There are dual-sport athletes or even tri-sport athletes at Redwood and throughout Marin County, but some consider senior and University of California, Berkeley commit Antonio Bayon to be a ten-sport athlete, as a decathlete for Redwood’s track and field program.
The decathlon consists of the 100-meter run, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400-meter run, 110-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin throw and 1500-meter run. Bayon immediately stands out and is recognized for his pole vaulting school record of 15 feet and 5 inches, or his recently acquired school record of 14.81 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles. Bayon is extremely valuable in all these events, consistently putting up large point totals for the track team during their meets. Bayon attributes his track and field success to numerous variables.
“I have always been a hard worker, and when I have a goal, I want to reach it. But also, my parents have pushed me to be the best athlete I can [be]. We used to go out during COVID at 6 a.m. to train,” Bayon said.
Junior sprinter Marco Cleary believes the track team wouldn’t have had the successful season they had without Bayon.
“We couldn’t be where we are without [Bayon] this year. He adds so much value to every meet,” Cleary said.
In addition to his individual events, Bayon recently achieved a career accolade of a 7042-point total between all his events, which only five high school track and field participants have ever accomplished. — currently second in the country
Not only is Bayon a standout athlete for the track and field team, but he also has a light energy. He is always looking to make track fun and relieve the pressure on himself and his teammates.
“He’s always cracking jokes and making everyone laugh. It takes the weight off everything, remembering that the track is also a place to hang out with our friends,” Cleary said.
Few have ever reached Bayon’s eventual goal, but Bayon believes that with his dedication, anything is attainable.
“I want to qualify and compete in the Olympics, either in 2028 or 2032. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid, and I know I can do it,” Bayon said.
Besides his physical goals, Bayon thinks that track can provide numerous positive opportunities in his life.
“It keeps me coming back, just having goals and the grind that it takes to be successful has kept me in the sport, but because of this, I grow with ambition and determination, which are skills that benefit me outside of the sport,” Bayon said.
