The early bird gets the worm. That famous saying is what ULCA must be thinking now that it has signed on Detroit Country Day track and field star, Kendall Baisden.
Being the first school to offer Baisden when she was just a freshman, the nationally-ranked sprinter publicly announced she will be a Bruin next year alongside of many of her fellow collegiate-bound classmates on Wednesday.
"They (UCLA) were actually my first letter ever my freshman year," Baisden said. "I remember I came to the athletic office and there was a (recruiting) letter for me. I was like, 'Wow, already?'"
In actuality, Baisden may have been the only one surprised that she was sought after at such a young age. All you have to do is look at her track record, literally.
Through her first three seasons of track, Baisden has eight state championship medals: three in the 40 meter dash, two in the 100 meter, one in the 100 meter, and two relay gold medals in the 4x100 and 4x200.
However, the national and international stage is where Baisden has shined the brightest. Before she was even in seventh grade, Baisden ran
an AAU age group record of 57.68 in the 400 - a time most high school girls in that event could never run.
Since then, Baisden has gone on to represent the United States at the World Junior Championships where, in 2012, she won a gold medal as part of the USA 4x400 team. She got her 400 meter time down to 52.6 seconds last spring, which was the third-fastest time of any high school girl in the nation that season, according to athletic.net.
As Baisden prepares for her senior season this spring, Baisden continues to focus on the future.
"I feel really happy," Baisden said. "Part of my goal is that I can become pro. By going to UCLA, I can receive a good degree. So, for this season, I'm just trying to go out strong, break a few records outdoor and indoor."
Baisden was the only girl among the 10 athletes that attended the signing ceremony, as four football players announced where they will be attending school next year.
More Country Day athletes heading to the next level include Oliver Harris (soccer, Notre Dame), Max Shanbrom (tennis, Loyola University Maryland), Brenton Desai (soccer, University of Chicago), Sven Kranz (tennis, University of Chicago) and Andrew Weinert (lacrosse, Kenyon)
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