Four key Taylor sports have been putting the university on the map and have been competing in the NAIA National Tournament for their respective sports.
“It’s extremely special to be at a place where academic and athletic excellence go hand in hand. Our student-athletes have some of the highest academic marks of any school in the country, but the fact that we don’t sacrifice competitive excellence in the process is extremely rare and makes Taylor Athletics a very compelling program,” Taylor University President D. Michael Lindsay said.
The women’s cross country team won the NAIA National Championship on Friday, Nov. 21 in Tallahassee, Fla., and sophomore Jaynie Halterman won her second individual champion title for the second year in a row.
Halterman beat the second place runner by 30 seconds with a time of 21:13.2.
For the entire season, the Trojans won every single invitational, with only a seventh place finish at the Seminole Invite at Florida State University back in September. The team has consistently proven to be the most dominant runners in the NAIA, blowing through competitions with no signs of stopping any time soon.
Sadly, this was the final year for Taylor head coach Quinn White, who had been with the program for 16 years before this season.
White was named NAIA Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year this season, his third national title with the group, giving him 13 national appearances in total.
Since 1984, the team has made 18 NAIA Tournament appearances and won Nationals in 2022.
In terms of what he’s proud of his team for staying consistent in this year, White said, “Watching these athletes use their gifts to be the best they can be, all to honor Christ.”
The second team that went to Nationals was the men’s cross country team, who took fifth place overall in their national tournament, also held in Tallahassee. This fifth place finish gave the program its third best finish all-time to complement their 2019 second place finish and their 2020 National Championship title. Junior Nathan Burns put up the best time for the Trojans, 25:07.6, putting him in 28th place.
Throughout the season, the Trojans looked dominant, winning second place in four of their invitationals and never falling below the top 10. Since 1948, the men’s team has made 36 NAIA Tournament appearances.
For Coach White, he turns his attention to the athletes whenever they make the national tournament.
“It’s such a pleasure to see their joy,” White said.
The third Taylor team that began their championship campaign is the No. 17 women’s soccer team. They pulled off a 1-0 victory over No. 11 Central Methodist on Saturday, Nov. 22 in the NAIA Second Round game. It was the first NAIA national tournament victory for the program and they are headed to the round of 16. The team will begin this round with an overall record of 14-2-3.
Head coach of the Trojans, Scott Stan, was relieved when he found out his team made the national tournament for the 19th time in program history.
“It was a combination of extreme excitement, gratefulness, and even relief as nothing was guaranteed,” Stan said.
The final team that advanced was the women’s volleyball team, who lost 3-1 in the Opening Round to No. 18 Lewis-Clark State on Saturday, Nov. 22. This was the eighth time the team has made it to Nationals and for the first time since 2022.
In this final game of her career, senior Lindsay Springer eclipsed 3,000 career assists, while senior McKaylah Flagle won the Clarence “Ike” Pearson Award from the NAIA.
The Trojans ended the season with a 20-12 record and finished fourth in a tough Crossroads League.
“I’m so proud of them and so thankful they got to have this experience,” Trojans Head Coach Erin Luthy said.
With both the women’s soccer and volleyball games being held on campus, Taylor fans packed Odle Arena and Winterholter Field to cheer on their Trojans. Fans can continue to track the Trojans’ progress on taylortrojans.com.
“Athletic success helps to create a contagious sense of purpose and pride. Taylor’s academic strength and athletic success create a vibrant environment where excellence is the expectation,” Taylor University Provost Jewerl Maxwell said.
