Lacking Her Usual Kick, Taylor Is Third in Illinois

It was not so much an admission as a simple fact, rarely uttered in the past by one of California’s greatest high school runners. “I just did not have it today,” Edison’s Shelley Taylor said with a sigh. “Not at all.”

The “it” Taylor was missing was a stronger kick at the end of the girls’ mile Saturday at the Keebler International Prep Track and Field Invitational. She finished third in 4 minutes 54.59 seconds behind Canada’s Krestena Sullivan (4:53.12) and Emily Johnson of Spokane, Wash. (4:53.19.).

“The first two laps really weren’t very fast,” said Taylor, who said she was still pleased with her time. “I usually pick it up on the second and carry it.”

But third at the 21st Keebler meet is nothing to take lightly. The competition brought together 250 top high school seniors from the United States and nine foreign countries, including Cuba.

And Taylor, a 1,600-meter expert running the slightly longer mile for the first time, led a tightly packed group of eight for the first three laps.

No one seemed to want the lead, preferring to follow on Taylor’s shoulder. The strategy wasn’t surprising; it was smart. The field was packed with bright minds as well as strong legs.

Taylor ranked in the top 10% of her class. Johnson was the valedictorian at University High in Washington. Tara Carlson, who finished ninth, was the co-salutatorian at Grant’s Pass High in Oregon, and five other runners were National Honor Society members.

“I think there’s a correlation because distance running takes so much discipline and budgeting of time,” Taylor said.

But on the gun lap, the battle was on foot, not in the mind. Johnson was right on Taylor’s heels, but Sullivan came from behind and outsprinted them both.

“I was just hanging on,” said Sullivan, who lives in Kitchener and is the province of Ontario champion in the 800 and runner-up in the 1,500.

“I was happy to be second when I passed Taylor, but then I thought maybe it would be good to get the other girl.”

Taylor, the national leader in the 1,600 the past two years, had aimed for the State meet, where she ran a school-record 4:48.59.

“I peaked two weeks ago,” said Taylor, who lived in Lake Zurich, Ill., until she was 9. “I wasn’t really aiming for Keebler.”