ORANGE COUNTY ATHLETES OF YEAR : Taylor, Mann Are Honored

Distance runner Shelley Taylor of Edison High School and two-sport star Terry Mann of Sunny Hills were the recipients of the Orange County athlete of the year awards Wednesday night at the Orange County Athletic Directors’ spring meeting at the Anaheim Stadium Club.

Taylor led Edison to the State Division II girls’ cross-country championship last fall and has continued to sparkle in track and field competition this spring. She has the nation’s fastest time in 1,600 meters at 4 minutes 51.98 seconds.

She set a meet record in the 1,600 at the Orange County Championships. She also won that event and anchored Edison’s winning distance medley relay team at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational.

Taylor began competing on Edison’s cross-country team to help get in shape for soccer. She will attend Arkansas in the fall after graduating with a 3.64 grade-point average.

Mann, the career scoring leader in Sunny Hills’ basketball program, twice was named the most valuable player of the Freeway League. He also high jumped 6 feet 10 last spring in winning the Southern Section 2-A championship.

Mann will graduate as Sunny Hills’ class valedictorian with a 4.6 grade-point average. Last week, he was named the State CIF athlete of the year, earning the award from among 650 applicants in the state. He will attend Harvard in the fall.

Taylor and Mann were awarded $500 scholarships to the college of their choice by the athletic directors. The spring meeting was co-sponsored by The Times Orange County.