In a year where Austin Bussing is attempting feats he once couldn't envision, the Katy Taylor senior adopted a different approach on one of the season's biggest stages.

At the 57th Annual Texas Southern University Relays two weeks ago, Bussing and coach Chad Collier discussed Bussing running a "tactical mile," one in which he would concentrate on positioning in hopes of a high finish.

The result was what Bussing considered arguably his best race of the season. He won the mile in 4:24.38 and took third in the 800-meter run (1:58.6), reinforcing himself as one of the area's strongest distance runners in his first season attempting the 1,600 and 3,200.

"Sometimes I have a bad habit of getting to the outside," Bussing said. "That's not always bad but I've had coaches tell me I have to get to the center for the last 200 meters. If I'm inside by then, I can go for the win in the last 200. And that's what I tried to do."

Bussing doesn't need a victory to consider a race a success. He ran a personal-best 4:24.04 in the mile at the stacked Seven Lakes Invitational in early March and placed fourth.

At the same meet, he ran a PR of 9:29.41 in the two-mile - the second-best time in the region.

His efforts haven't gone unnoticed. Bussing said Wednesday night that he'd told the University of Kansas to send him a letter of intent and he is "99 percent sure" he will sign to run with the Jayhawks.

Bussing was mostly a middle-distance runner before his strong 2007 cross country season, when he placed 10th at regionals and finished the state meet in 17 minutes. That success prompted consideration of bumping up to the mile and two-mile.

"Since I had a strong cross country season I'd been considering it," Bussing said. "I'll run where coach (Collier) wants me to run and where the team needs me. I saw potential in running the mile and two-mile. I never wanted to run the two-mile because I figured eight laps around the track would be unbearable, but my first time doing it I realized the race was less intense and more relaxed."

As far as Collier was concerned, the decision meshed with Bussing's personality.

"I saw him at the district cross country meet (last fall) and I learned right away that he's a competitor," Collier said. "He's always dependable in a clutch situation. You look at how competitive our district is, and Austin is always right there."

Buoyed by Bussing among several other veterans, Taylor could compete for the 18-5A championship in the district meet later this month at Cinco Ranch.

Senior Cullen Tabody set a school record of 10.64 in the 100 and anchors the 4-by-100 and 4-by-200 relays. The latter relay, with Tabody, Blake Peters, Taylor Dinson and John Lattal is in the top three in the district.

Senior David McKenzie is vaulting up to 15-feet-9 in the pole vault.

The district meet, originally scheduled for this week, will be the third week of April.

"We're strong on leadership," Collier said. "They have chances to do great things (at every meet). We have a strong district and I hope we have a chance to surprise some people."

EDITOR'S NOTE: Photos for this story were provided by the Bussing family.

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