Senior distance athlete Baidy Ba concluded his Kent State cross country career at the NCAA Cross Country Championships Nov. 23 in Madison, WI., where he placed 138th in the men’s 10k with a time of 30:09.7.

The upcoming 2025 track season will be the official end cap to Ba’s collegiate distance career. 

And what a career it was.

This was Ba’s third time competing in the national championship race. He is only the fourth runner in Kent State history to qualify for three NCAA Cross Country Championships. 

Ba had three first place finishes during the 2024 cross country regular season, and at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional meet, he broke the Kent State men’s 10k record and earned All-Region honors – both for the third year in a row.

“I feel like I’ve given it all I was able to in these past four years,” Ba said. “I’m glad that I was able to get to the highest level of competition.”

Before his time at Kent State, Ba was a distance athlete at Oakland Mills High School in Columbia, MD. He was a two-time state champion, and he was awarded Maryland’s 2020-2021 Gatorade Player of the Year for boy’s track and field. 

Apart from most athletes who get their start in middle school or freshman year of high school, Ba did not start running distance until his sophomore year of high school.

“I originally wanted to be a basketball player coming into high school,” Ba said. “I tried out, didn’t make the team and was sad about that, but then I did end up becoming an outdoor sprinter.”

Ba said that he didn’t have much success sprinting, so his coach encouraged him to try distance racing. 

“I was able to run well, and my head coach knew I had decent endurance,” Ba said. “He told me to give the cross team a try, and, clearly, it turned out okay.”

After his accomplishments in high school, Ba signed with Kent State to continue his distance career in both cross country and track. 

During his first year with the Flashes, he was awarded MAC Freshman of the Year for cross country and set multiple personal records throughout the track season. 

Building on his skills, Ba continued stacking up the achievements during his sophomore and junior seasons, qualifying for the NCAA cross country championships both years. He also finished fourth at the 2023 cross country MAC Championships and set Kent State records in the 1-mile and 1500-meter races during the 2023 track season. 

In July, just a few months ahead of Ba’s senior cross country season, Laura Rybka was introduced as Kent State’s new distance coach for cross country and track. 

Ba said that he was worried adapting to a new coach would be challenging, but it worked out better than expected. 

“After having the same coach for three years, it was a different experience having someone new come in to coach,” Ba said. “But coach Rybka and I got along great, so it ended up working out well.”

Ba proved that things did indeed work out, as he posted the best cross country season of his Kent State career. 

Rybka said that she didn’t have any expectations coming into the season, but she had fun coaching Ba. Furthermore, she credited Ba for all of his accomplishments, saying that she just helped him along the way. 

“His focus to get better and succeed mesh well,” Rybka said. “At the beginning of the season, we had a few specific goals for training, and he worked very hard on those. His success is all him. I just helped with the mechanics a bit.”

During his time competing, Ba realized that there will always be ups and downs. Despite this, he said it is important to stay focused and driven.

“The process isn’t linear, and at the end of the day, the big picture is getting better,” Ba said. “It might not look like progress in the small stuff, especially with things like injuries, but it’s important to keep on staying disciplined in the craft you’re doing, and it will show results.”

As Ba approaches his last track season with the Flashes this upcoming spring, he hopes that he can compete on the national stage one more time. 

“I’m trying to bring the energy from this cross season over to track, compete at the highest level and see how far I can take it on the track,” Ba said. 

The first meet of Ba’s final track season will be held at home at the Kent State Field House Jan. 18.

Although Ba’s time competing for Kent State is coming to an end, Rybka believes that his athletic career is far from complete. 

“Ba is unflinchingly dedicated to his goals and a positive example of the drive and commitment that it takes to be truly great,” Rybka said. “I have a feeling that his ceiling is quite a bit away, and I am grateful to have been part of the journey.”

Kailyn Tibolla is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].