Racewalk national record holder, Arkansas-bound distance athlete becomes eighth individual in any sport from Ohio to earn Gatorade national recognition, including St. Vincent-St. Mary graduate LeBron James in 2002-03

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

For every racewalk goal that was delayed or each track achievement that didn’t come to fruition for Taylor Ewert during her senior year at Beavercreek High in Ohio, as a result of the spring outdoor season being canceled due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Arkansas signee was pleasantly surprised Tuesday to earn one of the most significant honors of her prep career.

During a virtual meeting that was disguised as an opportunity to be interviewed by ESPN, Ewert was presented at home by her mother, Teri, with the trophy honoring her as the Gatorade National Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

TAYLOR EWERT PRESENTATION VIDEO

“This season wasn’t really something to remember, so now I’ll always remember my senior year by this and it’s really nice. It’s kind of the cherry on top of the sundae and it’s awesome,” Ewert said. “I was definitely disappointed not being able to finish my senior track season the way I wanted it to end. So to have this come up and put something very positive into my life and to be able to close this chapter of my senior year with this award, it’s really great. It feels good to be able to end on a positive note.”

Ewert is the eighth prep athlete in Ohio history in any sport to receive Gatorade national recognition, including LeBron James from St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron earning the boys basketball award in 2002 and 2003, along with the overall male athlete of the year in 2003.

“It’s a big deal,” Ewert said. “The next step will be just meeting him and that will be perfect – two Ohioans together.”

Ewert also became the first female track and field athlete from Ohio to earn the Gatorade national award since Woodmore High graduate and University of Michigan standout Emily Pendleton in 2007.

“It’s really significant because I take a lot of pride in my team and in Beavercreek, Ohio, and I’m always hoping to go on a national stage and represent them to the highest level,” Ewert said. “To be able to win this award, not only for myself, but also for them and the school, I think it just kind of goes to show that all the work that they’ve put in and I’ve put in have just really paid off.”

Ewert achieved another historic first by becoming the only female track and field or cross country athlete in the 35-year history of the Gatorade national awards program to sign with Arkansas. Former Razorbacks’ All-American Gunnar Nixon was the Gatorade national boys track and field honoree in 2011.

“It’s really cool to be one of the first to receive this award that has also signed with Arkansas,” Ewert said. “I think it just goes to show how good the Arkansas program is, and they can now say that they’ve recruited a girl who has won this award.

“I think this is just the beginning for Arkansas and the girls they’ll recruit that are going to win this award. I know there is a lot of talent out there and I know Arkansas’ program is only getting better, especially with track and cross country.”

Although Ewert didn’t have an opportunity to pursue the national high school record in the 2,000-meter steeplechase during the outdoor season, her indoor achievements were remarkable, highlighted by lowering her own 3,000-meter racewalk national prep and American U-20 records to 13:00.56 on Jan. 19 at The Virginia Showcase at Liberty University.

The mark ranked No. 2 among World U-20 performers this year and 14th among all female racewalkers globally during the indoor season.

She also repeated in the mile racewalk Feb. 8 at the NYRR Millrose Games at The Armory in New York, prevailing in 6:34.53 against a field of professional athletes, including a pair of Olympians, giving her three of the top 15 all-time indoor marks in event history.

Ewert also ran indoor personal bests of 4:50.07 in the mile and 10:18.94 in the 2-mile in February, before capturing Ohio Division 1 indoor state titles in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters in March.

“It proves you can do more than one thing and be successful at it. You can be versatile at multiple different sports,” said Ewert, who was scheduled to compete last week in the 20-kilometer racewalk at the U.S. Olympic Trials that have been postponed until next year in Eugene, Ore.

“I definitely would have to say for the racewalk community, this is definitely going to be a big deal, just because the racewalk community is overlooked a lot of the time or looked down upon. It just shows that you can be successful in running and also be successful in racewalking, and if you want to do steeplechase or another event, you can do that as well.”

Ewert became only the fifth female distance athlete of any kind – joining Kim Mortensen of Thousand Oaks, Calif., in 1996, Chanelle Price of Easton Area, Pa., in 2008, Amy Weissenbach of Harvard-Westlake, Calif., in 2011, and Katelyn Tuohy of North Rockland, N.Y., in 2018 – to earn the Gatorade National Track and Field award.

In a senior class that also includes Tuohy, a three-time Nike Cross Nationals champion and reigning Gatorade national girls cross country honoree, along with Ann Arbor Pioneer MI standout Zofia Dudek – the reigning Foot Locker national cross country champion – being honored as the top track and field athlete in the country was even more significant for Ewert, an All-American in December at both cross country national finals.

“This year the class was so deep and to be able to come out on top and be recognized for it definitely feels good,” Ewert siad. “I think anyone in the class could have gotten it, so for myself to be chosen as the one to receive it, it definitely means a lot. It goes to show for me, where I stand with everything. It’s definitely a very prestigious award.”

Ewert, who boasts a 3.49 grade-point average, was also recognized for her community service, including being an altar server at Wright Patterson Air Force Base Chapel for six years and supporting the homeless through AFB Chapel Youth Group.

She has also been a motivational speaker for a summer youth program, in addition to being a meet official and instructor for middle school athletes in Southwest Ohio Track Club, where she also teaches a class on racewalking.

“It definitely resonates because a lot of the awards that I get are just for my running, my racewalking and my accomplishments,” Ewert said. “This award goes beyond that, to represent my academic achievements and my character and what I’ve done in the community, and that means a lot because runners and athletes, they don’t have to put in the time at school and the time in their community, but when they do and they’re also able to perform at the highest level, I think it just goes to show who they are as a person. I appreciate Gatorade recognizing all of that.”