At the NCAA Western Preliminary Rounds at the University of Kansas, senior Nicholas Taylor became just the third athlete in UVU history to qualify for the NCAA Championship Rounds in Eugene, Oregon, in the 100m dash, running a time of 10.31 seconds to be ranked No. 9 in the West.
"This has been a long five-year struggle. I tore my hamstring and came back, and it has added up to me being here. It has been a tough road, but I made it, and I can't wait to see how far I can go," Taylor said.
Taylor entered the meet in one of the fastest heats, finishing in third place in his heat. The Texas native is one of just three student-athletes to qualify that did not finish in first or second place in their heat. The top-12 athletes in every event will advance to the final rounds in Eugene.
"This is an exciting time for me and for everyone. I know coach Paul is excited as I am the first sprinter to qualify, and this is exciting for UVU in general," Taylor said. "The 100m dash means a lot to me, especially because my dad made it this far, as well as the Olympic trials. I still have the 200m tomorrow and want to see what will happen there."
Savannah Berry opened the day with the rescheduled 10,000m run and ended her sophomore campaign better than her seed in the race. Berry finished No. 40 in the West with a time of 36:44.43 in the 25-lap race.
Senior Trac Norris competed in the 3,000m steeplechase through an jury and ran a time of 9:40.33. The standout finished his running career at Utah Valley as a four-time NCAA qualifier, including a trip to Eugene in 2015. A lightning delay interrupted the steeplechase, and the third heat has yet to commence, postponing the final results of the event.
"I want to be humble. My brother is going to be a top sprinter at Miami, and it will be difficult for him to be humble, but he will learn, and I want to be an example for him," Taylor said. "Being at UVU has been great, being here with all of my friends and these elite athletes is an experience you will never forget."
The NCAA Western Preliminary Rounds continue Saturday, and Taylor will compete in the 200m quarterfinal, while Cole Eisenhour will race in the 200m quarterfinal.