Long Beach State junior Levi Taylor took the lead for the men’s squad, setting the all-time eighth best 8,000 meter time in LBSU history on Saturday, Sept. 27 at the UC Riverside Invitational.
Xavier Constantino | Long Beach Current
“Intentness” was the word chosen to represent senior Levi Taylor during a team-building exercise for Long Beach State cross country.
Cross country assistant coach Devin Elizondo said the word captures who Taylor is both on and off the course.
“It was specifically something that he does well that I wanted his teammates to hear from him; how he does it,” Elizondo said. “He pushes himself really hard; he cares about this and wants to do it well.”
Taylor’s dedication to his sport goes beyond cross country, showing deep commitment to year-round training. Elizondo commented on the rarity of Taylor’s workload.
“Very few NCAA athletes are three-sport athletes. Most do one sport, maybe two, but [Taylor] is training year-round to reach these heights in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track,” he said. “It’s exciting to see this group push themselves and build a championship culture.”
In just the second meet of this season, Taylor posted the eighth-fastest 8K meter time in Long Beach State history at the UC Riverside Invitational on Sept. 27.
2025 has been a banner year for Taylor, as the star runner has excelled in not just cross country, but also track and indoor track and field.
He ran the sixth fastest 1500m time in Long Beach State history, posting a 3:45.75 time to finish seventh at the Big West Championships on May 17.
“Every time we pull up in the mornings to the flagpole, I’d look at the starting line of the 1500 and visualize starting on the track,” Taylor said. “I remember being on the line in the 1500 final, just looking at the line I had visualized throughout the whole year and saying, ‘This is the moment.’ It was rewarding to look back on my training and know I did the work.”
He also recorded the sixth fastest 3000m time in Long Beach State history in 8:31.14 to win the event at the Trojan Invitational on March 22, and posted a career-best 4:10.16 in the mile at the Steve Scott Invitational to place third on May 2.
Taylor has quickly established himself as a focused, disciplined athlete whose mindset is setting the tone for the program. Transferring from Iowa State University, he saw Long Beach as the perfect place to push himself both physically and mentally.
“The mindset here is different,” Taylor said. “[Elizondo] really emphasizes accountability and effort. Every rep, every run, it’s about giving everything you have.”
That relationship runs deeper than just Taylor’s time at LBSU. Elizondo has known Taylor since he was a sophomore in high school, having met him at summer camps before following his development as an athlete.
“Watching him from those high school days grow into this athlete and this person has been really cool,” Elizondo said. “It’s easy for teammates to lean on him in training or ask his advice when things aren’t going well.”
Taylor’s discipline extends to his weekly training schedule, which includes double-threshold workouts, interval sessions and long runs up to 15 miles.
His teammates, especially his training partner, senior Cameron Gill, play a key role in keeping that energy and motivation high.
“He’s one of those guys that I can have any conversation with, dump my emotions on him, and he can dump his emotions on me,” Gill said. “And that’s why I love the sport, because you go out there, you’re not on technology, you’re just out there running with your best buds, and I think we have a special bond because of that, and especially since we’ve done it for over a year.”
Beyond his individual success, Taylor has become a driving force for the program’s culture and future. Elizondo emphasized Taylor’s impact on his teammates and the team’s leadership.
“I see that fire from [Taylor]. He knows he only has so much time left before he graduates, and he wants to do it all,” Elizondo said. “It’s a lot of conversation, trying to build the structure, keep him healthy, and keep him doing what he loves to do, and then being able to pass that on to the next group and the next group.”
As for Taylor, the drive to reach his full potential continues to fuel him.
“On the start line, I want to run the race with no regrets, that’s what my dad always says,” Taylor said. “And that’s my drive. I want to reach my full potential, and every time I’m on the line, that’s an opportunity to get closer to my potential.”