Swimming lands southern California transfer Samantha Taylor
July 24, 2012
Jamie Foland
474-6807
University of Alaska Fairbanks swimming head coach Scott Lemley announced that Samantha Taylor of Ladera Ranch, Calif. has signed a grant-in-aid agreement and will join the Nanooks this fall. Taylor is a transfer from Azusa Pacific University of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and joins the Nanooks with at least three seasons of NCAA eligibility remaining.
“When we initially heard Samantha was interested in transferring to UAF from another of the schools in our (Pacific Collegiate Swimming) conference we were happy our recent success had attracted her attention,” Lemley said.
Taylor started her college career at the University of California Santa Barbara, but transferred to APU last year to be closer to family.
“She's had a bit of a rough road trying to get her college life on a stable path and was really looking for the right situation,” Lemley said. “She felt she'd be a good fit for us and stressed how important it was for her to find a "family" among the swimmers on our team. The group we have right now are very supportive of each other, very good students and great trainers: just what Sam was looking for.”
The Southern California native attended Capistrano Valley High School and swam competitively with Irvine Novoquatics and Irvine Aquazots club teams. A backstroke and individual medley specialist, as a prep she was a 2008-09 NISCA/Speedo All-American and was a 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier in the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke.
Taylor also qualified for the USA Swimming Senior Nationals in both the 100 and 200 back and was a member of the 2009 USA Swimming National Youth Team. With Capistrano Valley, she was a 2009 California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division I finalist in the 200 IM and 100 back and was the 2007 CIF SS champion in the 200 IM as a sophomore.
“As a 15 year old Sam competed in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 200 IM and 100 backstroke. Her ability to swim all four strokes and be extremely competitive in three of them makes her a perfect fit for our team where she'll have an impact right away,” Lemley added.
With aspirations of teaching biology one day, Taylor will continue studying applied health at UAF.
Taylor joins Nina Mullin (Moss Beach, Calif.), McKinley Wallace (Anchorage, Alaska) and Eileen Audette (Seward, Alaska) on the list of recruits to sign on to swim for the Nanooks and Lemley in 2012-13.