Hall of Fame
Gerald (Jerry) P. Baile Crouse was a standout four-year member of the Bridgewater College cross country and track & field teams, leaving behind a legacy that continues through today.
Crouse paved the way for the men’s cross country team from 1976-78 as he earned All-ODAC honors all three seasons. In 1978, he won the ODAC individual championship with a time of 26:07 to lead the Eagles to a third-place finish overall and claimed ODAC Runner of the Year laurels. He became the first member of the BC cross country program to earn Runner of the Year accolades, and the first member to qualify for the NCAA Championship race multiple times (1976, 1978). During his senior year, he won the NCAA Division III Southeast Regional individual championship and went on to place 70th in the national contest out of nearly 250 runners.
In addition to his standout performances during the 1978 season, Crouse placed inside the top five in the 1976 and 1977 ODAC races, which propelled Bridgewater to second place in each year. Crouse’s top time in the 8K (24:58.00) remains the third-fastest in program history and remains one of just four runners to garner at least three All-ODAC honors for the team.
Also a star for the track & field team, Crouse was a member of the 1978 and 1979 ODAC champion squads. His times in the 2-mile (9:29.00) and 3-mile (14:45.00) runs ranks fifth and second, respectively, in the program record books, and his 5000m time (15:24.7) remains in the top 10 for the school over 40 years later. Crouse was a part of the 4x1-mile relay squad that set a school record (18:04) in 1976.
Since leaving Bridgewater, Crouse and his spouse, Rebecca Baile Crouse have served as co-pastors of the Antioch Church of the Brethren in Rocky Mount, VA, as mission coordinators in the Dominican Republic for the Church of the Brethren General Board, and as bi-vocational members of the pastoral team for the Warrensburg Church of the Brethren in Warrensburg, Missouri. In addition, Crouse was a counselor at Warrensburg High School for twelve years and has served as the assistant cross country coach for seven seasons with the Tigers.
In recognition of his outstanding performances as a student-athlete, Jerry Crouse is worthy of induction into the Bridgewater College Athletic Hall of Fame.
