Beavercreek HS graduate wins national track and field award

BEAVERCREEK — There are more than a million student athletes who compete in girls track and field, but Taylor Ewert, a recent Beavercreek High School graduate was the only one to be awarded the 2019-2020 Gatorade National Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

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“I’m still in a bit of disbelief from it all,” Ewert said. “It does make it easier to close the chapter on high school.”

During an interview with News Center 7′s Kayla Courvell, Ewert said her senior season was anything but normal. Like many other student athletes, her season was cut short due to COVID-19.

“I was really disappointed, I mean I put a lot of hard work in and I really wanted to go out with a bang my senior year,” Ewert said. “I just felt like everything was over so quickly.”

Ewert beat out more than 50 finalists for the award and was judged not only on her performance on the track, but what she does off of it too.

“What I do for my team, my community,” Ewert said. “Who I am as a person, not just who I am in the sport.”

Math teacher and football coach at Beavercreek High School, Andy Johnson, said he wasn’t at all surprised to hear the news.

“Taylor has everyone’s respect,” Johnson added. “Her work ethic, attention to detail, focus, commitment, I see her running through her neighborhood all the time, she’s out here running on the track during our 6 a.m. practice.”

Ewert said she plans to celebrate the only way she knows how.

“I have another run planned this afternoon,” Ewert said. “So I’ll probably just go on another run.”

Ewert will continue her running career at the University of Arkansas. She has already qualified for the Olympic trials and is now training for 2021 in Tokyo.

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