SETTING STANDARDS, BREAKING EXPECTATIONS

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January 9, 2026

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

A multi-sport standout, All-American and trailblazer, 2014 Notre Dame Prep graduate Taylor Timko is nominated for the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame after redefining excellence on and off the field.

Notre Dame Preparatory School is proud to unveil the second class of its Athletic Hall of Fame, honoring three individuals whose impact on Irish athletics and the broader school community has been both lasting and meaningful. This year’s class features alumni Chris Burns NDP’10 and Taylor Timko NDP’14, along with longtime coach, volunteer and parent, the late Buzz Famularo.

As we get closer to that special night, we are profiling each inductee, one at a time, and alum Taylor Timko NDP'14 is the subject of today's review.

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Taylor Timko’s athletic résumé at Notre Dame Prep defies easy categorization. Soccer was her foundation, track sharpened her skills, and football, specifically, under the lights as the Fighting Irish varsity placekicker, underscored her willingness to step into unfamiliar space if it helped a team. Together, those elements formed the career of a 2014 graduate now nominated for Notre Dame Prep’s second annual Athletic Hall of Fame.

Timko arrived at Notre Dame Prep as a freshman with clear ability, but her impact expanded quickly. By the time she graduated, she had scored 124 goals, earned 10 varsity letters across three sports, and established herself as one of the most accomplished athletes in school history. She was a two-time soccer All-American, a two-time Dream Team honoree and a three-time First Team All-State selection. In 2014 alone, she was named the Walt Bazylewicz Catholic High School League Athlete of the Year, Notre Dame Prep’s Female Athlete of the Year and MLive Detroit’s Player of the Year in soccer.

Her influence extended beyond the stat sheet. Jim Stachura, Timko’s soccer coach at Notre Dame Prep, said her competitive edge and leadership separated her early.

“From the first time she stepped on the field in an Irish jersey, you knew she was a special athlete,” Stachura said. “Over the years you could see that she was the ultimate competitor, teammate and leader.”

Named a team captain as a sophomore, Timko held that role through her senior year, helping guide Notre Dame Prep to multiple championship appearances and division titles. Stachura noted that while her individual records remain prominent, her presence still resonates with players more than a decade later.

“Flash forward 11 years later and our current players still speak about Taylor’s exploits,” he said.

Timko’s athletic reach was not confined to soccer. In track and field, she earned All-State honors in the 400-meter dash and twice more as part of the 4x400-meter relay. During her junior and senior years, she also served as the varsity football team’s placekicker, a role that required poise and precision in a different competitive environment.

Athletic director Betty Wroubel said that range redefined what was possible within the school’s athletic culture.

“Taylor didn’t just break records, she broke expectations,” Wroubel said. “A soccer All-American, elite across three sports, a placekicker on Friday nights, and a leader among her peers, she set a new standard for what it means to be a student-athlete at Notre Dame Prep.”

After high school, Timko continued her career at the University of Michigan, where she became a four-year letter winner on the women’s soccer team. She earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors, was named Michigan Athletics’ Female Rookie of the Year and later received Second Team All–Big Ten recognition as a defender. Her academic work matched her athletic performance, earning three Academic All–Big Ten honors along with multiple Academic All-District selections.

Greg Ryan, who at the time was Michigan’s head women’s soccer coach, emphasized Timko’s approach rather than her résumé.

“Taylor is an experience leader who leads by example and shows the highest level of commitment and effort,” Ryan said. “She is the most positive person I have ever met and finds the good in the toughest of times.”

Following her collegiate career, Timko played professionally in Australia before transitioning into leadership roles off the field. She served as director of operations for the University of Michigan women’s soccer program and later held the same position at Grand Valley State University.

Her nomination to Notre Dame Prep’s Athletic Hall of Fame reflects more than production across sports, according to Wroubel. “It recognizes a student-athlete who consistently expanded her role, embraced responsibility and elevated those around her,” she said.

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The Class of 2025 Athletic Hall of Fame will be formally inducted on Friday, January 30, during a special evening in the school’s main gymnasium held in conjunction with Irish home basketball games. The induction ceremony will take place at halftime of the boys varsity basketball game against Genesee Christian School, which tips off at 5:30 p.m. The girls varsity team will follow with its matchup against Genesee Christian at 7 p.m.

 

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

About Notre Dame Preparatory School
"At Notre Dame Prep, we inspire our students to become the best versions of themselves. We challenge them through an experience of academic excellence, focused on active, project-based learning. We invite them to explore a world of opportunities beyond the classroom. We guide them as they grow in spirituality within a community strong in its Catholic and Marist identity."

Notre Dame Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School's upper school enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame Prep's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDP is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.