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Girl athlete of the week: Jacque Taylor, Casa Grande senior, cross country ERIC BRANCH The Press Democrat Published: Tuesday, December 1, 2009 WHAT SHE DID: Taylor won the Division II state title at the CIF Cross Country Championships at Woodward Park in Fresno. Taylor finished in 17 minutes, 29 seconds to beat runner-up Julie Nacouzi of Montgomery by a fraction of a second and become the sixth girl from the Empire to win a CIF cross-country title. Taylor also became the third girl in Empire history to have four top-five finishes at the event. Taylor finished third in ’08, second in ’07 and fifth in ’06. “I think a lot of it was just desire at the end,” Taylor said. ‘I’ve been so close since my freshman year. This was my senior year and I really needed it.” A COOL, CALM CHAMP: Taylor placed second to Nacouzi the previous week at the North Coast Section Championships. In Fresno, Taylor started slower, felt calmer and broke her personal record at the course by 11 seconds. “The biggest thing for me was that I felt really relaxed,” Taylor said. WHAT’S NEXT?: Taylor, who has verbally committed to the University of North Carolina, will compete at the 40-person Foot Locker West Regionals on Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut. The top 10 finishers will advance to the Foot Locker Nationals on Dec. 12 in San Diego. Taylor reached nationals last year and finished 30th, a result she expects to improve on. “I feel a lot stronger than I did at this point last year,” Taylor said. “I think I’ve peaked at the right time.”
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