Taylor Set to Host Crossroads League Cross Country Championships Friday

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UPLAND, Ind. – The Taylor cross country programs are slated to host the 2024 Crossroads League Championships on Friday, Nov. 8, at the TU Cross Country Farm in Upland, Indiana. The women's race is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m., followed by the men at 11:30 a.m. and an awards ceremony at 12:30 p.m.

The newly minted, top-ranked Taylor women's team (72-1) is searching for its 12th straight Crossroads League title as it continues its historic season. Head coach Quinn White recently collected his 1,500th head-to-head win while leading the women's program, and the Trojans are undefeated against strictly NAIA competition on the season. Additionally, TU has set team-time program records for both 5k and 6k races this year. The women's championship meet is a 6k race, following this course map.

Leading the Taylor women is freshman Jaynie Halterman, whose season has included wins in all four races, four Crossroads League Runner of the Week honors, two NAIA National Runner of the Week awards and two individual program-record finishes in a 5k and 6k race.

Three past NAIA All-Americans in Ahna Neideck, Noel VanderWall and Audrey Brinkruff bolster the Trojans' charge, with Kaitlin Burden, Abby Mays and Sam Patterson also turning in top-10 finishes in at least one race in 2024.

While No. 1 Taylor goes for a 12th consecutive title, the CL Championships are also set to feature No. 9 Grace, No. 13 Indiana Wesleyan and No. 14 Marian, while Mount Vernon Nazarene, Goshen and Saint Francis each received votes in the latest NAIA Top-25 Poll.

At 11:30 a.m. Friday, the men's 8k race will begin with No. 6 Indiana Wesleyan, No. 9 Spring Arbor, No. 16 Marian and No. 24 Grace joining 10th-ranked Taylor (68-11) as top-25 squads competing at this year's championships.

TU has one win under its belt this season at the Indiana Wesleyan Twilight Invitational, in which it defeated IWU, Grace and Marian, among others, in the 22-team race.

Four juniors have largely paced TU in 2024, with Joel Mumaw showing great year-over-year improvement as he led Taylor in its season-opening win. Most recently on Oct. 26, fellow classmates Ryan Hanak, Luke Harber and Alex Ortiz produced strong performances to propel the Trojans to their third fastest time in program history at the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge.

A 2023 NAIA All-American, sophomore Nathan Burns also looks to contribute to Taylor's championship run as the team prepares for an 11th consecutive appearance at the NAIA National Championships.

The winning teams of both the men's and women's Crossroads League Championships Friday will receive an automatic bid to the NAIA Cross Country Championship on Nov. 22 in Columbia, Missouri, though the Crossroads League is sure to be well-represented beyond that with its quality depth for both men and women.

For fans planning to attend the CL Championship meet, parking is $5 per person attending (capped at $20 per vehicle) and no dogs are permitted at the course. All students from Crossroads League institutions will get in free with a valid student ID.

Live results for the race can be followed on Crossroadstiming.com, and a live feed of the awards ceremony at 12:30 p.m. can be watched on YouTube – Taylor Athletics, weather permitting.