Taylor withdraws from cross-country nationals because of injury

By Chris Rickerson | Sports editor

Mackenzie Taylor, a star cross-country runner at Augusta University, has withdrawn from the 2021 NCAA Championship due to an injury. 

“It’s unfortunate that Mackenzie is not running this weekend,” said AU Coach Adam Ward. “We do not know the exact cause or nature of her injury, but wish her a speedy recovery in time for track season.”

Taylor is a two-time Peach Belt Conference runner of the year and has won back-to-back individual PBC titles. Taylor finished ninth in the regionals two weeks ago and had a strong chance to gain All-American honors by finishing in the top 40 at the nationals.

The junior runner would have been competing in her first ever national championship after the NCAA did not have one last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.  

Taylor will look to get healthy and be ready for the upcoming track and field season for AU in the spring. 

Augusta will now have no women headed to nationals this season, but junior Kai Brickey will compete in the 10-kilometer race for the men.

Brickey won the 2021 PBC men’s runner-of-the-year award, as well as winning his first individual title this season. He will be returning to nationals for his second time after he finished 126th with a time of 31:49.7 in the 10K event as a sophomore in 2019. The Jaguar runner finished 13th in the regionals in Spartanburg, S.C.

The national championship will be held Saturday, Nov. 20, in Saint Leo, Fla., at The Abbey Course. The women’s race will begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by the men’s race at 9:45 a.m. 

Contact Chris Rickerson at crickerson@augusta.edu.