Q & A with Taylor Maibach: Dalton grad misses high jump; will continue cheerleading in college

PHOTO PROVIDED

By ARIEL STAHLER
Gazette & News sports writer

The 2020 high school spring sports season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dalton Gazette & Kidron News will be featuring Dalton High School spring athletes who recently graduated and did not get to represent the Dawgs in their final season. This week’s graduate is track and field athlete Taylor Maibach. She competed in high jump and hurdles.

What was your reaction when you found out spring sports were canceled?
I can’t really say I was surprised with everything going on. I kind of had a little feeling that maybe we weren’t going to have a season. It was very disappointing. I didn’t really get my hopes up that we were going to have a season, but it was definitely disappointing. It was our senior year. It was our last time. Last year, we didn’t think that was going to be our last season.

What were some of your goals for this season?
My goals for this season were definitely to do better than I did last year, just try to make myself better and accomplish more than I did the years before.

Did you have any specific goals for your event this year?
One of my main events that I have done since 7th grade is high jump, so high jump is one of my favorite things to do. It’s the thing I focus on the most. This year, I was just really hoping to beat my PR and just have my best year yet.

What do you miss most about track and field?
I definitely miss high jump a lot because that was one of my favorite things to do. I will definitely miss my coaches pushing me to be better. I will definitely miss my friends that I have been with. I was in relays before and just the feeling of having your teammates with you and running with them and bonding with them.

How have you kept in contact with your teammates?
I have kept in contact with some of my teammates, mostly because some of them are in my grade. I actually saw one of my coaches today at a graduation party, so it was nice to catch up with her.

How have you been keeping active during your time at home?
I try to work out. I’ve been working out at a place in Fairlawn. I actually have taken some classes. I took a spin class not too long ago. I’ve been taking a weightlifting class on Thursdays.

How did you adjust to distance learning?
That was definitely really hard because, personally, I’m not that great at math, so doing math online was super hard for me. Adjusting online was definitely hard, but our teachers were very helpful and if you needed anything at any time, they were just a call away.

Are there any new hobbies or activities you have been keeping busy with?
I’ve actually been bike riding a lot more. Normally, I don’t go on bike rides or anything like that, but I have been going on a lot of bike rides, especially at first when things were bad and things were shut down and we really couldn’t do anything.

Have you learned anything new about yourself during this time?
I learned that if other people tell me to do something and push me to do it, I do it, but working out on my own, there is nobody there to push me, so I had to really push myself. I realized if I need to do it on my own, I can do it on my own.

What are your plans now that you have graduated?
I will be attending Mount Vernon Nazarene University and I will be cheering there. I will be majoring in business administration.

Follow Ariel on Twitter @AStahlerDGKNews