State College Pioneer are just as important to him. One of his fondest came last indoor-track season. During a 5k race at Brockport Gavin Bathgate ran a 15:44.14, notching him 5 place all time on the Alfred State list. Former Alfred State cross country/ track & field coach Gavin Moore was present for that event. Bathgate's father ran under Coach Moore when he was a Pioneer. Gavin Bathgate plans to keep running after leaving Alfred State. He is training to run the Corning Wine Glass marathon soon; and will begin training to qualify for the Boston Marathon in the next few years. This weekend he will be competing at the AMCC Cross Country Championships, looking to win his third year in a row. Sealing the three-peat would be a perfect ending, to an already storied college athletic career.
Gavin Bathgate has exemplified what it means to be an Alfred State Pioneer in his time on campus. Continuously working to achieve more than the year before and striving to quite literally "hit the ground running."
