ATHLETES OF THE YEAR / ALL-COUNTY TEAMS : Taylor’s Legacy at Edison: More Than Mere Records : Girls’ track: Runner is recognized not only for four years’ worth of distance-race successes, but also for being a positive role model.

On one of her final days as a student at Edison High School, Shelley Taylor wheeled her car out of the parking lot and onto Magnolia Street. But instead of zooming off toward home, she slowed and pulled to the curb to gaze at the dirt oval just beyond a chain-link fence.

She said she sat in her car a long time, simply staring at the Edison track. As she did, a flood of memories washed over her. She recalled four years’ worth of good races and bad, happy times and sad, old friends and new ones.

At last, she put the car into gear and sped off.

Taylor has left Edison for good, but her impact at the school and in Orange County track and field circles will be felt for some time.

The list of accolades and honors she has won gives only one indication of the legacy left by Taylor, who will run at Arkansas this fall. This school year alone, she was a CIF State track and cross-country champion, Southern Section champion in both disciplines, prom queen, student of the year and The Times Orange County girls’ track and field and cross-country athlete of the year.

But there’s more, much more.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” a young girl, perhaps a freshman or sophomore, said to Taylor on graduation day. Taylor smiled broadly and gave her a big hug.

“Hey, get those legs moving,” the burly guys, perhaps football players, setting up the graduation party in the Edison gym teased as Taylor walked past. She laughed and waved.

“I don’t think Edison’s had a student-athlete do as much as she’s done,” said Dave White, Edison assistant track coach. “There isn’t a teacher or student who doesn’t love her. She’s had the greatest impact of any (athlete) who’s come through here.”

White, a 1974 graduate who was a three-sport letterman and has coached football, girls’ basketball and now track at Edison, should know.

“I look up to her,” White said. “She’s a role model. I love her for what she stands for. She’s done it. I’m just happy to have played a small part.”

White knew Taylor mostly by reputation when she walked into his office one day in January and asked for help in choosing among all the scholarship offers she’d been receiving. White did his best, not knowing that in a few short weeks he’d become Taylor’s coach.

When Stan Stauble resigned as cross-country and track distance events coach, White, an avid recreational runner, decided to give it a try, and his patient touch seemed just what Taylor needed to refine her running.

“He said, ‘I’m happy with you no matter the outcome,’ ” Taylor said after winning the 1,600 meters at the State meet.

As the weeks passed, it appeared that 1992 would be a special season for Taylor. She held back in early-season meets, hoping to peak for the Arcadia Invitational on April 11 then reach another peak for the State meet in June. It all worked perfectly.

At Arcadia, she blazed to a national-leading time of 4 minutes 51.98 seconds in winning the 1,600. But that was nothing.

Two hours later, Taylor ran the 1,600-meter anchor leg on Edison’s distance medley relay team. Getting the baton far behind the pack, Taylor hammered away on each of the four laps. Finally, she roared up on Agoura freshman Amy Skieresz in the final 100 meters and nipped her at the finish line. Taylor’s time was a startling 4:53.0, fast enough to have won the open 1,600.

The State meet was simply a reaffirmation of Taylor’s dominance this season. She powered away from Fillmore’s Nikki Shaw in the final 300 meters, an exultant winner in a national-leading and school-record 4:48.52.

She became the fifth-fastest girls’ 1,600 runner in county history and the first county runner to win the State 1,600 since University’s Polly Plumer in 1982.

After three previous failures at the State meet, Taylor had difficulty realizing what she had finally accomplished. One thought kept running through her mind: “Is it really real?”

It was.

The Times’ All-County Girls’ Track and Field

FIRST TEAM

Performer(s) School Yr. Event Time/Mark Meisha Wilson-Duval Woodbridge Fr. 100 12.49 Meghan Reppe Villa Park Fr. 200 25.68 Julie Koudelka Edison So. 400 57.81 Christie Engesser Ocean View Jr. 800 2:11.23 Shelley Taylor Edison Sr. 1,600 4:48.52 Carrie Garritson Sunny Hills So. 3,200 10:28.20 Elinor Tolson Fountain Valley Jr. 100 low hurdles 14.23 Elinor Tolson Fountain Valley Jr. 300 low hurdles 43.71 Marie Santos Mission Viejo So. 400 relay 48.82 Heather Sterlin Sr. Kiki Price Sr. Andrea Dean Sr. Laurie Murphy Mission Viejo Jr. 1,600 relay 3:59.92 Nikki Charette Sr. Heather Sterlin Sr. Andrea Dean Sr. Kristy Kierulff Esperanza Fr. High jump 5-10 Heather Sterlin Mission Viejo Sr. Long jump 19-8 1/2 Joan Greve Marina Sr. Triple jump 36-9 Gina Heads Newport Harbor So. Shotput 41-6 3/4 Andrea Bill University Jr. Discus 143-0

SECOND TEAM

Performer(s) School Yr. Event Time/Mark Lucinda Watson Century Fr. 100 12.52 Meisha Wilson-Duval Woodbridge Fr. 200 25.70 Holiday Molway University Sr. 400 58.21 Shelley Taylor Edison Sr. 800 2:11.59 Barbara Boisvert Orange Lutheran Fr. 1,600 5:00.2 Tanja Brix University Sr. 3,200 10:55.86 Katie Mook Foothill Fr. 100 low hurdles 14.57 Lisa Knott Sonora Sr. 300 low hurdles 46.2 Jennifer Glueck Newport Harbor Sr. 400 relay 49.23 Kala Ross Jr. Misty May Fr. Lindsey Curtis So. Nicole King Edison Fr. 1,600 relay 4:00.18 Julie Hall So. Julie Koudelka So. Shelley Taylor Sr. Tina Bowman Newport Harbor Fr. High jump 5-7 Kristy Kierulff Esperanza Fr. Long jump 17-6 Kara Theis Orange Lutheran Sr. Triple jump 36-6 Andrea Bill University Jr. Shotput 41-5 1/4 Gina Heads Newport Harbor So. Discus 142-7

Marks/times are through state meet. No wind-aided or converted times are included.