New Mexico State University Athletics

2010 (Junior): Taft was one of the Aggies top performers in 2010. Taft competed in six of NM State's seven meets and was near the top performers in every race. Taft ran a 25:35 at the WAC Championships (Oct. 30) and placed 17th, only three spots form earning All-WAC honors. Taft also placed 4th at the Kachina Classic after finishing 4th and posting a 25:26.4. Taft had another solid showing at the NCAA Mt. Regional after he finished 53rd in a time of 31:28.2.

2009 (Sophomore): Taft scored in three races for NM State in 2009 including the NCAA Mountain Regional's (11/14) where he ran the 10k race in 33:18.3 and was the third Aggie to cross the finish. He also scored for the Aggies at the 2009 WAC Championships with 27:56 and helped the team to a fourth-place finish. That is a two-spot improvement from the 2008 championships. Taft's best 8k time of the year, 26:04, came at Santa Clara Bronco Invitational (10/17), which helped the Aggies to finish seventh overall.

2008 (Freshman): Taft competed in all but one race for the Aggies in 2008.  He recorded his fastest time of the season at the Santa Clara Invitational (Oct. 18), in Santa Clara, Calif., after stopping the clock at 27:22.  His strongest finish of the season was at the season opener, the Lobo Invitational (Sep. 6), when he crossed the line 32nd with a time of 27.58.65.

High School: Taft is a 2008 graduate of Manzano High in Albuquerque, N.M., where he lettered in track and field for two years and cross-country for a single season.  At the New Mexico Invitational, Set. 8, Taft recorded his personal-best time of 17:11 in the 5k.  During the track and field season, he clocked a time of 4:34 in the 1600-meter run and at the district 5A meet. Taft set a personal-best in the 3200-meter run of 10:27.

Personal: Taft is the son of Roger Taft and Linda Lowe.  He is majoring in mechanical engineering.