Baylor School runner Bill Matthews has aspirations to be the best.

It started with 17-18-mile runs at 6 a.m. in Birmingham during the summer, leading to the Tennessee Division II cross country state championship this fall.

After the 2009 track season, he’ll take his talent to another state and another level.

Matthews has committed to run cross country at the University of Georgia in 2009.

“I took my official visit there the week after the state championships,” he said. “I enjoyed the visit and I had a great connection with (Georgia coach) Jeff Pigg. Because of everything combined, I committed.

“I had taken two other official visits, so I was able to sit down, contrast the schools and make an educated decision. I really enjoyed my visit there and was comfortable with the guys.”

Matthews chose the Bulldogs over Georgetown, Virginia, Wisconsin and William and Mary. He mentioned that Pigg is going to come to Baylor to talk with Baylor coach Van Townsend about Matthews’ current training.

“The fact that Coach Pigg is willing to come here and talk about my training with Van tells me that he cares a lot about how I progress,” Matthews said. “I believe he cares about my development.”

Pigg’s Bulldogs finished 12th at the NCAA South Regional 10-kilometer race last week.

“I’m hoping to help the team qualify for the NCAA championships next year,” Matthews said.

He shook off injuries as a sophomore and a case of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever as a junior to have a standout senior season in which he won his last five meets. He set a course record of 15:32.44 in the A.F. Bridges Invitational at the site of the state meet. He also set a course record at the Great American Cross Country Festival in Hoover, Ala., running 15:34.30.

Although he doesn’t know where his next four cross country seasons will lead, he knows where he wants to end up.

“I plan to be at the Olympic trials in 2012 in Eugene, Oregon,” he said. “I want to get to that elite level and hopefully make the trials.”

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