A name that has flown under the radar for the past few months has been that of Ruston's Taylor Roller. This young star has made leaps and bounds over the past two years and is setting himself up for a promising track season.
Taylor's story begins at Cedar Creek where he took up cross country in elementary school. Not long after that, Taylor transferred to Ruston Junior High in 7th grade, where he "truly began to race well."
Taylor's journey of transitioning schools was a defining moment in his running career. It was at this point that he became fully committed to running and began reaching out to the Ruston High distance coach, Dustin Cochran.
With the combination of Roller's own independent research and the insight of Coach Cochran, Taylor's career skyrocketed.
From that point on, Roller became a dominating force on both the grass and the track for the remainder of his middle school career
"I started winning races that in elementary and 6th grade, I wouldn't have been in the top 20," Roller said.
Taylor dedicates his success to being in touch with Coach Cochran early on and being able to train with the high school squad while he was still in junior high.
"I'm just getting started. I continue to progress every day and am ready to see what I can do down the road."
Earlier last summer, Roller competed alongside the Ruston boys in the HOKA Postal Nationals 2 Mile and recorded an unbelievable mark for his age. He ran 9:57 which set him up for an even more impressive cross-country season for the fall.
Taylor Roller (far left) at the D1 Cross-Country State Meet
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During that time, Roller made the cut for the varsity squad and even was the Bearcats' second man at the D1 Cross-Country State Meet.
"It was a true blessing to have had the opportunity to compete on the state team," Roller said. "Going into the cross country season, I didn't necessarily understand what I was capable of."
Roller raced in the deepest field in Louisiana history at the state meet and garnered a strong finish of 18th place. Not only is this impressive on its own, but he was also the highest-finishing freshman out of the entire D1 field and the fastest freshman overall at the meet.
"I'm very eager and ready for track to hold that place as the fastest freshman," Roller said. He will make his indoor debut in Fayetteville, Arkansas on January 14th at the Arkansas High School Invitational.
"This track season is going to be one to remember," Roller said. "I'm looking forward to seeing how fast I can run, how well my team will compete as a whole, and to see how my team grows together through this upcoming season."
