Taylor Koth '13 is one of the most athletic and versatile Ripon College student-athletes in recent memory. An All-Region selection and First Team All-Conference player in both basketball and baseball, Koth became the sixth player in Ripon men's basketball history to earn Midwest Conference Player of the Year honors, doing so as a senior in 2013, which also saw him named All-American as a Third Team selection. Nearly a decade after his graduation, Koth still ranks seventh in school history for career points (1,514), second in rebounding (721), ninth in free throw percentage (.825), and eighth in points per game (17.6).
Although he was a terrific centerfielder on the baseball team, Koth cut his teeth with the Red Hawks' men's basketball squad. In addition to his 17.6 points per game, Koth also averaged 8.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists during his four-year career.
"Playing sports at Ripon was an opportunity to compete for an incredible institution and outstanding coaches, while also getting a great education," Koth said. "I made a ton of memories with my teammates that I will never forget."
Koth appeared in 18 games as a freshman, averaging 9.3 points per game, before becoming a prominent part of the team as a sophomore, which saw him average 13.8 ppg. His career really took off during his junior year, earning All-Conference honors for the first time, with a spot on the First Team. That season, Koth ranked 16th in all of Division-III in scoring (22.0 ppg), while also ranking 39th in rebounding with 9.5 rebounds per game, which still ranks 10th for a single season in program history. His signature game that year came at home against Grinnell when Koth scored 48 points against the Pioneers to tie a 27-year-old school record, which has since been broken. He is also the only player to record at least 17 rebounds in a game more than once, doing so three times, including a career-high of 19, also against Grinnell, despite standing just 6-foot-2.
"Taylor is one of the most gifted student-athletes we've ever had at Ripon College, but what made him so successful was not just his athletic gifts, but also his competitiveness," Ripon Head Men's Basketball Coach Ryan Kane said. "It's rare to see someone his size rank so highly among the top rebounders in school history, but rebounding is simply about the will and heart of a player and Taylor had both of those at a level few of his peers possessed. He was willing to do whatever it took to help his team win and had a gear that would kick in during the biggest moments of a game."
Prior to his senior season, former Ripon Men's Basketball Coach Bob Gillespie retired and Coach Kane was hired to lead the next generation of Red Hawks. With his first-year head coach roaming the sidelines, Koth continued to cement his legacy during his senior season, averaging 24 points per game, which was the fifth-highest scoring average in Division-III, to go along with 9.5 rebounds per game, as he was named MWC Player of the Year, First Team All-Region, and Third Team All-American.
"Coach Gillepsie and Coach Kane each taught me different ways to become a better player and leader, as well as how to compete at the highest level," Koth said. "They both recruited great players around me that I was able to share the court with and they taught me valuable lessons off the court that I continue to use to this day in order to succeed in different aspects of life."
Koth's most vivid memory at Ripon College was also one of his last on the basketball court. Playing in the semi-finals of the 2013 MWC Tournament, Koth scored 24 points and pulled down seven rebounds, as Ripon narrowly lost to St. Norbert. That game will live in infamy as the #InvadeNorbs movement in which Ripon fans packed the stands at St. Norbert's Schuldes Sports Center in De Pere, Wis. to show their Red Hawk pride. Despite the loss, Koth will always remember the support from Ripon's students and community leading up to that game.
"Although we came up short, the atmosphere was absolutely incredible and I will never forget our awesome fans and students that made the trip to support us," recalled Koth.
On the baseball field, Koth played just three seasons, sitting out his junior year due to an injury. During his career, Koth recorded a batting average of .308, to go along with 21 doubles, four triples, three home runs, 65 runs batted in, and 13 stolen bases. He played a key role on three conference championship teams, as Ripon advanced to the NCAA Division-III Tournament in each of those years. In fact, the only year Ripon's baseball team failed to win the conference and advance to the NCAA Tournament during Koth's college career was during the year he wasn't able to play.
"Playing in the NCAA baseball tournament three times was an amazing experience," Koth said. "Competing at the highest level of Division-III with my teammates was so much fun."
Just as he did on the basketball court, Koth took home some hardware on the baseball diamond as well. The Central Region Gold Glove winner as a sophomore, Koth earned Third Team All-Region honors as a senior, which saw him cap off his career with career-highs in batting average (.382), doubles (9), and runs scored (34). His 60 hits that year also marked a career-high, and still ranks eighth in school history for a single season.
"Taylor is easily one of the best pure athletes I've ever had the privilege of coaching and the success he had as a two-sport athlete is proof of that," Ripon Head Baseball Coach
Eric Cruise said. "He made everything look easy and watching him track down balls in the outfield was a thing of beauty. Some of his accomplishments and talents on the baseball diamond get overshadowed because of the other talented players he played with, but as a teammate, everybody loved Taylor and he was a guy who truly had fun playing the game."
A Business Management and Sports Management double major with a minor in Leadership Studies, Koth is originally from Cedarburg, Wis. and is a product of Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School. He currently lives in the Milwaukee area where he is a Key Account Manager at Gehl Food & Beverage.
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