Tyrone alum and former two-sport standout Jake Taylor recently capped off his junior season on the Bloomsburg University Mens Golf Team with a successful showing at the 2023 PSAC Mens Golf Championship at Iron Valley, in Lebanon PA.

The 2019 Tyrone grad finished as the top golfer for Bloomsburg, with three solid rounds of 78, 85, and 80 at the three-day tournament, placing him 31st out of 50 overall.

Taylor, who also played basketball at Tyrone, has been golfing since he was young but really started focusing on the sport in high school.

“I started taking golf seriously at practice freshman year because my coach saw a lot of potential in me,” Taylor said.

At Bloomsburg, Taylor has qualified for almost every event that the team enters, and is one of the most consistent players on the team.

“[Jake] works as hard as anyone on the team, and has probably been consistently our best player over the last couple of years,” said Bloomsburg Men’s Head Golf Coach Gary Sohosky. “He’s a leader. He likes to help the other players and make sure they are on the right page,” said Sohosky.

So much so that Taylor was named team captain for the Huskies this season.

Tyrone High School Head Golf Coach Mike Funicelli is proud of Taylor’s growth and accomplishments at Bloomsburg.

“Jake had an up-and-down high school career both academically and athletically,” Funicelli said. “Academically, like most students, he did what he needed to do to get by. Playing sports was one of the main motivators for Jake to stay out of trouble.”

But on the golf course, Funicelli said that Taylor was always a fierce competitor.

“He wanted to be the medalist in every match. When he was in contention after his first several holes, Jake usually played lights out. When he got off to a poor start, however, he had a hard time rebounding. Jake has gotten mentally stronger over the years by playing in more competitive events with stronger competition,” Funicelli said.

Taylor also credits his maturity and work ethic for his recent success.

“As I’ve gotten older, I definitely set my priorities more straight and stopped worrying about the less important things in my life,” Taylor said.

It takes a certain type of person to overcome challenges and better themselves in the process, and Taylor is definitely one of those people.

“Jake has proven that you can learn from and overcome any roadblocks. He demonstrates a determination to prove himself and do the best he can no matter what. His dad and I are proud of him academically and athletically,” said Taylor’s mom, Tara Blocher.

At Bloomsburg, Taylor has the opportunity to play on a newly established team and help to develop a culture of winning. A new start with a new team gave Taylor the opportunity he needed.

Balancing academics and athletics is no easy task, especially in college, but Taylor is making his mark on the links and in the classroom.

“Practicing good habits and doing the right things goes a long way in life,” Taylor said.

Taylor is a finance major and hopes to become a financial planner and advisor after graduation.

This story was originally published on Tyrone Eagle Eye News on November 14, 2023.