Kyle Keck | Echo
The Taylor men's and women's track and field teams crossed their final finish line at the Dr. Keeler Track & Field Invitational hosted by North Central College.
Both Trojan teams ended the regular season, and they did so in commanding fashion. While the men's team placed multiple athletes in the top 10, the women's team shattered a long-lived TU record.
Junior Jane Hawks placed 12th overall in the 800 meter race with a time of 2:16.67. Though Hawks didn't top the leaderboard at the Dr. Keeler Invitational, her time broke a 30-year-old school record, slotting her atop all TU female 800 meter runners.
The women's 4x100 relay team of sophomore Tara Monfredi, juniors Courtney Thompson and Princess Sakeuh and senior Kayla Liefeld placed third and met the NAIA A standard with a time of 47.87.
Among the men, sophomore Matt Hall continued his success, placing sixth in the 5,000 meter run with a time of 14:43.60. Senior Brandan Wilchombe torched the track to place second in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 14:51. Both seniors Ethan Evans and Kenny Higgins and rounded out their college careers with Evans placing fourth in the 10,000 meter run with a time of 31:38.54, while Higgins placed seventh in the hammer throw and eighth in the discus.
With the regular season ending, the NAIA National Championships are next on the docket for Taylor. The events will take place in Gulf Shores, Alabama, on May 21-23. Taylor enters the NAIA National Championships with a large contingent of athletes and the hopes of bringing home the hardware.
"This has been a very exciting year," head coach David Neville said. "One of ups and downs. These athletes have had some amazing performances and I'm looking for them to carry those over to the national championships."
