TERRE HAUTE, In.--Junior cross-country captain Troy Taylor has proved he is a force to be reckoned with. Troy will run at the NCAA National meet this Saturday, Nov 22, at 1:00.

"Nationals is one of the deepest cross country races there is," said junior Captain Troy Taylor. "I'm just gonna treat it like any other race, go out there and do what I have done a hundred times before"

Taylor has had an excellent season. The men's cross-country team has won their first conference championship since 2000. Troy placed third in the conference 8K championships with a time of 24:15.1.

At the Pre-National meet in Terre Haute, Indiana in October, Troy placed 44th with a time of 24:58.8.

"This is what we worked for all season," said cross-country coach Stefanie Slekis. "Troy's really relaxed about going into big races."

"We've prepared the best we can prepare, Troy's as healthy as he's been ever for us at a big meet," said Slekis.

"It's gonna be really cold, but that's the kind of thing that doesn't really bother Troy. We've trained in all types of weather here."

Troy is a very successful mid-distance runner, but has had an overwhelmingly successful cross-country season. He has aspirations to get to all three National Championships this year, a feat which has never been completed in North Texas history.

"Top 40 is All-American, so that's what I want to get," said Taylor.

However, no matter what Troy's place, he is one third of the way to his goal. And, with another year of eligibility, Taylor has the makings of being one of the best runners North Texas has graduated.

The NCAA National Meet will take place at 1:00 PM Saturday, Nov. 22nd, in Terre Haute, Indiana. You can watch the livestream HERE.