Senior Taylor takes gold at state track meet / LJWorld.com

Archive for Sunday, May 25, 2008

Jimmy Gillispie/Special to the Journal-World. Enlarge photo.

Lawrence High's Kristina Taylor, front, is congratulated by her sister, Jennifer Taylor after winning the 400-meter dash. Kristina won the event in 57.67 seconds on Saturday at Cessna Stadium in Wichita.

By Jason Elmquist

May 25, 2008

State track meet met with wet, windy conditions

Wet and windy conditions didn't stop this year's state track competition from going off as scheduled. Enlarge video

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Wichita — Lawrence High seniors Kristina and Jennifer Taylor seem to be pretty comfortable in Wichita State's Cessna Stadium. That bodes well for the WSU track and field team since the Taylor twins will be joining the program next year.

"It's really exciting because I run my state track meet here and then this will be my home track next year," Kristina said Saturday at the Kansas Class 6A track and field meet. "So it's kind of a welcoming to Wichita State."

Kristina gave the Shockers quite a homecoming present: a first-place finish in the 400-meter dash.

The first place was definitely hard to come by. Kristina, who ran 57.67, edged Shawnee Mission South's Kristen Gillespie by just 0.09.

"I was just trying to dig as hard as I could and get in front of her," Kristina said. "I tried to lean at the end, so I knew that I got her - but I had watch the board to see if I really won."

Her sister, who ran in the 400 and finished sixth in 59.55, had one of the best views as Kristina charged down the home stretch.

"I was so proud of her," Jennifer said. "Through the entire race I was saying 'Where's Kristina?' And then in the final stretch I was just like, 'Beat her!' So I wasn't really concentrating on mine and I got kind of side- tracked."

Jennifer was so proud of her sister that as soon as she crossed the finish line she ran up behind Kristina and gave her a bear hug.

"That scared me a little," Kristina said. "I was glad that she was there, so that she could share with me a little bit because she knew how much I've wanted this. So it was definitely nice having her there."

Jennifer got the best of Kristina in the 800 meter run a few events later, coming across with a fourth-place time of 2:22.99 while Kristina finished in eighth wither her time of 2:24.63.

But Jennifer was just happy to come away with a good finish, especially with her future Wichita State coaches looking on.

"I was definitely more nervous than I have been, just because they were watching," Jennifer said. "But I also think it motivated me to push harder and try to get the best place that I could."

The Taylor sisters were also part of the LHS 3,200 meter and 1,600 meter relay teams to medal. The 3,200 meter included Alexis Scheibler and Shelby Clark in a fourth place time of 9:55.16. Emily Davidson joined Clark and the Taylors for a fifth place finish in the 1,600 meter relay.