The Black and White

by Ava Holland

When it comes to student athletes, few do it as well as Keaney Bayha. 

The Pilgrim senior participates in a whopping seven sports, from fall to spring— including field hockey, swim, cross country, indoor and outdoor track, and both unified volleyball and basketball — and has remained a consistent participant throughout all four years of her high school career. But although it’s clear she’s passionate about each and every one, she’s most easily personified by her love for running.

According to Bayha, she began running recreationally at age 3, an occurrence that felt natural considering her family’s deep history with the sport. She noted that both her parents, as well as her grandfather, coached at one point or another and added that her father ran in college, which contributed heavily to her decision to pursue the sport full-time.

“I always knew I was going to run,” she expressed.

In the fourth grade, she picked up competitive distance running, joining her first club team, and by the time she entered middle school, she’d developed a real passion for the sport and begun putting more time and effort into it— paving the way for her outstanding high school career, particularly in cross country, which has just come to a close this fall.

Bayha’s accolades this cross country season have been far from unpublished, but when asked herself about how her season went, she focused on the team.Yes, the season was good on an individual level, but she expressed that it was a positive experience for the team as a whole, calling it one of their “best years” as a collective.

The significance, to her, has come in the growth of the program. Her freshman year, she revealed, she was the only girl on the team— and now, three years later, they’re division runner-ups with four all-division members to their name. 

All-in-all, pride is a word that can be attached to the 2024 cross country season for her.

“I’m very happy, and I love those girls,” she exclaimed.

Bayha truly had a stand-out season finishing first at the state meet – a remarkable feat making her the first female athlete from Pilgrim to do so. She noted that after finishing the regular season out, going into the meet, one of her top priorities was to focus on reminding herself that she could only control herself. The mental aspect played a huge role in her preparation leading up to it. 

“I went into the race telling myself that I was going to run as tough and as fast as I could. You have to think a lot more in a race than people realize, ‘playing the game of racing’ as people say. If someone passes you, you can’t blow up or freak out, you have to react and counteract the move. I decided that I had to want it more,” she stated on the subject. And as far as the win itself goes, all there was to be said came in the form of pure happiness. It was an amazing accomplishment.

“I still don’t have real words for it. It just felt like all the hours and years had paid off. It was one of the best feelings ever,” she explained.

Bayha didn’t participate in New-Englands, instead opting to run in two additional regional meets at the end of November— but atop her state win and excellent season, she’s also recently announced her commitment to the University of Rhode Island, where she’ll be running cross country and track.

Not only does the school hold sentimental value to her through her family, but she also expressed that she loves the coach and the team, and that she “felt at home immediately on campus”.

“I love running, so the opportunity to continue just makes my heart happy,” she commented.

The impact of her participation as a runner is not at all lost on Pilgrim, and all of her admin, teaching staff, and fellow students are incredibly proud of her efforts.

As the indoor track season approaches, her next moves are greatly anticipated.