PREP CROSS-COUNTRY ROUNDUP : Taylor Gets Back on Course to Help Edison Win

Despite being the front-runner in a number of cross-country races in her career, meaning she often had nobody to follow, Edison senior Shelley Taylor hadn’t gotten lost in a meet since her freshman season.

That was until Saturday at the Central Park Invitational in Huntington Beach. But despite going 150 yards out of her way, she still wound up in her accustomed spot--in front.

Luckily for Taylor, who was running in girls’ Division I, a former teammate shouted that she had taken a wrong turn near the one-mile mark of the three-mile race. By the time she returned to the course, Erin Aten of Las Vegas Bonanza had taken the lead.

But Taylor eventually caught Aten and won in 18 minutes 29 seconds. Aten was second in 19:09.

When Taylor heard her friend yelling, she didn’t know what to think.

“I thought, ‘Oh great! What did I do now?’ ” Taylor said. “It took me about a half-mile to catch her (Aten).”

Edison won the Division I race, running away from second-place Mater Dei, 19-102, as the Chargers’ Jennifer Formosa, Janna Evans, Jeannie Formosa and Danielle Eldridge took third through sixth.

Ocean View won the Division II race, and Costa Mesa Division III.

Katella won the boys’ Division II title, and Saddleback’s Johnny Ochoa had the fastest time by a county runner, 15:36, for second in Division I.