Michelle Franch

Bio

2017 at Taylor: Took the course in all six races in her junior campaign … Recorded sub-20:00 times in every meet … Posted four top-25 finishes, including an eighth-place mark at the Crossroads League Preview … Logged best time of 19:13.3 at the Bethel Invite … Earned NAIA Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-Crossroads League honors.

2016 at Taylor: Continued to make major impact on Trojan lineup during second season … Raced in all seven meets ... Scored inside TU’s top-five finishers in six-of-seven outings … Opened year with personal-best time of 18:51.8 and fifth-place finish at Indiana Wesleyan Invite … IWU Invite time was TU’s 15th-fastest individual mark of the season … Went on to crack the 19:50 barrier in all seven events … Claimed four top-20 showings and crossed inside the top-60 in all six regular season meets … Claimed All-Crossroads League honors with 12th-place finish at league meet … Finished 227th at NAIA National Championships.

2015 at Taylor: Burst onto collegiate scene as immediate contributor in Taylor lineup … Raced in all seven competitions and scored for TU in each of final six races … Ran season-best mark of 18:51.9 at Bethel Invite to crack TU’s top-20 all-time individual times … Posted four times of sub-19:15 and finished under the 20-minute barrier in all seven meets … Notched top-10 performances at Bethel Invite and Crossroads League Championships … Crossed inside top-30 in all six regular season outings … Earned All-Indiana Little State and All-Crossroads League honors … Finished 109th at NAIA National Championships.

Prep: Three-time varsity letterwinner in cross country for Bob Maxson at West Chicago Community High … Winner of Varsity Athletic Award as three-sport student-athlete for the Wildcats … Received Coach’s Award … Winner of Daily Herald Prep Sports Excellence Award … Named team’s Most Improved … Claimed Rookie-of-the-Year honors … Nominated for Academic All-Illinois honors … Named Scholar-Athlete … Member of Academic Honor Roll … Member of National Honor Society … Illinois State Scholar.

Personal: Daughter of Don and Ana Franch … Majoring in mathematics educations … Minoring in Spanish … Prep teammate of current TU cross country senior, Mae Elizabeth Gimre.