Bair’s Beautiful Path To A National Title
March 20, 2025 | Track & Field, Joel Coleman
State track and field star had a unique journey ahead of winning an NCAA championship in the heptathlon last weekend.
STARKVILLE – Peyton Bair can easily recall exactly why he decided he wanted to be a Mississippi State Bulldog.
The track and field standout, who claimed an individual national title in the heptathlon last weekend at the NCAA indoor championships, was still deciding on his college home about a half decade ago when current State coach Chris Woods emphasized to Bair what Mississippi State is all about.
"He told me that God comes first, our family comes second, school third and track is fourth," Bair said. "Focusing on those values and those things was something that I really admired and was something I wanted to be a part of and really, really led me to come here to Mississippi State."
Bair is a young man who values having his priorities in order. It was critical that he find a place that did the same.
That's because Bair wasn't the typical recruit when he was coming out of Kimberly High School in Idaho. Following his high school graduation, Bair was set to serve a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
As talented of a track star as Bair was – he was Idaho's 2020 Gatorade Player of the Year – some places weren't too keen on having to wait two years before Bair could arrive.
"There were a couple other schools I [visited]…Not going to name them, but they weren't supportive in my decision," Bair said. "A couple tried to persuade me not to do that, and that's something I already made my mind up and wanted to do.
"The coaches here were so willing to let me pursue that, and that was really big for me."
Bair's future was settled. He'd wear Maroon and White. But first, it was off for his mission, spending a large chunk of it in Mexico.
Most of his time over the two years was spent teaching and helping people find a relationship with Jesus Christ. Basically, every day began around 6:30 a.m. with lights out for bed by 10 p.m.
That left little time for Bair to try and maintain the athleticism he'd eventually need upon his return to track, but he did the best he could.
"Obviously my priority was to serve the Lord and to do my mission, but in the back of my mind, I always knew that track was something I had to keep on the forefront of my mind and keep training for."
A basketball, a yoga mat and a single 30-pound dumbbell were about all Bair had, but he made the most of those items and the 30 minutes to an hour he had to use it all each day.
"I'd do whatever I could with that dumbbell for strength training," Bair said. "Then I just played a lot of basketball, and I'd go on runs and just whatever I could to keep in shape the best I could."
Bair admits he had doubts over the course of his mission that he'd ever be able to come back to track and compete at the level he wanted to. Two years off is a long time.
When Bair finally made it to Starkville for his college career, the early days showed just how much work his body needed.
"My first year to year and a half were filled with minor injuries, minor sprains and strains [because] my body just wasn't prepared for what was coming," Bair said. "I just stuck with the process and tried trusting the coaches and their plan and it all worked out."
Even in those early, frustrating days, there were glimpses that Bair's greatness was still very much there. In his freshman campaign, he set the MSU men's program record in the heptathlon with 5,773 points at the Southeastern Conference indoor championships. In the outdoor season, he had three top-5 finishes at the NCAA championships.
His sophomore year featured several personal bests – both indoor and outdoor – and he knocked at the door of an outdoor national title in the decathlon.
There was no knocking at the door of a championship last weekend. Bair kicked the door down.
With 6,013 points in the heptathlon, Bair took home the national crown, setting a facility record in the event at the Virginia Beach Sports Complex in the process.
"It felt awesome," Bair said. "It felt awesome to finally realize that goal of mine and to come out on top as national champion."
It was the first of what could be more for Bair in the not-so-distant future as he continues to grow and hone his craft. The outdoor season is just beginning for Bair, providing more opportunities to win hardware. Plus, he's still only a junior.
It sure seems like those promises made and kept years ago will continue to pay off for both Bair and the Bulldogs.
"From the beginning…there was something genuine about those promises that really stuck through," Bair said. "That's something about this program. Everyone in this program is just genuine. And they follow through with their promises."
(For more from Bair, CLICK HERE to listen to his full interview on the Dear Ol' State podcast.)
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