Sask. track athlete making strides in senior year down south

Taylor Sargent, of Carlyle, Sask., has qualified for nationals in track and field in her senior year at Valley City State University (VCSU).

Sargent, 23, could have finished her collegiate career in 2022 but decided to return for her fifth and final year of eligibility at VCSU.

“I just wasn’t ready to be done yet. I had a goal of qualifying for nationals that I wanted to accomplish,” Sargent told CTV News.

She is among just two athletes from her school who have qualified for the indoor national tournament. She will compete in the 60 metre hurdle event, one she has now set a personal best and school record (9.10 secs) in.

“I was in shock. I knew I ran a fast time, but I didn’t know how fast and I looked at the board right away. I walked over to my coach and he’s like, ‘Congratulations, you qualified!’ I was just in shock,” Sargent recalled.

“I shed some tears just because I’ve been wanting it so bad and been working towards it for so long.”

Sargent also holds VCSU’s record in the 100 metre outdoor hurdle event and pentathlon.

Even though Sargent has seen some great success in her track and field collegiate career, she originally signed with the school on a volleyball scholarship.

“I played volleyball my first two years [at VCSU]. Then during my second year, I had the opportunity to do track. So that year I actually did both until COVID hit. Then [in] my third year I decided to switch over to track fully as I just really enjoyed it and had been missing it,” she explained.

Sargent is the only member of the school’s track and field team that hails from Saskatchewan.

She comes back to her home province during the summer for her off-season training under Deanna Wells.

“I’ve trained with her for a long time and then since starting university, I’ve actually lived in Regina every summer to train with Deanna out of Adrenaline Strength and Conditioning,” Sargent said.

When asked if Wells played a pivotal role in helping her qualify for Nationals this season, Sargent did not hesitate to acknowledge Well’s for her successes.

“It’s definitely paid off! I felt a lot stronger and just ready for the season right away. She’s helped me work with explosiveness and just coming back stronger,” she explained.

“I started training Taylor when she was about 14 years old, so when I relocated [from Southeast Saskatchewan] to Regina, she relocated with me,” Wells recalled.

“So many athletes I train from youth all the way up through college. So seeing that growth not only as an athlete, but as a person, you see them change so much. Especially when they accomplish their hopes and dreams.”

“Coming from small town Saskatchewan, she didn’t have the same opportunities with private track clubs and all of that stuff growing up. She’s had to put in the extra work in order to be able to compete at that level,” Wells added.

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics [NAIA] Indoor Track and Field Championships will take place from March 2 to 4 at South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD.

“I’m most excited to just experience it. It’s going to be such a competitive atmosphere and I’m going to be competing against the best in the NAIA so I’m just excited to see what I can do,” Sargent said.

“It’s going to be a great way to end my career.”