LAGUNA HILLS CROSS-COUNTRY INVITATIONAL : Taylor Takes Medium Schools Title

Shelley Taylor of Edison High School sported a new hairstyle Saturday at the Laguna Hills Cross-Country Invitational. But nothing else was much different as Taylor won the girls’ medium schools junior/senior race, repeating last year’s victory.

Taylor, who was undefeated last season until she finished seventh at the state meet, ran unchallenged Saturday, finishing the three-mile course in 17 minutes 29 seconds. Diamond Bar’s Monique Smith was second, in 19:02.

Taylor said she cut her long blonde ponytail in favor of a short bob, which seemed to help because the top runners ran in the late morning when the course didn’t offer much shade.

But the weather wasn’t the only thing that bothered Taylor, who was slowed by a cold.

“I usually feel a lot better, but today I didn’t feel very strong,” Taylor said. “The cold took a lot out of me and I really wanted to get a better time.”

Last year, Taylor ran 17:16, a sophomore course record and until Saturday, the fastest time ever. This year, although she turned in the fastest time for county girls, she wanted to do better.

Fallbrook’s Milena Glusac, who was ninth in last year’s state meet, broke Taylor’s record, winning the sophomore large schools’ race in 17:15. Taylor said her goal is to win the state meet in November, but her coach, Stan Stauble, stressed that Taylor must stay healthy.

“She’s training hard and she has to take extra care not to get sick. She’s like a machine. You have to keep her oiled right,” said Stauble about Taylor, who was hampered at last season’s state meet by a severe sinus infection. “But all in all, she’s going to come through.”

Dana Hills’ Daniel Niednagel had the fastest boys’ time, winning the large schools’ senior race in 15:13. Huntington Beach’s Scott Urner was second (15:24). Los Amigos’ Linh Le (small schools senior winner) had the third-fastest county time (15:30).