Santa Rosa Press Democrat // News for California's North Bay and Redwood Empire

Low-tech edition (About)
Home-stretch sprint lifts Taylor
Casa Grande sophomore takes second place with 4:49.63 finish in 1,600

By DEWEY FORGET
FOR THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

NORWALK 
  
When it comes to high school track and field, California is where
it happens. Those who follow the sport religiously generally agree that
California is the most difficult state in which to earn a medal.

With 1,500 schools and 450 participants, getting to the state finals at
Cerritos College is a major accomplishment. At the same time, the pressure
on a young athlete to move past the preliminaries and to the much-coveted
finals can be overwhelming.

Medals are awarded to only the top six in each event. Those medalists
represent some of the finest track and field stars in the nation.

For some athletes, just qualifying is sufficient, but for nationally ranked
runners like Casa Grande's Jacque Taylor, anything but a medal run would be
disappointing.

On Saturday at Falcon Stadium in front of 10,712 spectators in the CIF
state track and field meet, Taylor ran 4:49.63 in the 1,600 meters for a
second-place finish. Last year, she picked up her first state medal with a
fourth-place finish in the 3,200.

Running against Christine Babcock, who owns the national-best mark in the
1,600, Taylor was content to run along in last place for 1,200 meters while
Babcock was running away with the race, setting a pace that would shatter
her national-best time set last week in the southern section Masters.

On the last turn, Taylor began to pick up runners with a flourish. Turning
into the home stretch, she sprinted into second, well ahead of her nearest
competitor, Crescent Valley's Claire Collison.

My goal was to go under 4:50 and I did that," Taylor said. "I felt good 
all day. This was a good race, it pushed me. I was really pressured because I
was in the back. But it worked out for me. Christine's performance was
amazing. It's motivating to go after her.

Babcock ran 4:33.82 to eclipse her week-old record of 4:36.57. The
Woodbridge senior led from step one to the finish in dominating fashion.
Taylor said she hadn't intended to be so far back, but every time she made
a forward move, the pack would go with her.

"I would go out and then they would pass me," she said. "I thought someone
would go with Christine, but they didn't. I'm usually in front, but what I
like about these big meets is that sometimes there are people in front of
me.

Taylor capped off the state meet with a romp in the 3,200. And again she
found herself looking at the back of one of the nation's top runners,
Jordan Hasay, who established a national-best mark of 9:52.13. Laurynne
Chetelat pushed Hasay all the way to the finish for second in 9:52.51.
Taylor was 13th in 11:00.75.

While an experienced runner like Taylor thrives in big meets, the pressure
of performing under heavy scrutiny can have a profound effect on
inexperienced competitors.

Supple muscles become tight and heavy. The brain says "go," but the body
doesn't respond. With college recruiters as thick as flies, the enormity of
the event seems to suck the breath away. Fortunately, it's a short-lived
condition that usually goes away with experience.

For Maria Carrillo sophomores Lauren Curtin and Julia Krickl, the malady
took its toll Friday in their qualifying events.

Curtin, seeded 11th in the 1,600, ran 5:09.82 and finished 20th, far from
her best effort. Krickl was second in the high jump at the North Coast
Section Meet of Champions, one of the top sections in the state, but missed
on all three of her jumps in the opening round at 5 feet 2 inches. She
cleared 5-5 at the MOC.

Taylor, already a toughened veteran though only a sophomore, can feel for
her fellow competitors and their shared emotions.

"I saw Lauren before her race and she was really nervous," Taylor said.
"She's a great runner, but she doesn't have the experience running in the
big meets. It would be good for her to go to more big meets next year.

Former Maria Carrillo coach Danny Aldridge, who has taken several
outstanding athletes to state, said: "Julia only cleared 5-2 a week ago,
and then she finds herself in the state meet.

The implication is clear: How does an inexperienced jumper find lightening
in a bottle on two successive weekends? It usually doesn't happen. Or, how
does a runner making her first appearance in a huge venue overcome nerves
and the natural inclination to try to do too much?

Carrillo assistant coach Greg Fogg said that for both Krickl and Curtin,
the best is yet to come.

"This was a learning experience. They are looking forward to getting back
there next year," he said. "Their confidence hasn't been shaken. I was
worried about them and what they would take away from this meet. But they
both came to the conclusion, "˜I know what I did wrong and what I have to do
next time.
Email story | Print story | Subscribe to paper