by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
Katie Taylor is a member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe. Her Indian name is Makwagaboikwe and means ‘Bear Stands Like Woman’. She’s from Hayward, Wisconsin.
Katie has been competing in track and field for about 10 years now. She currently is a junior on the team at Minnesota State University in Mankato.
“I’m an All-American shot putter,” said Katie. “I placed third at outdoor nationals my freshman year. This is my first full season since my freshman year. I’ve had to redshirt my sophomore year due to transferring schools within the Northern State Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). I was qualified for indoor nationals last year and that was my junior year but I had a season-ending injury.”
On February 19, 2020, Katie was named for the third time this season the NSIC Track and Field Athlete of the Week. Katie won the weight throw at the NSIC Indoor Challenge in 19.26m/63-02.25. The throw ranked as the third best in DII at that time. She also had the second best throw in DII this season.
Katie also placed second in the shot put at the NSIC Indoor Challenge with a personal best throw of 14.27m/46-10.00.
The NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field Championships were to be held in Birmingham, AL, on March 13 and 14, 2020. Katie was listed 2nd in the weight throw and 14th in the shot put in the performance listings. The event and remaining 2020 NCAA practices, meets and championships were canceled until further notice due to the world pandemic.
Athletes throughout the world have stopped practicing and competing. “The rest of the track season is cancelled with a possibility of practicing May 1st,” said Katie. “I was waiting until the track season was done to get an ankle surgery done, but now that the season is done I’m moving the surgery up.”
Katie encourages other student-athletes to aspire as she did and does. “Advice I’d give to young student athletes is that working hard will always pays off,” said Katie. “Keep looking up and forward even if the rough patch you’re going through doesn’t seem like it will end, it will and once you reach the other side everything you have been working toward will unfold.”
Photo Credit: Minnesota State Athletics Communications
