FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
(article posted by Jamie Legner, Student Sports Information Assistant)

May 14, 2012 - As a dual-sport athlete in track and field and football, Bai Kabba really knows the meaning of balance. He excels on the track, on the field and in the classroom. He is a leader on both teams and is a great example for his teammates and friends.

In 2011, he qualified for the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships in the 4-by-400-meter relay. The following fall, he started eight games at wide receiver for the Cardinals' football team, catching 10 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns.

This past winter, Kabba again qualified for the indoor national championships, competing the 4x400 and distance medley relays and earning All-America honors in both events. The Cardinals claimed the national championship in the 4x400 relay, clinching North Central's third straight indoor team title, and placed seventh in the distance medley relay.

At this year's Drake Relays, his 4x400 relay team turned in a time of 3:11.65, which ranks second nationally in Division III, and his 4x200-meter relay team narrowly missed a school record with a time of 1:26.08 in the same meet. Kabba's individual time of 48.53 in the 400-meter dash is among the national leaders as well.

Kabba has established himself as a leader among his peers throughout the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW), as he was appointed as the CCIW's representative to the NCAA's national Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) this year.

The Cardinals wrap up their home schedule by hosting the Gregory Invitational this weekend before traveling to the Division III Outdoor Championships next week, where they will attempt to complete a third straight sweep of the national indoor and outdoor team championships.

Q: What on-campus activities are you involved in?
A: I'm involved in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Black Student Association and the Finance Committee.

Q: What kind of things do you do at the Finance Committee meetings?
A: We listen to budget hearings in the second half of the meetings  and different on-campus groups come to us and ask if we can allocate them a certain amount of money, but during the first half of the meetings we talk about what on-campus things we'd like to change and make them better for the student well-being.

Q: What other on-campus events do you like to attend?
A: Basketball games, volleyball games, I like to attend different small things that the school puts on like barbeques, mainly for the free food (laughs).

Q: What made you choose marketing as your major?
A: Because I enjoy coming up with products and advertising and promoting those products. I like to see the different ways that you can promote something and I like to see how using different words and slogans can either persuade someone to purchase or not purchase a certain product.

Q: Where do you see yourself in five years?
A: I see myself most likely in grad school and hopefully I can get a graduate assistant position coaching football, track, volleyball or basketball.

Q: What is your favorite thing about North Central College?
A: I definitely like that it's more personable and you can take advantage of a lot of opportunities that they offer such as study abroad programs, being a dual sport athlete which is huge for me, being a part of all the student groups and there is something said for getting to see the same people every day. It makes you feel more comfortable.

Q: You transferred from University of Illinois. What about North Central College made it more appealing?
A: The fact that I could play two sports and the fact that I really like the track and football coaching staffs. I missed playing football, and I wanted to go to a school where I could do both. I also wanted to major in what I wanted to do and it was hard to do that at U of I.

Q: What is it like to play two sports a year?
A: At times it can be stressful when both sports want you to be doing both things for each sport. It's awesome because I think each sport brings its own kind of characteristics that can help build you in their own ways. Track is a completely different sport than football.

Q: Aside from football and track, have you ever played any other sports?
A: No, I couldn't hit the baseball and my mom wouldn't let me play basketball.

Q: How long have you been running track?
A: I've been doing sports in general since about the eighth grade.

Q: Have you done any other events besides the 400m?
A: Yes, I've done the 100m, 200m, and the 800m.

Q: Do you prefer the open 400m or the 4x400m relay?
A: I hate the open 400m but I love the 4x400. In the open 400 there is a barrier that you have to get over and I always defeat myself mentally whereas the 4x400 the mindset is completely different, no one wants to be that guy that messes up the relay so everyone is working hard for the team outcome.

Q: What is your biggest goal for this outdoor season?
A: To win the open 400 and to win the outdoor national championship as a team, and to win the 4x400m.

Q: Who is your biggest role model?
A: I would have to say one of my football teammates here at North Central, Tharryn Wright. In high school he was the one that I looked up to most. I chose my football jersey number based off of his number that he wore in high school. I've just always idolized him and respected the person that he is and he's helped me a lot. He's definitely been successful in his high school career, his college career and now life after college.