Nike Cross Country Camp at Alfred University

Taylor comes to AU after spending four years in the capital city of Abuja, Nigeria where she served in multiple roles. Most recently, she served as a member of the Ministerial Committee for the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.

In this position, she served as a Project Manager for Team Nigeria in the 2016 Rio Olympics and Paralympics where 12 teams qualified and competed. She was also a part of the 2015 All-Africa Games held in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo where Team Nigeria finished second overall with 47 gold medals – the best team finish in the country's history.

Also, while in Abuja, Taylor was a member of the National High Performance Task Team and the Director of National High Performance.

Prior to Nigeria, Taylor was Head Coach of the George Mason women's track & field team. While at the helm of the Patriots, she coached multiple student-athletes to the NCAA Division I Championships, U.S. Olympic Trials, Junior Pan American Games and Pan American Games. Most notably, Taylor coached world-class sprinter, Murielle Ahoure of the Ivory Coast, who has since won silver medals in the 2012 IAAF World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey and 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow, Russia.

From 1995 to 1999, Taylor served as a women's track & field assistant coach at Princeton University where in addition to her coaching responsibilities, she managed scheduling and coordination of events. During her tenure, the Tigers finished first in the Ivy League Indoor Heptagonal Championships twice and Outdoor Heptagonal Championships once.

Since 1992, Taylor has been a USA National Coach including various roles with Olympic Team, IAAF World Championships, Pan American Games, World Junior Championships in Athletics, World Cup, Goodwill Games and Junior Pan American Games. She also served an eight-year stint as a member of the Board of Directors.

Taylor has also served on the coaching staffs at Louisiana State University and the University of Minnesota.

Taylor graduated from Illinois State University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communications. She went on to earn a Masters of Public Administration from George Mason University and her Ph.D. in Leadership in Higher Education from Capella University.

As a student-athlete, she was a nine-time Gateway Conference Champion and member of the Valley All-Centennial Track & Field Team. In 1992, the Gateway Conference recognized Taylor on the All-Decade Team.

While a Student-Athlete as a Saxon, Phillips participated on the cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field teams for four years. He was a member of the 4x400-meter relay teams for both indoor and outdoor that held school records with times of 3:25.22 and 3:20.85, respectively. Coach Phillips graduated from Alfred University in 2010 with his Bachelor of Science in Ceramic Engineering. He was earned Presidential Scholarship and made the Dean's List in 2006 and 2007.

Coach Watson is also the Assistant Track & Field Coach for Alfred State College since August, 2018 where she is involved with issue training and technique for the jumpers and sprinters. She also manages equipment and transportation, compliance, recruiting and scheduling for the Pioneers. Watson also works with the Alfred State cross country programs. Prior to working at A-State, Coach Watson was a volunteer track & field coach at Dansville High School as she is also a substitute teacher for the school.

Coach Watson earned her Associate Degree in animal industry, agriculture from the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill in 2012 where she was a team captain for the Fighter Tigers' track & field team. She was a two-time All-NEAC Second Team finisher while also being an NCAA Regional Qualifier.

She graduated from Dansville High School where she was a team captain. Watson was a state qualifier in both high jump and the pentathlon while also being a state qualifier in cross country in 2006. She was named the Section V Championship MVP.