Inducted 2023

Talia Wright Barnes ’02 joins the Baylor Sports Hall of Fame as one of the top athletes in Baylor’s history and the Baylor athlete who enjoyed her sports more than any other, judging by the bright smile she always displayed while competing.

Barnes was a four-year letterwoman in cross country, but it was her performance while earning four varsity letters for the Baylor soccer team that garnered her Hall of Fame recognition. Barnes played on state championship Raider squads in 1999 and in 2001, the first of a dynastic four-year streak for Baylor. She was named Team MVP in 2000 and was the Defensive MVP in 2001 while being tagged as a “Best of Preps” performer by the Chattanooga Times Free Press for 2000-2001, and she was a member of All-State Tournament Team in 2000.

Away from the cross country course, the track, and the pitch, Barnes was a member of the Spirit Club, Red Circle, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Harambee. She served in the Community Service program, was a Peer Tutor, was chosen for the Joe Key Award Trip, and was a member of the senior homecoming court.

After graduating from Baylor, Barnes played soccer at the University of Tennessee and was part of three SEC Eastern Division championship teams, three SEC regular season champs, and three SEC Tournament championship squads, serving as Team Captain in 2005. She is part of the UT Letterman’s Wall of Fame.

While earning a degree in physiology at Tennessee, Barnes served on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee for four years and was the group’s president in 2005-2006. She was Academic All-SEC 2003 through 2006.