Running around in a circle, trapped inside a building, with a two-hour bus ride back home – this might not sound like the ideal way to spend a Friday night for most high school students. However, indoor track athletes thrive on these away track meets, and Bashiru (Bash) Bah (‘26) is no different. With only his freshmen season under his belt, Bah has already exceeded expectations as an underclassman runner in multiple events.
Bash Bah sat down with the GH Falcon and answered some questions about his running journey and the realities of varsity indoor track & field for underclassmen.
What prompted an interest in Indoor Track & Field?
Bah had incredible inspiration for his interest in running Track & Field. Despite having an incredibly late start to his running career, Bah revealed, “My sister was the reason I started running. I looked up to her because she was a star track & field athlete.” Bah began participating just a few years ago during his 8th-grade season at Davis Drive Middle, and he credits that program to a lot of his success throughout his first couple of years at Green Hope.
What were some expectations when entering high school in terms of athletics?
As an 8th grader, even though it was his first year running, Bah had high expectations coming to Green Hope. “I was anticipating better competition because I would be competing with more athletes. I also thought I would become a better runner and jumper through practices with the Green Hope team.” Outside of his athletic focus, Bah emphasized his expectations of having a great time with the rest of the track team, making connections that would last throughout high school.
What’s the best part about being on varsity as an underclassman?
Throughout his freshman and sophomore years, Bah has had a clear favorite perk of being an underclassman who competes with older athletes for indoor track & field. “My favorite part of the season is the away meets that are really far away,” said Bah. “I enjoy spending time meeting new track athletes at the meets and then getting to hang out with my friends on our team on the bus ride to and from those long competitive meets. I’ve made a lot of connections from indoor track & field.” Being an underclassman, these relationships with upperclassmen athletes have allowed Bah to find mentors and role models to look up to on and off the track.
What adversity is commonly faced as an underclassman on varsity?
“Competing with the older kids” has been Bah’s biggest challenge throughout his career at Green Hope. He continued, “I really don’t like to lose, but it can be really tough to beat some of the kids at other schools or even during practice with seniors and juniors at Green Hope. I take losing to heart, so that has been my biggest adversity.” Green Hope’s track programs have had great success throughout the past few years, Bah looks to have the same impact on underclassmen when he becomes a junior or senior athlete as they did on him, pushing him every day in practices and meets to run faster and improve.
What should be anticipated for the next few years in Green Hope Indoor Track & Field?
Setting and meeting high expectations are both frequent occurrences for Bah. When asked about his future, Bah claimed, “I plan to qualify not only for states but for nationals in my two best events. I’ve been working very hard on the 200-meter dash and high jump, so I hope to see success in those.” Bah doesn’t only focus on tangible awards or incredible accomplishments; he also hopes to see internal improvements in his health. “My main goal is just to get faster and jump higher every year,” which reveals his dedication and determination to personal success.
Bah has shown his athletic prowess as not just an Indoor Track & Field athlete but as a football player and outdoor track & field athlete as well. He currently is the best high jumper at Green Hope, only as a sophomore, and will look to continue growing as an athlete in all three seasons for the next couple of years as a Falcon.
