Achieving a 4:51-minute mile time is no easy task.
But senior cross country athlete Keane Bayani accomplished exactly that.
Bayani has found success as a cross country runner on Elk Grove’s team. He has proven himself to be a leader and a friendly presence that his teammates rely on throughout the season.
Bayani’s cross country career dates back to 2020, which was his freshman year. Joining cross country wasn’t initially on his agenda.
“At first, I joined the cross country team because I wanted to condition for basketball season, but then after sophomore year, I decided that this was my passion, so I fully committed to it and left basketball,” Bayani said.
Although Bayani enjoyed his time playing basketball, he ultimately stuck to running because of his favorite thing: the adrenaline.
“The adrenaline I get when I compete on race days is unmatched,” Bayani said. “It makes me really motivated.”
Along with the adrenaline, Bayani’s dedication to the sport has also been incomparable. After two years of coaching Bayani, head coach Tim Nowicki has learned a lot about him as both an athlete and an individual.
“Kids like Keane make it easy to coach,” Nowicki said. “I wish I had a thousand of them. He is extremely coachable. Anything we try to put into practice, any type of philosophy, there is no resistance with Keane. He’s just going to do it.”
Not only has Bayani consistently proven his dedication to the sport, but he has also obtained a leadership role as a senior.
“He is a leader not just with the varsity guys, but also with our new freshmen,” Nowicki said. “He’s the role model that they look up to, he’s the template. He doesn’t necessarily lead by talking, it’s more of by his actions.”
Bayani has made some lifelong friends on the team through his dedication. He met one of his friends thanks to a team rule that Nowicki established: no headphones.
“On those long runs, I want them to engage with their teammates” Nowicki said. “Cross country is a team sport, and if they have their headphones on, they can’t really get to know each other.”
That friend is junior runner Evan Miles.
“While we run together during practice, we have the chance to talk,” Bayani said. “He’s always there to cheer me on.”
Miles says that he has always looked up to Bayani as a leader and as a close friend.
“He always puts in the necessary and is a good leader while doing it,” Miles said. “He’s hard-working, responsible, respectful, and talented.”
Even beyond his hardworking nature and ability to form team friendships, Bayani apparently has the best memory on the team.
“He knows all of his best times off the top of his head,” Nowicki said. “In track, there are 18 different events, and he knows his personal best in every single event.”
Knowing his personal best comes with some cons. It can either improve his mood or knock it down.
“He’s always been a competitive person,” Nowicki said. “He is always looking to get an extra edge or an extra leg up. He’s just truly passionate about the sport.”
And with that competitiveness, Bayani’s teammates frequently ask him the same question: “How are you still running?”
Bayani has a clear answer to that question.
“Stay committed,” he said. “You just gotta run. There’s no secret to getting better at this except just sticking through it.”
