FALL ’88 ALL-COUNTY TEAMS : CROSS-COUNTRY : Taylor Enjoys Dream Season, With No Worries About Encore

Shelley Taylor, The Times girls’ cross-country runner of the year, said she never dreamed she would have the season she had this year.

Who would?

Taylor, a freshman at Edison High School, had no more than 6 weeks of running experience before she toed the line of her first cross-country race this year.

She had no knowledge of interval training, hill repeats or LSD (long, slow distance).

But most important, Taylor had no understanding of one basic axiom: first-year runners are just not supposed to run so fast so soon.

Still, Taylor proved to be the surprise of the Orange Country scene this season, amazing coaches, her competitors and even herself with her steadily improving performances.

From her first race, the Laguna Hills Invitational--in which she placed second in the freshman division--to her final race, the state cross-country championships, Taylor, 14, proved to be a force to be reckoned with.

Taylor won the freshman divisions at the Dana Hills Invitational, the Orange County Championships and the Mt. SAC Invitational. Her coach, Stan Stauble, advised Taylor to run in freshman division races so she could gain racing experience.

It must have paid off. Taylor’s first varsity race--the Sunset League championships--resulted in a victory.

She went on to record the fastest Orange County girls’ time in the Southern Section and state championships.

It was at the state meet where Taylor ran her best race of the season.

“I pushed myself through the whole race; it was the first time I ever did that,” Taylor said.

She finished eighth, running the rolling 5,000-meter course in 18 minutes 37 seconds, a personal best. In doing so, she held off another Orange County freshman--University’s Tanja Brix, who finished 10th.

Ask her to explain her sudden success, and, with a chuckle, Taylor answers: “I have no idea.”

It seems to be her standard answer for all questions surrounding her new-found talent.

Taylor said she has yet to set goals.

“It’s very exciting, and it’s just so fun right now,” Taylor said. “But I haven’t really had time to think about it much more. My coach always asks me what I expect to do, or how far do I think I can go, but I just say ‘I have no idea.’ ”

But if she had to name one lesson she has learned this season?

“I guess it would be that I’ve learned I’m capable of doing much more than I think I am.”

A scary thought to competitors who already know what she can do.

GIRLS FIRST TEAM

Shelley Taylor Fr. Edison Tanja Brix Fr. University Martha Pinto Soph. Katella Terri Smythers Soph. San Clemente Maria Vargas Sr. Santa Ana Valley Teresa Beltran Jr. Santa Ana Valley Laura Doering Sr. Villa Park

SECOND TEAM

Natalie Adams Jr. Huntington Beach Danisha Bendz Fr. Costa Mesa Stacy Pando Sr. Newport Harbor Shannon Liddy Soph. El Toro Andrea Caminiti Jr. Irvine Kim Robinson Jr. Newport Harbor Heather Killeen Soph. Valencia