2025 Students of Distinction

Taylor Sletner: A record-breaking runner with a heart for the human mind

Gig Harbor Now is posting profiles featuring the Students of Distinction being honored by the Greater Gig Harbor Foundation. Peers, teachers or parents nominate students, who must be a graduating senior at a Peninsula School District school. A panel of community leaders selects students to be honored in one of seven categories: academics; athletics; career and technical excellence; community service; music, arts and drama; overcoming adversity; and science and technology.

These students will be celebrated during a banquet from 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at Ocean5, 5268 Point Fosdick Dr.

School: Gig Harbor High School

Category: Athletics

If you ask Taylor Sletner what drives her, the answer might surprise you. Yes, she’s the Narrows Division 3A Girls Athlete of the Year. Yes, she’s a school record-holder and a four-time top 20 state finisher in cross country. But Taylor doesn’t just run to win – she runs to understand. What began as a physical pursuit has grown into a mental one, a seamless bridge between the grit of competition and a deep fascination with the complexities of the human brain.

With a 4.0 GPA and a transcript filled with AP and college-level courses, Taylor is headed to Washington State University to pursue a degree in neurology. Her passion was ignited in Mr. Eager’s AP Psychology class, where learning about neural pathways and behavior lit a spark that has only grown stronger through advanced anatomy coursework. “The fact we have something so immensely complex and relatively unknown controlling a great deal of everything we do … it’s baffling,” she says. “And beautiful.”

Taylor Sletner

That sense of awe carries over into athletics, where Taylor has spent four years leading by example in both cross country and track & field. As a senior, she captured first place in the league and fifth in the state in the 5K – breaking a school record with a time of 17:36.9. Her accolades stretch far: multiple MVP and Most Inspirational awards, state podium finishes, and a standout performance in the 4x400m relay that helped her team clinch first place.

But numbers only tell part of the story. What sets Taylor apart is her resilience. “Running is about persistence and dedication,” she says. “When you face a setback – an injury, a rough race – you pick yourself up, dust off any doubts, and keep going.” It’s this lesson, more than any medal, that she’ll carry with her into her future.

For Taylor, running has never been just about the finish line. It’s about community, growth, and joy; the kind of joy that comes from racing with teammates who become family and coaches who push you because they see your potential. “Running for Gig Harbor High School has been the best thing to ever happen to me,” she says. “It shaped who I am.”

And while her feet may carry her forward, it’s Taylor’s mind, and her heart, that will take her even further.