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LEHIGH VALLEY WEATHER

Bauer chooses Broncs

PRESS PHOTO BY NANCY SCHOLZSalisbury's Lindsay Bauer signs a letter of intent to attend and compete in track and field at Rider University. Bauer was accompanied at the signing ceremony by family members (from right to left) Ron Bauer, Keith Bauer, Lucas Bauer, Debbie Bauer and Helen Farrell.

It may have only been an unofficial visit this past summer, but there was a moment when Lindsay Bauer stepped on Rider University’s campus that all but sealed the deal.

“I told my parents right then and there in the bookstore, ‘I’m done. I don’t want to look anywhere else. I really like it here,’” said Bauer. “But they told me that I needed to keep an open mind and explore other places just to check things out.”

Shortly after, Bauer took an official visit to the University of Pittsburgh as well as a trip back to Lawrenceville in New Jersey for an official trip to Rider. She also had the University of Delaware and Penn State University near the top of her short list for college choices.

But it all came back to Rider, one of the first schools she visited when narrowing down her choices. The Salisbury senior made her decision final on November 12 when she signed a national letter of intent to continue her career as a member of the Broncs.

“I absolutely loved the coaches and team,” said Bauer, who received an athletic scholarship and will compete at the NCAA Division I level. “Coach [Brett] Harvey genuinely cares about me as an athlete and student, and that’s something that means a lot. He made me feel both wanted and needed on the team, so we already have some big goals set for my next four years there.”

She will compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) after her final season at Salisbury.

Bauer, who has collected dozens of medals throughout her high school, captured a total of five gold and three silver at leagues and districts last season. She medaled in both the long jump (third) and triple jump (eighth) at the PIAA Track and Field Championships.

One of the biggest differences between Rider and her other top choices was the school’s enrollment numbers. Unlike the massive population at Penn State, or the tens of thousands at Pitt and Delaware, Rider’s enrollment is just over 4,100 undergraduate students,.

Naturally, there were thoughts about what her college years would have looked like at one of those bigger universities.

“I wouldn’t say it was [a] tough [decision],” Bauer said. “I just started over-thinking. Like anyone, I got a little caught up in the obvious excitement of going to a bigger school. I got to see the Pitt vs. Notre Dame [football] game. But Rider just has everything I want, and now that things have finally calmed down, I definitely know I made the right decision.”

The fact that Rider recently added Bauer’s major of choice (health sciences) made the decision easier. And with it being roughly an hour and a half away, it was the perfect distance many college students look for.

“That for sure played a part in my decision,” Bauer said. “I didn’t want to be too close to home, but I didn’t want to be extremely far either. So I think the hour and a half drive is the perfect happy medium.

“I also wanted my parents, friends and other family members to have the opportunity to come visit and continue to watch me compete. They’ve been my support system throughout everything, and I wouldn’t be where I am without them.”

As a junior, Bauer set the highest mark of a female in Lehigh Valley history in the long jump with a 19-2 at the Allentown School District Invitational. She also recorded a mark of 37-10 in the triple jump last spring, the eighth-best mark ever in the region. She holds six different school records at Salisbury.

Bauer started receiving letters and emails shortly after her successful run at states as a sophomore. Since then, she’s had plenty of colleges interested in her talents.

“I’ve actually kept all of the letters because it was such a long road, and it’s just amazing to see how many schools were interested in me,” Bauer said.