Strong Showing Sees Taylor Finish Second at the Little State Championships

MARION, Ind. – A strong showing across the board led Taylor to a second-place finish at the Little State Championships as Taylor went into the last event with a chance at the title in a competitive day at the track. 

Taylor earned a pair of victories on day two of the Little State Championships, with Noel VanderWall and Abby Mays taking home the title in the 1,500-meters and 800-meters, respectively. An impressive showing in the 1,500-meters saw Emersyn Funk finish fourth and Kaitlin Burden take home sixth.

Claire Bailey hit the NAIA B Standard in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:03.47 to cross the line in second after finishing 11th in the 100-meter hurdles.

Kiana Siefert finished fifth in the 100-meter hurdles before heading to the field and leaping a career-best distance of 18 feet 2.25 inches in the long jump. A second-place finish from the junior comes on the heels of winning the triple jump a day earlier.

The Trojans began the day with Sam Patterson and Audrey Brinkruff finishing second and third in the Steeplechase. Both runners finished within ten seconds of the NAIA B Standard and hope familiarity with the track will come in handy at the Crossroads League Championships in three weeks' time.

Nicole Domene turned in a quality performance, finishing fifth in both the 200-meters and 400-meters as Taylor, Indiana Wesleyan, and Indiana Tech all traded the lead throughout the day.

The competition came down to the final event, the 4x400-meter relay, where Mays and Domene teamed up with Delaney Gale and Addie Draper for a fourth-place finish to earn a second-place overall finish for the Trojans.

The Trojans' next competition is the Crossroads League Championships back in Marion, Indiana, beginning on Thursday, May 1.