Bagby picks Indiana State

Next year, Cassidy Bagby will be a Sycamore.

Earlier this month, St. Joseph-Ogden senior Cassidy Bagby signed her letter of intent to continue her athletic career at Indiana State University in Terre Haute.  

Bagby, who burst onto the scene early in her freshman season, has had a successful run at SJO competing in track and field and cross country.

She said she plans to compete in both cross country and track and field at Indiana State.  However, it wasn’t just the athletic teams that solidified Bagby on her destination.

“They (Indiana State) had the major that I was going to study, and when I visited there, I really liked the campus and after meeting the coaches and the team, that pretty much sold me,” Bagby said.

Bagby is hopeful the Sycamores will have the same family feel that the SJO track and cross country teams pride themselves on.

“We are a very close group,” she said.  “We had a lot of freshmen this season, and we hang out a lot together. I remember when I was a freshman, the seniors always made us feel welcome and like we belonged, which is why we are cohesive.”

Bagby never considered running in college until about her junior year, and the idea of a signing day was an idea that came about the same time in her high school career.

“I think it was the end of my sophomore year into the beginning of my junior year when I saw the seniors then start to hold their ceremonies, and it was about that time that I thought this might be something that I could do myself,” she said.

Like many senior athletes do, Bagby has goals to accomplish before she graduates in May. This includes some personal milestones still left as the outdoor season begins in a couple of weeks.

“I missed a couple indoor meets this year because of a family vacation, but once outdoor season begins, I’d like to be an all-stater in an individual event, as well as in the 4 x 800 relay team,” Bagby said.

Bagby credits her family for the support that they have given her during this process.

“I’ve got a great support system at home with my mom (Dawn) and step-dad (Jeff). They always have had my best interests at heart and did not force me to make any decisions. That probably means more to me than anything during this entire process,” Bagby said.

Now that the process is complete, and the decision has been made, it is time to focus on the task at hand, which is finishing up her final semester and concentrating on the upcoming track season.

“I’m very relieved that this whole decision ordeal is over, because it was pretty stressful knowing that I needed to make a choice. Now I can focus on running and not have to worry about anything else,” she said.