2009 Men's Cross Country Roster
Roster
Justin Taylor
- Weight:
- 0
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- St. Augustine, Fla.
- High School:
- St. Joseph's Academy
Major: Food & Resource Economics
Track Events: Mile, 800m, 1,500m and Distance Medley
Highlights: SEC Academic Honor Roll in 2007-08 … SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll in 2006-07 … Three top-10 finishes … Ranks sixth on Florida’s all-time 5-mile list … Personal bests of 24:22.1 (8K), 24:03 (5-mile) and 32:08.99 (10K).
2008: Competed in four meets, scoring in all of them … Turned in a 15th-place finish in his first race of the season, recording the sixth-best 5-mile time in UF history at the Notre Dame Invitational (24:03) … Second Gator to cross the finish line at the Pre-NCAA Invitational, placing 44th overall and setting a career-best 8K time … Finished 26th, fourth among Gators, at the SEC Championship … Finished 32nd, third among Gators, at the NCAA South Regional Championship.
2007: Competed in all five meets of the season … Was the fourth Gator to cross the finish line at the Pre-NCAA Invitational … Ran a career-best 10K time of 32:08.99 at the South Regional Championship.
2006: Competed in five races, scoring in two … Took fifth at the Mountain Dew Invitational, running a season-best 8K time of 24:42.19 … Florida's third finisher at the Notre Dame Invitational with a time of 24:41 in the 5-mile race … Finished in the top 30 overall as Florida's seventh runner at the SEC Championships … Also competed at the Pre-NCAA Invitational and the NCAA Championship.
2005: Ran a 24:47.35 8K in the first meet, then received a medical redshirt for the remainder of the season.
Track Highlights: All-SEC in 2006 … One career victory … A member of the 2006 SEC Indoor Champion distance medley relay with Shane Stroup, Carlos Phillips and Chris Gilchrist … Won the indoor mile event at the 2009 Tom Jones Invitational, setting a personal-best time … Finished third in the same event at the 2009 Big 12/SEC Showdown … Recorded a second-place finish in the outdoor 1,500m run at the 2009 Pepsi Florida Relays with a personal-best time … Finished seventh at the 2009 SEC Outdoor Championships in the 1,500m … Qualified for the 2009 NCAA East Regional Championship in the same event … Personal bests of 1:54.79 (i800m), 4:03.94 (iMile), 1:52.07 (o800m), 3:45.31 (o1,500m), 14:10.97 (o5,000m)
Prep: Coached by Todd Neville and Brian Larkin … Five-time Class 1A State Track Champion (two-time 800m, two-time 1,600m and one-time 3,200m) … 2005 Class 1A State Cross Country Champion … Lists his most memorable moment as winning the Florida 800m, 1,600m and 3,200m titles in 2005 … Graduated with school records in the 400m, 800m, 1,600m, 3,200m, 5K cross country, 4x400m relay and 4x800m relay … Earned several academic awards … Vice president of SADD … Also played soccer and traveled to Spain with his Jacksonville Kyx team.
Personal: Son of Iain and Carol-Anne Taylor … Moved to the United States from Scotland when he was 12 … Enjoys listening to music, practicing photography, watching movies and playing sports with his friends … Admires Roger Bannister for defying the odds and breaking the four-minute barrier in the mile after people said it could not be done … Also considered Florida State, Clemson and Appalachian State … Chose Florida because it is a fine institution in which he has seen himself growing as a student, an athlete and a person.
