PREP CROSS COUNTRY: Fairview’s Bailey signs with UAH

Fairview’s Peyton Bailey took charge of his future on Friday.

The fleet-footed senior — joined by family, friends and teammates inside the high school library — signed a cross country scholarship with UAH and is set to continue his athletic career with the Division II Chargers in the fall.

Bailey produced an impressive senior campaign on the trails, winning the Class 5A, Section 4 Meet and notching four runner-up finishes — Wildcat Twilight Invitational, Kudzu Hills Invitational, Hay of a Run and Cullman County Meet. He finished inside the top 10 in nine of his 10 meets and collected a fourth-place showing at the Class 5A State Meet as well.

% Quotes of Note: “UAH was my top pick because of their engineering program. After receiving an Academic Merit Scholarship, I began pursuing my other passion — running. To have the opportunity to run for Coach (David) Cain, who has one of the top cross country programs in the nation, is a dream come true. I am thankful to my coaches, Coach (Hobson) Hite, Jacob Guthrie and Coach (Tyler) Ayers, as well as my teammates, who have encouraged me and supported me throughout my high school career.” — Peyton Bailey