Leo Grad Andy Bayer Running To The Top

CLICK ON THE VIDEO TABS FOR WANE'S STORY (CLIP 1), WANE'S COMPLETE INTERVIEW WITH ANDY BAYER (CLIP 2), AND A COMPLETE INTERVIEW WITH I.U. COACH RON HELMER (CLIP 3).

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WANE) - Leo high school graduate Andy Bayer will graduate from Indiana University as one of the most decorated athletes in the history of the track & field program. A distance runner, Bayer continues to add to his already impressive resume - a resume he hopes will include "2016 Olympian" when the Games take place in Rio.

Bayer, who recently upped his total of all-American honors to ten, is a four-time Big Ten champion. His biggest feat thus far is the 1,500 meter national championship he won last summer, beating BYU's Miles Batty by one-hundredth of a second. Bayer parlayed that performance into a fourth place finish as the U.S. Olympic trials in Oregon.

With the indoor season of his senior campaign now in the rearview, Bayer is focusing on finishing out his collegiate career with a stellar performance this spring in outdoor competition.

It has been a long but steady climb to the top for Bayer. As a senior at Leo he finished in just sixth place at the state cross country meet before winning the state title in the 3,200 meters that spring.

On a personal note, Bayer is engaged to Carroll high school graduate and former I.U. distance runner Chelsea Blanchard. They are to be married in October. Bayer is scheduled to earn his degree this spring with a major in biology and a double-minor in economics and chemistry.