Free State runner Bailey Sullivan, right, runs in the Girls 1600 Sprint Medley Relay event of the Kansas Relays on Saturday, April 19, 2014 at Rock Chalk Park. Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo

Free State senior distance runner Bailey Sullivan has never been shy to offer advice to her teammates. That was no different Wednesday when she was asked by two of her coaches to talk about her past experiences at the state track meet.

Sullivan, who won a Class 6A state title in the 1,600 last year and finished runner-up in the 800, emphasized that composure and confidence will be the keys to success at this weekend’s meet in Wichita.

“Since I have had a lot of experience going (to state) before, I’ve made a lot of mistakes,” Sullivan said, “so I was trying to advise girls like, ‘This is what I did wrong. Don’t do that. Here are some better ideas.'”

One of those mistakes happened Sullivan’s freshman year when she dropped the baton in the 4×800-meter relay. She bounced back from the fumble, but former Free State head coach Steve Heffernan said it took Sullivan a couple of years to fully learn from the experience.

“That really kind of shook her up for the next two years,” Heffernan said. “Last year, it all seemed to coalesce and she came together as far as talent and having enough belief in herself that she could go out and do some pretty big things.”

Sullivan’s confidence boiled over into the 2013 cross country season. She placed fourth overall at state and helped lead the Firebirds to their first team title in school history.

The senior standout was one of three Firebirds to place in the top five, as freshman Emily Venters won the meet and sophomore Claire Sanner finished .05 seconds behind Sullivan for fifth. The battle for the first place has been a common theme for Sullivan, Venters and Sanner, but it has been one of healthy competition.

“The main thing with Emily and Claire that I’m jealous of is their natural ability. The fact that they just walked down to the track as a freshman and sophomore and are that talented,” Sullivan said. “It took me a really long time to get anywhere close to where they are. I’m jealous about their natural ability, but it’s nothing to be mad at.”

Other than taking tips from Sullivan on race strategy and training advice, Sanner has tried to follow the senior’s example of bonding with opposing runners in a humble manner.

“She’s really outgoing and even if you are racing her, like people from other schools, she’ll still make conversation with you,” Sanner said. “She’s a good competitor and has really good sportsmanship.”

Sullivan has made it a point to take younger teammates like Venters and Sanner under her wing, but her leadership has expanded beyond that. First-year distance track coach Kiah Mattson said Sullivan is one of the main reasons she has felt at home at FSHS.

“Bailey has actually made this a very, very easy transition for me,” Mattson said. “I’ve told her this before, but I have a good spot in my heart for her because she has just kind of really welcomed me and also helped me learn the traditions on the track team so I can also be their leader and kind of get them through their practices.”

While Sullivan has been devoted to distance running, she has been equally dedicated to her work in the classroom. Sullivan was named the Free State Scholar Athlete of the Year, and earned several academic honors.

“I have to tell myself like, ‘OK, you can’t go do this because you need to do homework and you also need to get enough sleep,'” Sullivan said. “That’s the thing about track and cross country is that it matters how your body feels.”

The athletic programs and academics were two of the main reasons Sullivan cited for attending Texas Christian University in the fall. She is looking forward to competing on the Horned Frogs’ cross country and track squads but acknowledged one minor obstacle in competing for TCU: her father’s love for Kansas University athletics.

“He’s refusing to wear purple so far because even though it’s TCU, he hates K-State,” Sullivan said with a laugh about her dad, Pat. “The purple thing is a little hard. But I think … he agreed that TCU was the best choice for me.”