An Interview with Jessica Taylor

Coach McMillion – What middle school and high school did you attend growing up?

JT – Fayetteville Middle and High.

CM – The WVSSAC school directory has Fayetteville as grades 7 through 12, are they combined?

JT - They are now. When I attended Fayetteville, the middle school was 6th through 8th grade and high school was 9th through 12th. They consolidated them back six or seven years ago, while putting the sixth graders at the elementary school and the seventh and eighth graders went to the high school.

CM - What sports did you participate in as a youngster?

JT – I played a little soccer when I was in elementary school, but was terrible at it. I did not participate in any other sports until middle school track.

CM -When did you first start running?

JT – My seventh grade year for track. Fayetteville Middle did not have cross country.

CM – Did anybody else in your family run?

JT – Yes. My dad Larry ran for St. Marys High School and Glenville State College.

CM - Are you related to the Taylor family who ran at St. Marys High School?

JT – Yes, Larry is my dad. Glenda is my aunt. Steve, Mike, and Cliff are cousins.

CM - Who coached your running career?

JT – My dad trained me during track. I very rarely attended a track practice after school with the rest of the team. I was pretty much the only girl distance runner on the team, so I would just train with my dad when he got off work in the evenings. Now as far as cross country season went I did attend practices coached by Lori Woodson. It was a small team, but great coach. She always got out there and ran with us.

CM – When did you first start to have success at running?

JT – During my first year of running in the seventh grade. I would always go out in the lead and stay there. There were very few girls that ran the 2 mile in middle school, so they would always run the boys and girls together at our meets. I would always come in 2nd place, running with the boys, lapping a few of them before the race was over. A boy from my team would always come in 1st.

CM – What sport did you like more, track or cross country?

JT – Cross Country most definitely.

CM – What was your favorite training workout?

JT – I enjoyed trail running. It didn’t matter if it was a day that I just took it easy or we went out for a hard training run.

CM – About how many miles a week did you run in high school?

JT – We would usually get in 5-7 miles a day during the week. Saturdays I would race. And Sundays we would put in a good 10 mile long run.

CM – What is the race that you’re most proud of?

JT – That’s too hard to choose. I went out and won the four state titles my freshman year. After the state meet that year we joked about how cool it would be to win all four titles, all four years. So I guess my senior year, when I actually did accomplish the sixteen state titles.

CM - Do you recall how many times you ever got beat against West Virginia high school girls during the regular season? I know you won all 16 times in state meet competitions, which I don't think anyone else has ever accomplished that boys or girls.

JT - It wasn’t but a handful of times. I’m pretty sure Holly Hunter from Fairmont beat me in track at one of the Charleston meets. She was a year or two ahead of me. The Davis sisters, Susan and Jennifer, from Hampshire County beat me in XC at a race up around their school, and Sherry Flohr from Grafton beat me once or twice, they were the only ones to beat me. I’m not positive though. They were all from northern part of state, so we didn’t run against each other very often. There was also another girl from Pikeview that was a couple of years ahead of me, Amy Shrewsbury. We ran against each a lot. She got me a couple times also.

CM – Who would you credit your success too?

JT – My dad of course. If he wouldn’t have been there to push me along, I don’t believe I would have accomplished what I did.

CM – Did you compete in college?

JT - Yes, I attended 1 year at Marshall University. I ran cross country, indoor track, and was red shirted for outdoor track season.

CM – Are you married or do you have any kids?

JT – Not married. I have been in a relationship with same guy for 14 years. We do not have any kids, unless you count dogs. We count dogs around here, so I have 3.

CM – What is your profession?

JT - We own and operate a small engine repair shop. I also work as a waitress at a local restaurant 5 days a week.

CM – Thank you so much for your time Jessica.

I also was able to ask Jessica’s dad/coach, Larry Taylor, a few questions.

Coach McMillion - One of the most difficult tasks a parent can face is being their daughter’s coach. Although it may seem like the perfect way to bond and build a strong relationship with your daughter, it can lead you into turmoil. What was the biggest challenge in coaching your daughter?

Larry Taylor – The biggest challenge was getting her to perform to her fullest potential. She had so much more to give and I could not get her best out of her. For example when we would do speed workouts we would do 20 x 400’s she would run hers in 70 seconds with a 1:30 rest. The fastest 3200m was the 10:57 at state that's about 83 sec per 1/4.

I think that was the hardest for me. I feel she just ran just hard enough to keep people happy.

CM – Was it hard to separate the title of dad and coach?

LT – Yes, I was her dad, but I never thought I was ever her coach. We were always on the road or track together. We never ran more than 30 miles a week. I don't think it was hard because I enjoyed being on the run with Jessica.

CM – Did coaching add any extra tension between you and Jessica?

LT – I don't think we ever had any tension between us. When we would get together to practice, if she said she was tired we would usually go home.

CM – As a father you are probably almost always proud of Jessica, but do you recall your proudest moment of her in her running career?

LT - I was always proud of her, I never did tell her that. I think the most proud was her last year when she won the 800m, 1600m, and the 3200m, setting records in two of them and missing the 800m by three-tenth of one second, while finishing her high school career with 16 state titles. I will always be proud of her for what she done and is doing now weather she's running or working.