The Taylor twins did not just arrive on the Kansas track scene at Friday’s Sunflower League Championships.

They invaded it, putting on a performance that nearly quieted the grandstands at the Olathe District Activities Center.

It came in the meet’s final event, which this season has not been a specialty for Lawrence High – the girls 1,600-meter relay.

The starting gun sounded, and 4:11.23 later the rest of the league knew Jennifer Taylor, who led off the LHS quartet, and Kristina Taylor, who ran the anchor leg. They edged Shawnee Mission South’s foursome by a second for first place.

“There were quite a few comments in the press box after we were done,” Lions coach Scott Stidham said. “I was excited. I don’t know if (the other coaches) were excited, but they were pretty impressed.”

Most impressive, though, was the fact this was the girls’ first race competing in LHS uniforms. The freshman identical twins made their varsity debuts after completing the season at South Junior High.

“I was s little surprised, just because all of the other teams had seniors,” said South coach John Moos, who was in attendance at ODAC. “When it comes down to it, those two girls, they just compete their butts off and they don’t like to lose.

“When it comes to track, they are very intense, they go to work, and it’s just the type of kid that everybody would like to have. They’re just fun to be around – they do everything you ask of them.”

Jennifer and Kristina began running competitively after sixth grade, following in the steps of their older sister Allyson, a junior on the LHS track team.

Twins Kristina, left, and Jennifer Taylor made their track debuts for Lawrence High last week at the Sunflower League meet. The 14-year-old freshmen helped the 1,600-meter relay squad place first.

From the beginning, the Taylor twins picked up subtle signs they were pretty good beyond the fact they consistently won races. But the girls never got ahead of themselves.

“I don’t like to be big-headed about it,” Kristina said. “I know that there are people who are going to beat me. I just try to work my hardest, and I don’t care what place I get.”

And winning was the farthest thing from either of their minds when they arrived at the league meet, anxious to shake the nerves that came from their first varsity competition.

Stidham said he could see the two gaining comfort as the day went on. Kristina began by taking fourth in the 100- and the 400-yard dash, while Jennifer brought home fifth in the 800.

All was going smoothly in the 1,600, the day’s featured event, until anchor runner Kristina collided with a competitor after taking the baton from fellow freshman Sue Schwartz.

But Kristina hung with the pack to win the day’s grittiest race.

Said Moos: “It’s the race that’s all about guts. You’ve got one lap, let’s see what you’ve got. Show ’em who the best team is.”

The collision was a result of unfamiliarity and lingering nerves. Taylor was unaccustomed to such tough competition. Also, she just wanted to make sure to get that baton.

The Taylors will try to extend their red-carpet entrance at today’s regional championships, again at ODAC. However, should the Taylors help LHS qualify for state, they will not participate in the meet next weekend in Wichita.

Instead, the freshmen will be in Eutin, Germany – a sister city of Lawrence – with the Lawrence Children’s Choir.

Both sigh when talking about missing a trip to state as freshmen, but that’s the beauty of it. They’re only freshmen.

Instead, they have set lofty goals for tonight. Their eyes are set on a particular regional powerhouse who did not participate in the 1,600 relay at league.

“It’s my first year, and I want to go as far as I can, but I can’t,” Jennifer said. “I want to beat Leavenworth.”