Taylor Kreitinger

Class:
Redshirt Junior
Position:
Mid-Distance
High School:
Byron HS
Hometown:
Byron, Minn.

Taylor Kreitinger's TFRRS Bio
Taylor Kreitinger's IAAF Bio

PRONUNCIATION

2024 Outdoor Track & Field • Redshirt Senior Season: Was named to the Academic All-Big Ten team and also had a 4.0 GPA... Scored team points with a fifth place finish in the 3000m steeplechase at the 2024 Big Ten Outdoor Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich.... Qualified for the NCAA West Regional for the second year in a row in the steeplechase, finished 17th overall in a season-best time of 10:24.28... Entered five different competitions for the Gophers during the outdoor season, finishing in four of those races... Returned from injury to run a lifetime best 5000m time at the Bryan Clay Invitational, clocking a 17:06.03... Won the Gary Wilson Invitational 3000m steeplechase in a time of 10:31.39.

2024 Indoor Track & Field • Redshirt Senior Season: Had a shortened indoor season due to injury... Ran in two meets during the indoor campaign with her best finish being sixth at the Leonard Hilton Memorial Invite in Houston in the 3000m with a time of 9:53.86.

2023 Cross Country • Redshirt Senior Season: Was honored as Minnesota's recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship during the cross country season... Was a captain of the women's program... Was named to the Academic All-Big Ten team... Competed in seven meets during the cross country season... Was Minnesota's top finisher at both the Badger Classic (6K) and the Joe Piane Invite (5K)... Finished 10th overall in Madison at the Badger Classic in a time of 18:22.1... Ran her lifetime best 5K time at the Joe Piane Invite at Notre Dame in a time of 17:11.3, which was good enough for 28th overall... Was Minnesota's fourth finisher at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Stillwater, Okla., with her 21:36.9 time good enough for 44th overall.

2023 Outdoor Track & Field • Redshirt Junior Season: Earned Academic All-Big Ten honors as well as the Big Ten Distinguished Scholar distinction... Was named an USTFCCCA Division I Track and Field All-Academic Athlete... Had a breakout outdoor season, qualified for the NCAA West Regional for the first time in the steeplechase... Ran to a lifetime best 3000m steeplechase time of 10:16.37 at the NCAA West Regional where she finished 26th overall and improved the No. 9 time in program history in the event (as of August 15, 2023)... Broke through at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in the steeplechase, dropping an impressive time of 10:17.09 to finish fifth overall and scored for the Gophers at the conference level for the first time on the track... Ran a lifetime best 1500m time of 4:25.25 at the Drake Relays to finish eighth overall... Made season debut at the Raleigh Relays in the steeplechase where she finished 24th overall... Also competed at the Virginia Challenge where she clocked a 10:30.71 in the steeplechase to finish sixth... Ran the 1500m two other times during the season at the Jim Click Shootout (4th overall) and the Big Ten Outdoor Championships (29th overall).

2023 Indoor Track & Field • Redshirt Junior Season: Was only able to compete in four indoor meets after a breakout cross country campaign... Made indoor season debut at the Leonard Hilton Memorial Invite in the mile, finishing third in a time of 4:55.50... Ran a 1000m race at the Cyclone Open where she finished in a time of 2:55.51... Ran a lifetime best mile time at the Windy City Invite to finish 10th in a time of 4:52.32... Competed at the Meyo Invite in the 3000m, clocking a time of 9:48.23 to finish 10th overall.

2022 Cross Country • Redshirt Junior Season: Was named a Co-Captain of the Cross Country team... Represented the Maroon and Gold in six different cross country races during the season... Made NCAA debut at the NCAA Midwest Regional where she finished 33rd overall in the 6K race in a lifetime best time of 20:54.60... Made Big Ten Cross Country Championships debut, finishing 55th overall in a time of 21:25.70 at the 6K event... Made season debut at the Michigan Big 10 Preview and finished 30th... Was 70th at the Griak Invitational... Tied season-best finish at the Gans Creek Classic with a 6K time of 21:13.00.

2022 Outdoor Track & Field • Redshirt Sophomore Season: Ran in six different meets during the outdoor season, competing in the 1500m and the steeplechase... Made outdoor season debut at the Raleigh Relays in the 1500m... Ran first 3000m steeplechase race at the Tennessee Relays where she claimed a victory in a time of 11:01.36... Ran at the 62nd Annual Mt. SAC Relays in the 1500m where she clocked a 4:28.64 in the 1500m... Ran at the 1500m at the Drake Relays and finished 11th overall... Won the St. Thomas Tommie Twilight in the steeplechase in a time of 10:51.12... Ran a season-best steeplechase time of 10:40.21 at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, finishing 12th overall in her first Big Ten Outdoor Championships... Also competed in the 1500m at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships where she finished 28th overall.

2022 Indoor Track & Field • Redshirt Sophomore Season: In five different meets during the indoor season competed in seven different races... Opened the indoor campaign at the B1G Ten Midwest Invite in the mile and finished 18th overall in a time of 5:00.68... Exclusively competed in the mile during the indoor season as well as running on the 4x400m relay twice... Ran a season-best mile at the Iowa State Classic of 4:52.96 to finish 16th overall... Was sixth in the mile at the Meyo Invite with a time of 4:57.26... Made Big Ten Championships debut in the mile at the Big Ten Indoor Championships and finished 21st overall in the mile in a time of 4:53.27.

2021 Cross Country • Redshirt Sophomore Season: Named an Academic All-Big Ten honoree • opened the season with a 61st place finish (23:34.6) at the Spiked Shoe Invitational • competed in the women’s “B” race at the Nuttycombe Invitational, finishing 52nd in a personal best time of 22:37.9 • took first in Rocky’s Run with a final time of 23:00.

2020 Cross Country • Redshirt Freshman Season: Named Academic All-Big Ten honoree • did not compete.

2021 Indoor Track & Field • Redshirt Freshman Season: Competed at one meet, running a career-best 5:03.83 to place sixth in the mile and finishing seventh in the 4x400m relay at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational.

2021 Outdoor Track & Field • Redshirt Freshman Season: Named Academic All-Big Ten honoree • competed at four meets • ran career bests in the 800m (2:16.84) and 1,500m (4:35.06) at the M City Classic • ran on the 4x400m relay at the Indiana Invite #1 • ran on the sixth-place 4x800m relay team at the Illini B1G Relays.

2019 Cross Country • Freshman Season: Did not compete.

2020 Indoor Track & Field • Freshman Season: Ran one race while competing unattached • indoor season ended on March 12, 2020, when the Big Ten and NCAA announced they were ceasing competitions and championships because of COVID-19 public health concerns.

2020 Outdoor Track & Field • Freshman Season: The 2020 outdoor track & field season was canceled on March 12, 2020, when the Big Ten and NCAA announced they were ceasing competitions and championships because of COVID-19 public health concerns.

High School: A 2019 graduate of Byron High School where she ran for coaches Charro Coleman and Tom O’Leary • a two-sport athlete who earned six varsity letters in track & field and five varsity letter in soccer • earned eight top-nine finishes at the Minnesota Class A State Track & Field Championships • five-time Hiawatha Valley League all-conference, four-time all-state, and four-time all-section honoree • five-time academic all-state honoree • three-time state qualifier in the 800m, earning Minnesota Class A runner-up finishes as a sophomore and junior • finished as 800m state runner-up and placed fifth in the 4x200m relay as a junior in 2018 • finished as state runner-up in both the 800m and 1600m as a sophomore in 2017 • finished third in the 1600m and placed ninth in the 4x800m relay at the state meet as a freshman in 2016 • placed seventh in the 800m and fourth in the 1600m at the state meet as an eighth grader in 2015 • seven-time Hiawatha Valley League champion, winning four 800m titles and three 1600m titles • named Byron’s 2019 Most Outstanding Female Letter Winner • five-time Distance Runner of the Year team award recipient • 2019 Med City Female Athlete of the Year Finalist • holds Byron school records in the 800m, 1600m, 4x200m relay, 4x400m relay, and 4x800m relay • begins her Gopher career with personal best times of 2:13.67 for 800m and 5:03.90 for the mile • a standout soccer mid-fielder for Byron who earned four all-conference awards and two all-state nods.

Personal: Daughter of Troy Kreitinger and Sharon Kreitinger • has one sibling, Brady • Biology major who plans to pursue dental school • enjoys hiking, spending time with family and friends, going on adventures, traveling, and playing soccer • four-year academic letterwinner, four-year high honor roll student, National Honor Society member, and magna cum laude graduate in high school.