As a freshman in her first year at GPS, Nandia Taylor was part of a state-champion, school-record 4x800 relay with three seniors. She ran a 2:22 leg in that performance.
Now she's a senior herself and headed to the University of Memphis to run track and cross country.
The middle-distance specialist signed track scholarship papers Friday at a noon ceremony at GPS.
"Memphis is trying to build a credible women's track and field program, and Nandia is part of the foundation for that," GPS coach Jeff Gaither said. "She will be competitive in Conference USA, and I think she is going to get faster."
Taylor also received offers from Austin Peay and Albany (Ga.) State and talked with several other universities, but she said liked the Tigers' location best and also appreciated the continual communication she had since last August from Memphis distance coach Doug Clark.
She started running with the C-Motion club team in the summer of 2002 and later joined the Chattanooga Jets AAU program. The Harrison resident was a Hunter Middle School standout before going to GPS.
Her mother ran track in high school in Louisville, Ky., and Nandia early in life realized she was good at running.
"I had two older brothers, and we would always race in the street," she recalled. "And I would always beat them and their friends."
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