Taylor named Outstanding Woman Student-Athlete

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas track & field senior pole vaulter Laura Taylor was named this year’s Outstanding Woman Student-Athlete, presented by the University of Kansas’ Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity on Thursday evening. Taylor was honored at the annual Women’s Recognition Program, which pays tribute to outstanding women in the KU community.
 
Taylor, who hails from Tualatin, Oregon, is a four-year letterwinner for the Jayhawk track & field program and has been an integral part of the KU women’s team success as of late, earning a First Team All-America honor by finishing sixth in the pole vault at the 2018 NCAA Indoor National Championship and earning Second Team All-America honors at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships with a 14th-place finish in the vault.
 
Not only has Taylor succeeded in her career in pole vault, but she has also succeeded in the classroom. As an Exercise Science major who is minoring in Psychology, Taylor is a three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic Team member, a two-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team honoree and was a recipient of this year’s Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, which is the highest academic honor given to student-athletes by the Big 12 Conference.
 
Along with excelling in the pole vault and in the classroom, Taylor has found time to give back to the community and is a co-creator of the “Rock the Track” annual event, which gives Lawrence-area youths the opportunity to learn some of the fundamentals of track & field with instruction from the Kansas track & field team. She was voted on by her peers to be the Director of Communications for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and plays an active leadership role as a track & field representative for SAAC and on the executive committee.
 
The Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity presents the Outstanding Woman Student-Athlete award yearly to a woman-identified student who, through her overall excellence as an athlete and team member in KU athletic organizations, has contributed to the advancement of her sport and women’s athletics.
 
Taylor and the rest of the Kansas track & field squad are set to compete at the 91st Kansas Relays Presented by RCB Bank, April 18-21, at Rock Chalk Park.
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