Auburn Mountainview’s Seth Rumbaugh got his first taste of postseason track and field competition last year.

Rumbaugh, then a junior, placed sixth in the 800-meter run with a time of 1 minute, 58.96 seconds at the state 3A championship in Tacoma on May 30.

For Rumbaugh, the finish was just enough to whet his appetite and drive him this season.

“I came in this year and wanted to get at least a top three in state in the 800,” Rumbaugh said.

Two weekends ago, Rumbaugh accomplished his goal, taking home second place in the state 3A 800 with a 1:54.40. The finish in the 800, coupled with a 16th in the 1,600 and a third in the 1,600 relay, caps an impressive year for the Brigham Young

University-bound Rumbaugh.

“It’s been a pretty cool … (my) senior year really flew by,” he said.

This season Rumbaugh not only competed in the 3A state meet, but also performed along with the Auburn Mountainview cross country team in the state championships last fall where he was 73rd out of 137 runners, covering the 3.1-mile Pasco course in a time of 17:04.

For Rumbaugh, the season caps a career that began when he was just 9 years old.

“I’ve been running since the fourth grade,” Rumbaugh said. “I liked running as a little kid and in fourth grade I started doing parks and recreation running, then I did junior high and eventually high school.”

Rumbaugh said he knew early that he had a knack for the long distance events.

“I knew I was good because in elementary school when we would run the mile, I was always one of the first ones done,” he said.

According to Rumbaugh, part of the appeal of the distances is the solitary aspect of the race.

“I’m not a hardcore distance guy, like the two-mile guys, but I like a little bit of the solitary (nature of running),” Rumbaugh said. “I like the length of the (800) race. It’s not over so quick like the dashes.”

Rumbaugh said that he was happy with his performance at the state meet, despite struggling to overcome a fever as the race approached.

“At league, coach didn’t want me to run faster than I had to,” he said. “It was one of the first times I’ve had to run the 800 and mile together on the same day. She told me to run just fast enough to win. At districts, second day, I caught a bit of a fever so I didn’t run as good.”

However, plenty of rest and the opportunity to stay at his own house on the eve of the district meet, which shifted in Tacoma this year after a being held in Pasco in previous years.

“I got to sleep in my own bed so that was kind of nice,” Rumbaugh said. “I’d run there a couple of times before and I was used to it. It was cooler weather so it was nice. I think it was 75 degrees over here, in Pasco it would have been 95.”

Despite the individual accolades he garnered this season, Rumbaugh said the highlight of his year was the Auburn Mountainview relay team’s finish at the state meet.

“I guess it would have to being third in the relay team,” he said. “All year we had the goal to do really good at state.”

Rumbaugh, along with teammates Matt Gayman, Jarey Suiter and Vince Wagner, finished third in the relay with a time of 3:24.27.

Now, with the end of is high school days fast approaching, Rumbaugh – a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – said he’s preparing for the future.

“I’ll be leaving for my mission in September,” he said. “After that, I’m going to BYU and I’m going to try and walk on there for track.”

With a two-year break while he performs his mission for the church, Rumbaugh said he’s conscious of the need to keep in shape.

“I talked to one coach and he said it takes about six months to get back in shape after missing that much time,” he said. “I just have to make sure that I keep in shape.”

After that, it’s off to BYU where Rumbaugh said he plans to major in chemical engineering.

“My favorite subjects have been math and sciences,” he said. “I took chemistry last year and I really liked that.”

This summer Rumbaugh said he is going to relax and enjoy his final months before reporting to the missionary training center in Provo, Utah.

“I’m just going to enjoy it and start working and saving money for my college and mission,” he said.