ARCADIA TRACK INVITATIONAL : Taylor Wins 1,600, Anchors Relay Victory

When Shelley Taylor of Edison walked to the starting line for the girls’ 1,600 meters at the Arcadia Invitational Saturday, a cry of “Shelley” rose up from her teammates in the stands.

Taylor broke into a wide smile and waved in return. Pressure? What pressure?

Running with what seemed to be the perfect balance of restraint and abandon, Taylor recorded a personal best 4 minutes 51.98 seconds in winning the event over Fillmore’s Nikki Shaw, who was second in 4:53.85. Taylor and Shaw have the best times in the 1,600 in the nation this year.

“A little more work and I think I can break 4:50,” Taylor said. “I’m excited that I can be training this hard and still run fast.”

Two hours later, Taylor ran a 4:53 anchor leg to bring Edison from sixth place to a narrow victory over Agoura in the distance medley relay. Edison’s team of Jenna Evans, who ran the leadoff 1,200 in 3:50, Julie Koudelka (58.4 for 400), Jennifer Formosa (2:26 for 800) and Taylor finished in 12:09.37, the best time in the nation this year. Agoura ran 12:09.39.

“The first two laps I felt awful,” Taylor said. “I didn’t think I could catch her (Agoura’s Amy Skieresz), but I kept getting closer. Finally, I said, ‘I’ve gotten this close I might as well push it.’ ”

The days leading up to Arcadia had been filled with anticipation for Taylor, who had been holding back in her early-season meets. She admitted being antsy in recent weeks, impatient to be surrounded by a top-notch field and the chance to test her fitness.

Like Taylor, Saddleback hurdler Charlie Davidson was eager to see some difficult competition. And like Taylor, Davidson seemed pleased with the results--a victory in the 110 meter high hurdles. His time of 14.37 was just off his personal best 14.31 set last month at the Irvine Invitational.

Keith Moten of Los Angeles Loyola came closest to catching Davidson, finishing second in 14.45. Ray Banner of Van Nuys Birmingham was third in 14.61.

“It felt good,” Davidson said. “I came in knowing I was ready. I got the start I wanted. . . . “

But Davidson hit the last hurdle, and also clipped the fifth or sixth--he didn’t remember which one--or he said he might have achieved his goal of a sub 14-second clocking.

Taylor, Davidson and the Foothill boys’ 1,600 meter relay team were Orange County’s only winners Saturday. Aaron Taub’s 48.4 anchor leg brought Foothill home in 3:17.76.

In the open 1,600, Taylor was content to let Orange Lutheran freshman Barbara Boisvert set a quick pace. Boisvert, 15, who ran 5:00.2 at the Trabuco Hills Invitational last week, towed the field through the first 400 in 1:08 and halfway mark in 2:25. Taylor and Shaw, second in last year’s CIF State meet 1,600, swept past Boisvert and went through 1,200 in 3:42.

The next order of business for Taylor comes Wednesday when she signs a letter of intent to attend Arkansas. She said she is skipping next week’s Mt. San Antonio College Relays in order to concentrate on the Orange County Championships in two weeks.

Meet notes

Tanja Brix of University said she will sign with UC Irvine when she returns from a spring break vacation this week. Brix, who finished ninth in the 3,200 meters in 11:04.39, made an oral commitment three weeks ago.