RYLEIGH BACON

OKTAHA HIGH SCHOOL

“She is a coaches dream who always does the right thing and is very involved at school.”

That’s how Oktaha softball and basketball coach Kia Holmes describes senior Ryleigh Bacon. “She plays centerfield in softball and has great range and a great arm and in basketball she’s a shooting guard who leads the team in rebounding and most defensive categories. She does so many of the little things that don’t make a stat sheet or that go unnoticed by everyone except the coach,” said Holmes.

Ryleigh started playing sports when she was six or seven and in addition to softball and basketball, she is also a state qualifier in cross country and runs track while carrying a 4.6 GPA.

“About the only thing I don’t do is play golf,” Bacon chuckled.

Ryleigh feels that the effort it takes to do well in cross country carries over to her other sports as well.

“I feel if I do well and push through to be good in cross country that I can perform in tough situations in my other sports. I’ve also learned that it’s ok to fail because you can always get up and try again most of the time.”

Asked for three words to define herself, Ryleigh said hardworking, smart, and competitive.

“I think the most important is hardworking because if you have that trait, you can be successful in anything you do,” explainedRyleigh who helped lead Oktaha to a slow pitch state title last year.

Her parents Jessica and Justin have been her role models all through life she says.

“My dad is hardworking, and my mom is caring and loving, and I like to think I’ve received both of those traits from them.”  

Among the other things that are special in Ryleigh Bacon’s life are math (“it just comes easy to me). Italian food (ravioli) and, oh yes, Taylor Swift. 

One of her teammates said of Ryleigh “She’s one of the kindest and most welcoming teammates I’ve ever been around.”

And Kia Holmes added, “If the world were full of Ryleigh Bacons, it would sure be an even better place.”