Taylor Women Rank Tied-Third in NAIA with 14 Scholar-Athlete Honors
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The top-ranked Taylor women's cross country squad performed among the NAIA's best both on the course and in the classroom in 2024, claiming 14 NAIA Scholar-Athlete awards.
The 14 academic honors rank tied-third among women's cross country teams in the NAIA, and it also marks a program record. Only Dordt and Indiana Wesleyan produced more Scholar-Athletes in the sport in 2024.
Lynae Ackley, Zoe Dinius, Rebekah Firestone, Noel VanderWall, Elayna Kitt, Kaitlin Burden, Audrey Brinkruff and Madelyn Borchelt were all repeat NAIA Scholar-Athletes, while Abby Mays, Ahna Neideck, Jackie McCoy, Jessie McCoy, Emersyn Funk and Addie Draper claimed the award for the first time.
To be eligible for an NAIA Scholar-Athlete award, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale while having attended one full year at their current institution.