Nathan Taylor came to Cornell nine years ago, and since that time, the team has clawed its way to the top of the Ivy League known as the Heptagonal Games Championship, winning championships in each of the last five years, eight of the last 10, and setting the standard for team performance within the Ivy League during the first decade of the 21st century.
As a coach, Taylor is recognized as an expert in the jumping events. In his career, he has coached 14 NCAA qualifiers in the triple jump, seven of whom became All-Americans. In the long jump, he has had 12 jumpers span 24-3 or farther in the last nine years with five different Heps champions, while 10 different high jumpers have hit 6-11 or better in the last 10 years. Not to be outdone in the pole vault, he has coached 10 different Heptagonal or IC4A champions, and his vaulters have set all-time Ivy League marks both indoors and outdoors, with four over 17-3 and one over 18-1. He also coaches the jumpers on the women’s team, who have established school records in every jumping event, including All-Americans Sarah Wilfred (high jump) and Jeomi Maduka (long jump All-American, triple jump NCAA qualifier). Additionally, he has coached NCAA qualifiers Jamie Grubel (heptathlon) and Natalie Gengel (pole vault). He has had at least one NCAA finalist in every jumping event and a NCAA regional qualifier in every throwing and sprinting event, including Scott Benowitz in the javelin (232-5), David Pell and Garrett Huyler in the high jump (7-1 and 7-2.5), Rayon Taylor in the triple jump (53-8), Evan Whitehall (16-10, a Heps meet record) and Muhammad Halim (24-9 and 53-7, a Heps meet record).
Taylor is USA Track and Field Level II certified in the jumps and is a highly sought-after speaker and clinician on training theory and coaching. He has served at the President of the IC4A’s and also sponsors his own track and field and cross country summer camps on the Cornell campus.
Wayne Gustafson is a volunteer coach for Cornell who's efforts have not gone unnoticed. In the last three years he has had 7 athletes qualify for the IC4A's, 4 for the NCAA Regionals, and 3 for the NCAA championships in the High Jump.
A Cornell high jumper himself, Gustafson cleared a remarkable 6'10'' in 1966. In 1968, he won both the Indoor and Outdoor Heptagonal Championships, both with jumps of 6'8''. By having a coach with Gustafson's dedication and enthusiasm Cornell High Jumpers will continue to make drastic improvements.
