The Trojans wrapped up yet another indoor track season on March 7.
The men’s team capped off a successful NAIA Nationals appearance, which was held in Gainesville, Florida. Another strong showing in the Crossroads League Championship led to multiple athletes representing the Trojans in the biggest spotlight of the indoor track stage.
Eight Trojans earned All-CL Honors in their respective events this season, totaling 11 awards in total. Junior Nathan Burns, the 3,000-meter champion, and senior Joel Mumaw both claimed multiple awards.
The team finished third overall in the conference dominating the 3,000-meter race with a sweep of the podium. Burns, and seniors Ryan Hanak and Luke Harber helped earn the team 24 points, which were crucial to their overall team score and a bid to nationals.
Head coach Derek Gay praised the trio for their clutch performance as his team was in fifth place and needed points to land a podium spot.
“They came out and stood up for each other, for their team," Gay said.
The distance-medley relay was another conference achievement. The DMR consists of a 1200-meter, 400-meter, 800-meter and 1600-meter legs. The team, consisting of Mumaw, Wade Jones, Bryce Noble and Burns, broke the school’s DMR record with a time of 10:04.07.
The team rostered four athletes who earned the honor of All-American: Burns, Mumaw, senior Josh Forbes and senior Jared Stayte.
Forbes, a pole vaulter for the Trojans, delivered on the biggest stage. He posted 4.85 meters in the event, landing him in third place at nationals. He pointed to his preparation as a key to his success.
“Nationals are a lot more pressure than just a normal meet,” Forbes said. “I think the biggest difference is preparation going into the meet.”
His preparation led him to early success in the season. All the offseason work paid off this season for the star pole vaulter.
He qualified for nationals at Taylor’s George Glass Invitational, one of the first meets of the season. His performance earned him the CL Men's Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week award for the third time in his career.
Burns placed fifth in the 3000-meter, posting a time of 8:12.15. Mumaw and Stayte placed sixth and seventh in the mile run.
Their performances helped the Trojans place 15th in the nation. The team looks to build on their success in the outdoor season.
Their indoor-season finish matched the program's best since taking ninth at the Indoor Championships in 2014. Gay said he is building a culture that not only wins on the track but also focuses on building his athletes in Christ and teaching them lessons they will carry for life.
“My goal from the day you get here to the day that you graduate is that you’re a better, more rounded person and have a stronger relationship with Christ,” he said.
The hope for every athlete that enters this program is that they leave the program more rooted in Christ. One athlete in particular who hopes to end his Taylor career on a high note is Stayte.
As the team heads into the outdoor season, Stayte said he wants to end his senior season strong, along with his 10 other senior teammates.
“I’m really excited to just see what our last season holds,” he said. “This track season is going to be a bunch of lasts for college.”
The Trojans kick off their outdoor season on March 20 at the Polar Bear Invite hosted at Indiana Wesleyan University.
