Buskey Continues To Raise the Bar On the Track

By: Sienna Wheeler 

4/1/2025

Becoming a successful student athlete while balancing school and life is a challenge, but becoming a two time national champion, state champion, and record-breaker high jumper while balancing life is an even greater accomplishment.

Ryan Buskey, a junior high jumper and sprinter on the Colonie high school track team has managed to accomplish this and so much more during his career as a high jumper.  Not only did he win both states and nationals back to back weeks in March, he went undefeated for his indoor track season, has gained the opportunity to be signed by New Balance, and has received multiple division 1 offers from colleges in the past year.  

Buskey explained how none of this would be possible if it weren’t for some of his mentors, coaches, fellow teammates, and industrious hard work as he has faced many challenges on and off the track throughout his career.

Buskey’s dad, a former football player and division 1 track athlete, has been an inspiration for Ryan since he was young;  “I usually thrive to be better than him at everything he did”, says Buskey. 

The track star has been pushed by his dad since 8th grade when he put his son into a variety of events as he wanted him to try and break multiple school records.  His goals for his son have been accomplished and Buskey continues to put in the work to try and accomplish even more.

It was apparent that Buskey is not the most fond of going to school based on his bored and uninterested nature during this part of the interview,  but looking forward to track meets and practices after school gets him through the day. His confidence was visible through his excitement when he discussed this. 

A typical track practice for Buskey is different from all of the other track athletes and it consists of an hour of stretching, a 30-45 minute high jump workout, and a sprinting workout where he runs multiple 200 and 400 meter sprints.  In addition to his track workouts, Buskey makes an effort to lift in the gym two to three times a week in order to gain explosiveness through box squats and other light weight exercises. 

Grace Manuyag, a junior high jumper on the girls team, discusses how Buskey’s workouts are very different from other athletes on both teams but she knows whatever he is doing is working for him.

“He’s a national champion.  I’m gonna trust him.”, says Manuyag. 

Not only does Buskey train for the meets on the track, but he also values his recovery and mental preparation on his own time.  Buskey always purchases a burrito from chipotle the night before a meet, listens to podcasts such as Kobe’s “Mamba Mentality, reads a book, and goes to bed at 8 p.m. on nights prior to a meet or competition.  On the day of a competition, Buskey’s R&B music calms him before he takes flight over the bar.

Even the most prepared athletes are still prone to injuries and hardships throughout their seasons.  Although his success has been visible, Buskey has faced many hardships that many may not have witnessed throughout his track career.  

Though he was able to avoid injury this past indoor season, Buskey suffered a torn hamstring and a quad injury during his freshman and sophomore outdoor seasons.  He also has felt an immense amount of pressure when multiple people discussed how he no-heighted (failed to complete a valid jump and clear the bar) at states and nationals last season.  In addition to those specific moments, the junior went into depth about how it is a challenge to transition from indoor track to outdoor track.  There is more room outside than inside, so his shifting in speed has to change rather than staying at a constant pace before the jump when competing outside.  He also has to adapt to the different weather conditions outside. 

All of these hardships would discourage many athletes from competing at the highest level, but it pushes Buskey even more, along with his large support system in his life.

Buskey is grateful for his track coach, Coach Pap, as she always makes sure he is on top of his schoolwork and is performing well in school.  Also, Coach Tuck is a huge inspiration as he enjoys hearing his past experiences and how they fueled him.  But, Buskey is extremely grateful for his former teammate, Jordan Goddard, who has been like a mentor to him for many years on and off the track.

“He’s been with me for so long and he’s sacrificed so much for me to get better”, says Buskey regarding his relationship with Goddard.

All of these experiences and lessons are shaping Ryan into the student athlete he is today.  Though he has already built up a large number of accolades, the junior does not plan on stopping any time soon.  After high school, he has goals of going to a top college in the country, going pro, signing endorsement deals, qualifying for the 2028 Olympics, and breaking the world record for the high jump.

“The one thing that pushes me is just not losing and all of the records I have the chance to break”, says a confident Buskey.

Buskey will soon have his first outdoor meet as the season has recently begun.  He will continue to push himself to fly high over bars and obstacles throughout the rest of his career.  Buskey wants to continue and inspire the next generation of track athletes and he believes that as long as you listen and trust your coaches along with staying passionate and consistent during workouts, you can be as successful of an athlete as possible.