Makenna Taylor '19 Recruiting Profile

Long jumping was a late blossomed passion of mine that wasn’t discovered until my freshman year of high school, one that required a substantial amount of hard work, perseverance, and incited growth within me. However, there has been no turning back. No matter how many setbacks I may have, I will always keep working hard in order to achieve my goals. For example, my freshman year of high school, I improved by two and a half feet in the long jump after never having jumped before, therefore I was incredibly excited for my sophomore year. To my disappointment though, my second year did not go as planned, I didn't set a personal record all season and I was really upset, but I kept working, pushing through the frustration because I knew I could be better. Now, in my junior year, it was my year for redemption. My parents and I hired a private jump coach in order to learn new techniques and hopefully improve, which I did. After not jumping my best at the beginning of the season, I was finally able to put all the pieces together, and midway through the season I was setting personal records at every meet-I set personal records for 7 meets in a row (the last 7meets of the season)- and finally at districts I jumped 16 feet. This is why I believe college athletics would be a good fit for me and why I believe I could prosper at the next level. I know how to work through difficult situations, stay positive, and continue to work hard to create the outcome I desire. In college, I hope to be able to continue proving myself to coaches by working hard, displaying leadership, and having a positive attitude even in tough situations.