The state’s returning Gatorade Player of the Year, the 6-foot-1, 147-pound senior won the national NXN Final this past season with a time of 15:28.1, breaking the tape 2.5 seconds ahead of his next-closest competitor in becoming the state’s first prep distance national champion in history. Vause raced to a second-place finish at the NMAA Class 5A state meet, leading the Rams to the team championship. He clocked a personal-best of 14:30.2 last fall when he took bronze at the NXN Southwest Regional.
Vause has maintained a 4.17 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a written letter of athletic aid to run at Brigham Young University this fall.
Vause has volunteered locally on behalf of his church youth group as well as the Big Event, New Mexico’s largest community service project for neighbors in need. He has also donated his time to RunFit road races in the area. In addition, he works as a swim instructor at the Rio Rancho Aquatic Center twice a week.
