Soccer student-athlete impresses on and off playing field

As the Florida State Women’s Soccer Team earned the 2018 D1 women’s soccer national champion title, one team member made sure she to highlight her academic ability as well as her athletic skills.

Junior Taylor Hallmon described the experience of winning the National Championship as the best day of her life. Tears of joy streamed down each player’s face as the team rushed the field, embracing each other and jumping in celebration. The shock of becoming the 2018 National Champions took a few days to settle in.

“I don’t know if my wedding or the birth of my first child will even top it,” said Taylor, a third-generation Seminole, of the eventful day. Though she was out due to an injury during the game, she was right next to her teammates every step of the way as the team’s greatest cheerleader.

A native of Panama City, Taylor explained that she would be at Florida State even if she wasn’t playing soccer. Her father, grandfather, aunt, and uncle are all Florida State alumni and sparked her passion for Seminole athletics at a young age; Taylor was playing soccer competitively by the age of seven. Her mom used to play soccer, she told us, so the sport is in her blood.

It is no surprise that sacrifices are made when priorities are aligned, and Taylor’s commitment to her sport and school are remarkable. As a dedicated student-athlete, she exemplifies the levels of professionalism and talent that are expected from those enrolled at Florida State by applying the same mindset she has on the field to that in her classrooms.

Student-athletes are not allowed to participate in athletics unless they maintain a certain grade point average, perpetuating the standard of excellence expected at Florida State.

“You definitely figure out pretty quickly what your priorities are in life,” she explained, “and what’s important in life. Everything else kind of gets lost in the background.”

As a biology major, she is able to recognize the expectations of such a demanding field of study and use them as motivation. Two professors who have had an impact on Taylor’s academic career are Dr. Trombly and Dr. Terebelski, both of the biology department.

Mark Krikorian, who has been the coach of the women’s team since 2005, has also influenced Taylor by helping elevate the professionalism of the team to another level.

“Mark runs the program like a business. It’s as professional as it can get.” Taylor told us of the way her coach approaches training.

This national champion has big plans for the future riding on her promising academic and athletic prowess. After finishing her undergraduate studies at Florida State, Taylor will attend Northwestern University for graduate school and to play on their women’s soccer team for two years.

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