Aug. 29, 2001
EVANSTON, Ill. - New Northwestern women's cross country coach Amy Tush completed her staff by naming Beth Bayser as her assistant coach.
"Beth will be an asset to our team," said Tush. "Her collegiate success and post-collegiate running experience will give our team the edge that we need to accomplish our goals. I am very excited to have her on board."
After graduating from Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill., in 1999, Bayser began her coaching career at high school summer camps at Wake Forest University and Butler University. She has also worked for four years at the Sub5 Nike Camp as an assistant coach.
"I am extremely excited about being a part of Northwestern cross country," said Bayser. "This is a wonderful opportunity for me to get back into collegiate running. I am passionate about the sport and feel I have a lot to add to the program."
A seven-time All-America at Lewis, Bayser missed the 2000 Olympic Trials in the 800-meter run by eight-tenths of a second. She holds five outdoor and four indoor track records at Lewis, and was part of a cross country team that placed second and third at the NCAA Division II Championships.
Among her many honors, Bayser was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Student-Athlete of the Year in 1999, the U.S. Track Coaches Association Indoor National Athlete of the Year in 1998, and All-GLVC team eight times. She won the 800 meter run at the Drake Relays in 1998 and 1999, and was part of Lewis teams that won the cross country conference championships twice. The Flyers also won three outdoor track conference championships during her tenure.
Academically, Bayser was named Verizon Academic All-American three times and was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. She deferred the scholarship to join the Nike Athletics America organization as its first female member. The program, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., is recognized as an Olympic development program.