By Ken Hansard
Inspired by a family loaded with athletes who have competed at high levels, Baxter Springs Lions junior cross country runner Bailey Campbell states, “I think I was born with the love of sports and competition! I’ve grown up in a world of sports.” Campbell’s uncle was a Kansas 6A cross country champ. Her grandfather was a football National Champion for the 1961 Pittsburg State Gorillas. Her mother and father, and her brother – all athletes and sports enthusiasts. So, it is little wonder that Bailey is now carving out a name for herself.
Campbell, the only female runner for Baxter Springs, has cut nearly six minutes off her times from her sophomore year. As a junior this past season, she ran a personal best time of 21:49 at Richmond, and she finished in the 21-to-22-minute range in most meets. That was good enough for her to qualify for the 3A state meet and to put her near the top half of the field. She ran a time of 22:42 at Rim Rock, placing 66th out of 108 runners. “I was ranked 88th in 3A going into the state competition, so I’m not unhappy with my overall performance.”
Campbell has her sights set on even bigger things for her senior year, but she knows that she will need to continue to push towards her new marks, “My goal for senior year is to run 18 – 19 minutes. I know I have to keep putting in the work and maintain a positive mindset.”
Campbell’s attitude towards her goalsetting exemplifies the type of mindset that one would expect to see from a runner who grew up in a family of athletes. Rather than setting a lot of outcomes-based goals, she has consistently strived for those that focus on the process of improvement, “My main goal is to be better than I was yesterday. Cross country is a sport where you are competing against yourself to be better every day. I am constantly trying to make myself and others around me better. It’s all about consistency and having a positive mindset.”
In the end, Campbell just wanted to give credit to those around her for her success, “Being the only girl on our team has challenged me to be better and stronger. My parents, my brother, my uncle and grandpa, my coaches – they have all encouraged and inspired me, and they really made a big impact on my life.”
Along with running cross country for the Lions, Bailey is also quite active in other sports and in campus life. She plays basketball and runs track and field. She also participates in Baxter Spring’s Leo Club, the Key Club, and FCA.
After high school, Bailey would like to enroll at Pittsburg State University with current plans to major in exercise science.
