- 2021 Spotlight
Personal Statement
Hi coaches and recruiters. My name is Paige Baker and my competitive racing career started with a goldfish named Mike. I started running in middle school but never took it seriously until there was an incentive. My parents promised that they would buy me a goldfish if I placed top ten at my next meet, so that’s exactly what my 6th grade self did.
I embraced competitive running and have been a varsity cross country runner at Olathe West High School since my freshman year. We were Kansas 6A State Runner-Up that year and I finished 45th. We have won three straight Kansas 6A State XC Championships since and I finished 22nd, 15th and 8th respectively. We won the 2021 Roy Griak Invitational and in 2022 we became the first Kansas girls' team to qualify for Nike Cross Nationals where we finished 16th out of 22 of the best cross teams in the nation. Nike Cross Nationals was such an incredible experience and an amazing ending to my high school cross country career.
Spring 2021 was my first high school track season due to COVID and I raced the 4x400m and 4x800m through nearly the entire season. Due to an injury, I was unable to compete in the 4x400m at State but raced on the 4x800m team and won gold in that event. Our 4x800m team also qualified for Nike Outdoor Nationals where we finished seventh out of sixteen incredibly competitive teams. Walking out onto the Hayward track was absolutely unforgettable.
The 2022 track season was continued forward progress as our 4x800m team set the Kansas State record, again earned the 4x800m State title and again qualified for Nike Outdoor Nationals. I was also on the State 4x400m runner-up team. We earned All-American designation at Nike Outdoor Nationals in both the 4x800m and the 4x1600m.
I will be a Class of 2023 graduate and I would love the opportunity to experience competitive collegiate cross country and track, but am most interested in joining a family-oriented team where I will have the opportunity to reach my full potential as a student as well as an athlete.
Thank you for your consideration, Paige.
