Email: taylor.miller@wku.edu
Miller enters her second season leading the Lady Topper distance runners for WKU[apos]s track and field and cross country programs.
During her first season on the Hill in 2013-14, Miller guided sophomore runners Lindsey Hinken and Katie Lever to All-Sun Belt Conference honors during the cross country, indoor and outdoor seasons.
Hinken finished runner-up at the 2013 Sun Belt Conference Cross Country Championships in Troy, Ala with a 5,000-meter time of 17:47.8. Hinken[apos]s second-place showing earned her All-Conference accolades for the second-straight season. Lever wasn[apos]t far behind Hinken, finishing fourth at the SBC Championships with a clocking of 18:03.3. Hinken and Lever were two of five Lady Topper runners to record personal best 5K times during the 2013 season.
Miller helped Hinken and Lever carry their success over into the indoor season, as Lever finished runner-up in the 3,000-meter run and third in the 5,000-meter run at the SBC Indoor Championships to garner all-league honors. Hinken recorded the fifth-fastest 5,000-meter time in school history at 16:48.41 during the regular season and went on to finish runner-up at the SBC Championships. Both were all-league honorees in the 5,000 and 10,000-meter runs during the outdoor season as well, with Lever finishing second in the 5,000 and third in the 10,000 at the SBC Championships while Hinken was second in the 10,000 and third in the 5,000.
Lever posted a 10,000-meter time of 34:30.45 at the Stanford Invitational, which was the second-fastest time in program history and was good enough to qualify for the NCAA East Preliminary Championships. Lever became the first Lady Topper since 2010 to represent WKU in a distance event at the NCAA Regional level.
Miller joined the WKU coaching staff after spending the 2012-13 season directing the distance program at Murray State as an assistant. Under Miller[apos]s guidance the Lady Racers track and field team finished runner-up at the Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championships, aided by four point-scoring performances in the distance events. Miller directed Carolyne Tanui to a runner-up finish in the 10,000 meter run and All-OVC honors.
During the cross country season, Miller led the Lady Racers to a fourth-place finish at the OVC Cross Country Championships. Miller helped guide Abigail Ashbee-Simmonds to a school-record performance in the 6,000-meter run at the NCAA Southeast Regionals while aiding two other athletes to personal records at regionals.
A native of Owensboro, Ky., Miller graduated from the University of Kentucky where she was a standout runner for the cross country and track and field teams. She earned All-Southeastern Conference accolades in the 10,000 meter run and holds the fifth-fastest time in Lady Wildcats history in the event at 35:45.
Jenkins on the addition of Miller to the WKU track and field/cross country staff:
[quote]I really like Taylor[apos]s energy.She is passionate about the sport and is proving to be a tenacious recruiter,[quote] said Jenkins. [quote]She has a great vision for what our distance program can be. She is a tireless worker with drive and ambition. I am excited to have her as vibrant member of the staff and leading our women[apos]s distance runners. She has experience at several levels which will help her positively connect with her student athletes.[quote]
Miller on being named an assistant coach at WKU:
[quote]It truly is a dream job for me, being from western Kentucky. I feel like a hometown girl,[quote] said Miller. [quote]The tradition here is like none other in terms of winning championships. It[apos]s an exciting, young coaching staff. I[apos]ve talked to some of girls already and I[apos]m really excited about what we can accomplish.[quote]
The Miller File
Education
B.A., Kentucky, 2009
Coaching Experience
Murray State - Asst. Coach, 2012-13
WKU - Asst Coach, 2013-present
Athletic Experience
Track & Field, Kentucky, 4 years
All-SEC (10,000 meters)
