Tripp and Taylor Attain All-American Status at NCAA Division III Indoor National Championships

Published: April 13, 2021

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Greenville track and field team wrapped up the 2005 indoor season Friday and Saturday in the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships at Illinois Wesleyan. Amanda Trempert represented the women's team in the 55 meter hurdles. For the men, Brandon Tripp and Bryson Taylor were all-Americans in the 55 meter dash and the triple jump, respectively.Trempert was first to compete on Friday in the preliminaries of the 55 meter hurdles. Trempert entered the race with the ninth fastest time in the country and was racing for one of eight available spots in the final. She got out from the start and looked good heading into the first hurdle. But as she was landing, she was out of ideal position and lost a step on the field. She recovered well and made a strong run, regaining some ground, but not making up enough time to reach the finals. Trempert's time of 8.68 seconds was .28 second off of her national qualifying mark.Tripp was the next Greenville athlete to take the line. He entered the preliminaries of the 55 meter dash with the second fastest qualifying mark in the country ? 6.40 seconds. Like Trempert, Tripp was racing to earn a spot in the finals. His start was a bit sluggish, but once he reached top speed he had no trouble moving up through the field for a second place finish. Tripp was the sixth fastest qualifier in the finals with his time of 6.46 seconds.Tripp began the championship race the same way as his preliminary, a little slow. Despite gathering himself and moving up throughout the short race, he was only able to catch a few individuals. Tripp's final time of 6.44 seconds actually tied with two other athletes. After officials took the time out to the thousandth of a second, it was determined that Tripp was second of the three with the same time, thus placing him sixth overall. The winner of the race, Anthony Miles from New Jersey City, ran a division wide season best time of 6.35 seconds. Although disappointed with his finishing place, Tripp still earned all-American status with his top eight finish. This was his second career all-American honor in the event.The Panthers' final athlete to compete was Bryson Taylor. Taylor, contesting the triple jump, was seeded sixth entering the championships. He set the tone early. His first jump of 47 feet, 5.75 inches put him in third place, his eventual final placing, but not without some added drama. Taylor was bumped to fourth, but quickly regained third position with his final jump in the preliminaries of 47-8.In the finals, Taylor continued to jump consistently. On his second jump, he bounded out to 47-10.75, still in third, but now only a half inch away from second place. Taylor's final jump had the makings of a winner, but he was unable to hold form and finish the jump well. No other positions shifted, and Taylor wound up third, his best finish in five national triple jump appearances and third career all-American honor.With points from Tripp and Taylor's finishes, the men placed 20th as a team with nine points. This was Greenville's second best finish at the NCAA indoor championship."All three of these athletes have proven time and again that they are among the best in the country," said head coach Brian Patton. "Their presence at the national championship was definitely deserved. At this level there is such a small difference between competitors. In our case, a few hundredths of a second or another half inch would have been nice."Greenville's track and field squad will take two weeks off from competition before the start of the outdoor season. Outdoor will begin on the Friday, March 25, at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.