Senior spotlight: Baileigh Johnson hits right stride with cross-country team
NEILLSVILLE - Baileigh Johnson had always run on her own in part to remain in shape for the hockey and softball seasons. But it wasn't until last year as a junior when she joined the Neillsville/Granton cross-country team.
"Before the season I just thought, to myself, 'It's OK, you don't need to be one (of the top runners) in every meet.' Then in my first race, I got third place," Johnson said looking back at her first year with the team. "I am so competitive and just pushed myself more and more."
The senior, a former volleyball player, finished sixth overall in the Cloverbelt Conference last weekend in Eau Claire and was one of three members of her team to place in the top 13 spots as Neillsville/Greenwood won the girls title with 61 points.
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Johnson is a three-sport athlete and was a first-team all-Cloverbelt Conference East Division selection as an infielder in softball. She also had 13 goals and 19 points last winter as a forward for the Black River Falls co-op girls hockey team.
Neillsville/Granton will run in a WIAA Division 2 sectional cross-country meet in Westby on Saturday and Johnson recently sat down with USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin to talk about the season, her athletic moments outside interests and some future plans, among other topics.
Do you have a nickname which your friends/teammates or family call you?
I always get called "Baileigh-Boo." That's my nickname for softball and where I got it from. I played club softball in Marshfield and (the coach) always used to call me "Boo."
Outside of sports and school is there something that people might not know about you?
I love to read. I like Stephen King a lot and also Nicholas Sparks.
What has been your most memorable sports moment?
Winning (the Cloverbelt) Conference this year (in cross country). Last year we thought we were going to win and then out of nowhere Colby-Abbotsford got first. We finished second by about two points. That was our motivation and also our assistant coach — we wanted to win for her.
What has been your most embarrassing sports moment?
Once I went the wrong way in the race. That was pretty embarrassing.
Do you have certain teammates that you will especially miss after this season?
Probably Chloee (Lowry). She is a sophomore and I run with her every day in practice. But the whole team in general. We have a pretty close group.
Do you have any prerace rituals?
I always wear the same pair of socks (for a race). I have the same pair of socks I wear for hockey, too.
Your winter schedule can be pretty long playing hockey with the Black River Falls program. What is a typical week like for you?
It's about a 45-minute trip (to Black River Falls) and we typically start practice around 3:45 p.m. and I don't get home until about 7 p.m. We have gone to Madison for games and those nights I don't get home until about 1 a.m. There's nights you are doing homework on the bus and you are tired (the next day), but I love hockey
Who is your celebrity crush?
Brad Pitt.
Where is your dream vacation?
Belgium or somewhere in Europe. I would love to see the architecture.
FAVORITES
Sport: Hockey.
Team: Pittsburgh Penguins.
Pro or college athlete: Sidney Crosby.
Music group or artist: I don't really have one. I listen to a lot of pop and rap.
TV show: "Friends" or "The Office."
Movie: I like romance movies. "The Notebook" is probably my favorite.