Fifth-year senior Ahna Neideck is leaving an impact in every moment of the Taylor cross country program. She is taking the opportunity to use the gifts God has given her for one last season at Taylor.
After she began running in her sophomore year of high school, Neideck never looked back. As she is about to finish her time at Taylor, she reflected on some of the people who were pivotal in their support that made her years before, and during her Taylor experience meaningful.
Having her sister, junior Noel VanderWall, as a teammate to push and encourage as an athlete and friend has impacted her time on the team.
“She’s my younger sister, but she has brought so much wisdom to me, and I’ve grown so much through her,” she said. “I am so blessed to be on a team where we can support each other and help each other grow.”
Matching stride for stride in long runs, and being able to conquer workouts together, Neideck said they have grown closer as sisters.
Another long-time running partner was found in fellow teammate, Mollie Gamble (‘24). As Trojans and friends, Neideck said they grew immensely together.
Other influential figures included her high school coach, David Farley, who helped build the foundation for her mindset and running, she said. She also described the influence that her family and her husband, Ben Neideck, have had on her life.
“(Ben) has been so encouraging and was also a big person that kind of helped me transition my mindset from running for my own goals and my own performance to really running because it is an opportunity to glorify God,” she said.
Throughout her time at Taylor, and especially their past year of marriage, Ben has been such a support, she said. He was one of the people that helped factor in Neideck’s decision to stay for her fifth season.
Head cross country coach Quinn White said Neideck’s character was one of intentional care.
“Ahna is one of the most sincere and supportive athletes I have coached,” White said. “She has such a great attitude. We are blessed to have her for an extra season.”
Neideck’s athletic career at Taylor speaks for itself. She has consistently run in NAIA National Championship races and has decreased her 5k and 6k times by tremendous amounts each season.
Neideck was also a contender in indoor and outdoor track seasons. She has earned All-American marks in all four years in the steeplechase and holds the Taylor record for the event at 10:41.11.
With a time of 22 minutes and 12.3 seconds to start the season at the Indiana Wesleyan Twilight Invitational, Neideck started the season beating her personal best from the 2023 season by two-tenths of a second.
With all her achievements headlining her stellar career, to Coach White, Neideck’s character is more important.
“Ahna is an outstanding teammate,” White said. “She has a heart of gold. She is fantastic at encouraging others at practice and on the course. She leads by example.”
Throughout her time at Taylor, Neideck said Coach White has reminded her to keep her sport in perspective. He has encouraged her growth as a student, person and athlete, and helped her to see ways that she could combine her faith and her running to praise God, she said.
“I’ve just learned to glorify God by enjoying the opportunity that he’s given me, and I feel like Coach Q has been a driving force behind that thought process,” Neideck said.
In her final season as a Trojan runner, she has set goals of wanting to reflect Christ in her attitudes and actions.
“It is a platform to either promote ourselves,” she said. "Or we can flip that and have it be a platform to show and reflect what Christ has done in our lives and the opportunity that He has given us.”
