Years of training, record-breaking, and plain hard work have led Grand Ledge senior, Taylor Pangburn, straight to a four-year scholarship. After months of being torn between Michigan and Michigan State University, Pangburn finally committed to State and came to the decision that she was a Spartan at heart.

“Honestly, Michigan has always been like my dream school, but after I visited both colleges and met everyone it felt like an obvious choice,” Pangburn recalls from her official visits. “I really liked that the Michigan State coach was a female because it felt like the girls really connected with her a lot more and on a deeper level.”  It’s always been extremely important to Pangburn to have good connections within her team, so after meeting the girls and feeling an instant connection, the decision was already made.

Taylor Pangburn has been participating in track and cross country for years, with running being one of her biggest passions for as long as she can remember. With Pangburn’s friend, fellow track and cross country runner Lauren Hamilton, by her side, Pangburn is able to accomplish any setback the fields may throw her. The girls have been training together since they were children and are bursting with excitement to reach their future goals. 

When asked about her biggest accomplishment, Pangburn looks back on her 4×400 relay at last year’s regional championship. During the last leg of the relay, Pangburn was handed the baton while her Grand Ledge team was in third place, although tensions were high the crowd cheered on as she crossed the finish line securing a win. “There was a huge gap between me and the other girls when I was passed the baton, so it felt like a really big deal getting the win,” she recollects from her run, missing the school record by only 0.4 seconds.

Despite the anxiety and anticipation stirred up waiting for the gun on the starting line, Pangburn has plenty of new excitement to cancel it out. Before even reaching Michigan State University, Pangburn must complete her senior season of track and hopes to defend the Ledge’s two-year-in-a-row conference title. Helping to win the title these last couple of years has done nothing but motivate the young track star to progress and train even more. 

Michigan State University has three competitive running seasons in which one can be sure to see Pangburn participating. Despite cheering for the rival team on television years prior, Pangburn cannot wait to sport her green and white apparel for the next four years of her college experience, with plenty of goals reached and even more to come.