For Sarah Tait, the finish line at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships wasn’t just the end of a race, but also the final strides and a closing chapter of her collegiate career. Tait capped off with a personal best time of 9:27.80 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, placing fourth overall, earning First-Team All-American, and breaking the current Scottish national record in the process. Read more: From Underdog to All-American: Sarah Tait Reflects on Steeplechase Career.
“I knew I could place fourth,” Tait said. “I didn’t really know about the time until I looked at the clock with one lap to go. I thought, ‘If I have a good last lap, I could go sub-9:30 and maybe break the Scottish record.’”
We sat down with Tait shortly after her performance in Eugene to reflect on her final race, her time within the program, and the emotions of closing out her WVU journey and moving on to the next.
The End of an Era: Sara Tait Reflects on Steeplechase Career
The result was historic. But for Tait, it was also a personal feat to overcome.
“I got pretty emotional before the race,” she admitted. “I knew this was the last time I’d put on the WVU jersey. I just wanted to do myself, my teammates, and my coach proud.”
The moment of crossing the finish line in Eugene was filled with a mix of emotions.
“It was a bit of shock that I’d actually done it, and a lot of pride,” she said. “But honestly, there was some sadness too. The last two years have been more than I could’ve ever expected.”
Building a Program
WVU ended the year ranked No. 9 in the Terry Crawford Program of the Year standings, an accumulation of indoor and outdoor track & field and cross-country.
To Tait, this placement only scratched the surface of what this team has built and accomplished.
“To be honest with you, I don’t even think that ranking does the program enough justice,” she said. “We placed second at the NCAA cross country, Ceili (McCabe) was national champion, Joy (Naukot) and I made it to outdoor nationals. Not many teams are this complete.”
Tait joined The Mountaineers in 2023 and has since credited much of her growth to the culture and teammates surrounding her. She spoke highly of the impact Ceili McCabe had on her development, as well as how performing alongside Joy Naukot this season has pushed her performance even further.
“Ceili had just gone to the Olympics in the steeplechase – that was my event too,” She said. “She pushed me and made me believe I could do great things. Then Joy came in this year, young and a little naive to the NCAA, like I was. She has absolutely thrived.”
Tait spoke on how watching Naukot earn a spot on the podium lit a fire under her. Tait knew then that Joy had done it, so now it was her turn.
Tait said “Joy had done it – she got the job done. I needed to step up, too. It really helped having each other.”
Read Coach Cleary’s Interview: Grateful and Remarkable: Coach Cleary Reflects on Historic Year for WVU Track & Field
What’s Next?
Although Tait’s time wearing the gold and blue has ended, she will forever be a Mountaineer. Tait is still unsure what’s next for her, although she knows one thing: she is definitely not finished within the sport. She is currently exploring professional opportunities while continuing to compete on the international stage. Most recently, Tait raced in Madrid at the European Team Championships and hopes to qualify for the World Championships. Her next stop: Los Angeles.
“I’m hoping to sign a professional contract, or maybe I’ll stay here in West Virginia. It’s worked out pretty well. But for now, I’m just focused on qualifying for Worlds.”
Even as her chapter as a WVU athlete comes to a close, Tait hopes to leave a message to younger athletes.
“I think it’s just really important not to give up. I was never the best in high school; I was never breaking records. I just did it for the love of the sport, and I think that’s really important,” Tait said. “Don’t get caught up on winning, enjoy the sport and don’t give up. Good things will come to you eventually.”
Quick Finish with Sarah Tait
To finish off the interview, we hit Sarah Tait with a round of rapid-fire favorites:
- Favorite race location? California!
- Pre-race pump-up song? “Stronger” by Kanye West
- Post-race meal? Shake Shack or In-N-Out
- Dream Matchup: Eilish McColgan
