Taylor Is Off and Running Toward Realizing Her Lifelong Ambition

Shelley Taylor has always dreamed of being a great distance runner. But there wasn’t a cross-country program at her elementary school.

So she played soccer for 5 years until she arrived at Sowers Middle School in Huntington Beach last year. There, she got her first taste of distance competition, setting school records in the three-quarter mile and mile runs.

Now 14, and a freshman at Edison High School, Taylor has finally gotten her chance to run as a member of the cross-country team.

Taylor, The Times’ athlete of the week, recorded the fastest time (18 minutes 54 seconds) for an Orange County girl at the Southern Section preliminaries at Mt. San Antonio College Friday. Her time was second in the tough 4-A division behind defending champion Jamie Parks of Santa Barbara (18:11).

Not bad for someone who has virtually 4 months of distance running experience.

“I ran for a track club in sixth grade for a couple of months, but I just did sprints,” Taylor said. “Then I ran in physical education. But that’s it.”.

Her coach, Stanley Stauble, attributes her success to soccer.

“In soccer it is stop and go, stop and go, and you develop so much strength and agility,” Stauble said.

“She doesn’t use any effort at all. Many times her teammates will come up and say, ‘Shelley, do you ever hurt?’ because she is so relaxed.”

Taylor, contrary to her teammates’ view, acknowledges she is not a running machine. “I always hurt. I hurt just as much as (my teammates) do, but they just don’t realize it,” she said. “They tell me I run like it looks effortless, but it isn’t.”

When she hits a tough spot in a race, Taylor said she just thinks about how much she loves running and that keeps her going.

It helps to have a mind-set that enjoys the sometimes grueling nature of cross-country running.

And Taylor does. In the only Sunset League dual meet she lost this year (finishing second to Natalie Adam of Huntington Beach), she was running on an ankle she had sprained badly 3 days earlier.

“She was running on it because she is that kind of person,” Stauble said. “As long as she is able to run, she will run. She made the final decision that she was going to run. We didn’t make it for her.”

Taylor enjoys running so much that she might have to give up playing soccer.

“They are still having late tryouts (at Edison) and I haven’t made up my mind if I’m going to try out,” she said. “I might miss (the tryouts) because of (the Southern Section finals), and the soccer coach might not save a spot for me.”

Taylor’s time qualified her for the finals Saturday at Mt. SAC. And just think, she has 3 more years to compete.

Stauble said she “hasn’t even started yet. Every workout she comes to me and says, ‘Is that all?’ She loves it. I cannot give her enough.

“She is a very hard worker, any coach would love to have a girl like this, or even a few of them.”

TOP PERFORMERS

Setter Dana Armstrong had 56 assists and 8 kills and Anne Salzman added 27 kills in Villa Park’s 13-5, 15-9, 15-12, 11-15, 15-7 victory over Agoura in the first round of the Southern Section 3-A volleyball playoffs Thursday.

Joli Eberhart’s 25 kills helped Mater Dei rally from a 2-game deficit to defeat Woodbridge, 7-15, 3-15, 15-9, 15-6, 15-12, Thursday in a 5-A first-round volleyball match.

Setter Tracy Endecavageh had 47 assists and 9 kills Friday to lead El Modena to a 5-15, 15-9, 15-11, 17-15 upset of third-seeded La Habra in a 3-A volleyball playoff match.

In the Sea View League tennis finals at Mesa Verde Country Club Wednesday night, Keri Phebus, the No. 1 singles player for Corona del Mar High School, defeated Jeanette Fylpaa of University, 6-0, 6-0.

Thursday, she swept 3 sets at 6-0 in the Sea Kings’ 18-0 victory over Buena in the first round of 4-A girls’ tennis playoffs. Phebus is 41-1 on the season.

Laurie Sawin had 22 kills, 21 service aces and 17 digs to lead Corona del Mar past Dana Hills, 15-12, 15-8, 17-15, in 5-A volleyball playoff action Thursday.

Shelley Taylor

Edison High School

Position: cross-country runner

Height, Class: 5-4, Freshman

Last Week: Taylor ran the fastest time (18:54) of any Orange County girl at the Southern Section preliminaries at Mt. SAC Friday.

Season: Taylor has won 4 of 5 Sunset League dual meets and placed second in the open division of the Laguna Hills Invitational.