High Point University

HPU Alum competes in Rio

By Ameer Tyree// Staff Writer

Taylor Milne is arguably the best distance runner to ever come through High Point University’s track program. Milne, a native Canadian that graduated in 2005, finished ninth in his heat and twenty-sixth overall in the 3000m steeplechase in the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

While Milne did miss the final, he did make HPU proud in his second appearance in the Olympic Games. He ran the 1500m run at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Milne’s dominance at HPU earned him a place on the Big South indoor and outdoor all decade teams in 2014.

His host of individual accolades include individual championships in the 800m run, the mile and the 3000m run. He even became the school’s first Division 1 track and field national qualifier in his senior year, where he finished thirteenth in the country in the indoor mile.

Milne holds the record for the indoor mile with a time of 4:02.18 and the 3000m run with a time of 3:43.99 to this day.

After an impressive professional career, MiIne has said that after his performance this year in the 3000m steeplechase, he plans on retiring from competition to help coach young athletes for years to come.