Taylor and Miksic Earn All-America Status
6/17/2025
IRVINE, Calif. – Senior Liam Miksic and junior Zharia Taylor have officially been named NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field All-Americans by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Athletes of member institutions earned first-team All-America status by finishing among the top-8 of their events at the NCAA Championships this past weekend in Eugene, Oregon. Second-team All-America honors went to those student-athletes who finished between ninth and 16th place.
Honorable mention went to student-athletes who came in 17th through 24th in their respective events at Hayward Field.
Liam Miksic closed out a decorated career with second-team All-America honors after finishing 12th in the men’s javelin at the NCAA Championships. The Spring Lake, New Jersey, native delivered his second career 70-meter throw (70.13m/230-1) on his second attempt. Miksic was a four-time NCAA regional qualifier and three-time Big West champion. He became only the third thrower in Big West history to win three consecutive conference titles in the men’s javelin, and was the first to accomplish the feat since 1989. Miksic also broke the school record for the second time in his career when he unleashed a lifetime-best 71.06m (233-1) on his final throw at the Big West Championships on May 17.
Zharia Taylor tied for 16th in the women’s high jump to earn second-team All-America distinction. Taylor easily cleared the opening height of 1.74m (5-8.5) on her first attempt. She then got over the bar at 1.79m (5-10.5) on her second try to put her in the top-16. The Long Beach native was the first Anteater on the women’s side to advance to nationals since 2009 and the first to earn All-America honors since 1997. She punched her ticket to nationals after tying for ninth with a personal-record 1.81m (5-11.25), which ranks second in program history, at the NCAA West First Round on May 31. Taylor was also the conference runner-up in the high jump, helping the ‘Eaters win the program’s first Big West Women’s Track & Field Championship.
