Jessica Taylor Biography

Fayetteville High (Class of 2001) / Fayetteville, WV

Classification: A

Specialty: Mid-Distance / Distance

Marshall University / Huntington, WV

 

Jessica Dawn Taylor (born December 11, 1983) is one of West Virginia’s most successful female prep distance runners in the state’s history. She grew up in Fayetteville, West Virginia, where she attended Fayetteville High School from 1998-2001. Taylor was a 16-time West Virginia high school individual state champion in track and cross country, winning four titles in cross country and twelve in track. She is the only athlete (male or female) to ever accomplish this feat. She held one state record in the 3200-meter run and three Class AA-A state meet records in two events, 1600- and 3200-meter runs. She took home three high point honors in track. She became the first West Virginia high school female to break eleven minutes in the 3200-meter run. She was selected 2000-2001 Gatorade West Virginia Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year. In both 2000 and 2001, she won the Ray McCoy Award by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association as the state's top female track and field athlete.

Taylor attended one year at Marshall University, where she ran cross country, indoor track, and was redshirted for outdoor track season.

Jessica is the daughter of Larry and Sandra Taylor. She has one sibling, Abi.

 

[Early Years]:

Jessica Taylor played a little soccer when she was in elementary school but was terrible at it. She didn’t participate in any other sports until middle school track.

Her dad would train her during the track season. It was very rare that she would attend a track practice after school with the rest of the team. Jessica was pretty much the only girl distance runner on the team, so she would just train with her dad when he got off work in the evenings.

During her first year of running track in the seventh grade, Jessica 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 their meets. Jessica would always come in 2nd place, running with the boys, lapping a few of them before the race was over. A boy from her middle school team would always come in 1st place.

 

High School (1989-2001):

While attending Fayetteville High School, Taylor was coached by her dad Larry in track and Lori Woodson in cross country. Her favorite sport was running cross country.

 

[Freshman Year]

At the 1997 West Virginia State Cross Country Meet, it was another rainy day in Elkins. The course was a sloppy mess. Fayetteville’s Jessica Taylor won the Class AA-A individual state title with a time of 21:48, breaking the tape 52 seconds ahead of her next-closest competitor and leading the Pirates to a fifth-place finish as a team with 99 points. In the postseason, Taylor placed 88th in the seeded girl’s race at the Foot Locker South Regional championships in Charlotte (NC), with a time of 19:41.1.

At the 1998 Class AA-A West Virginia State Track Meet, Jessica Taylor swept all three distance races, leading the Pirates to a fourth-place tie as a team with 38 points. She won the 800-meter run (2:21.52), 1600-meter run (5:21.65), and the 3200-meter run (11:45.44). Taylor took home high point honors with 30 points.

 

[Sophomore Year]

At the 1998 West Virginia State Cross Country Meet at Williamstown, it looked as if the Pirates phenom was tiring down the stretch. East Hardy’s Jessica Tusing ran down Fayetteville’s Jessica Taylor with 50-yards to go, but Taylor pulled away for her second straight Class AA-A cross country championship. Taylor had to use her guts to take the win. Her winning time of 19:14 edged Tusing by three seconds. Once again, Fayetteville would place fifth as a team with 114 points. In the postseason, Taylor placed 29th in the sophomore girl’s race at the Foot Locker South Regional championships in Charlotte (NC), with a time of 21:06, while earning third-team All-South.

At the 1999 Class AA-A West Virginia State Track Meet, Fayetteville’s Jessica Taylor was a triple winner setting the state meet record in both the 1600- and 3200-meter runs, while earning high point honors for the second year in a row with 30 points. She won the 800-meter run (2:19.75), 1600-meter run (5:11.60), and the 3200-meter run (11:12.73). Taylor led the Pirates to a sixth-place finish as a team with 30 points.

 

[Junior Year]

At the 1999 West Virginia State Track Cross Country Meet, Fayetteville’s Jessica Taylor won her third straight Class AA-A individual state title with a time of 19:11.26, breaking the tape 7 1/2 seconds ahead of her next-closest competitor, Grafton’s Sheri Flohr. In the postseason, Taylor placed 22nd in the seeded girl’s race at the Foot Locker South Regional championships in Charlotte (NC), with a time of 18:47.80, while earning third-team All-South.

At the 2000 Class AA-A West Virginia State Track Meet, Jessica Taylor again swept the distance races for Fayetteville, while finishing second in high point honors with 30 points. She won the 800-meter run (2:20.46), 1600-meter run (5:11.81), and the 3200-meter run (11:35.36). Taylor led the Pirates to a sixth-place tie as a team with 30 points. Taylor won the Ray McCoy Award by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association as the state's top female track and field athlete.

 

 

[Senior Year]

At the 2000 West Virginia State Cross Country Meet at Elkins, Taylor cruised to a Class AA-A girl’s state cross country championship with a 21:07.5 front-running victory, crossing the line 30 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor, Ritchie County’s Missy Spangler. She became only the second Mountain State female to win four consecutive state cross country titles. Athen’s Wendy Green was the first to accomplish this feat in Class AA-A from 1986-1989. In the postseason, Taylor placed 33rd in the seeded girl’s race at the Foot Locker South Regional championships in Charlotte (NC), with a time of 19:14.

At the 2001 Class AA-A West Virginia State Track Meet, Fayetteville’s Jessica Taylor put on one of the greatest performances in the state meet history, setting a state record in the 3200-meter run and pulling the triple in the distance events for the fourth year in a row. She won the 800-meter run (2:15.99), 1600-meter run (5:12.18), and the 3200-meter run (10:59.26 - State Record). Taylor became the first West Virginia high school female to break eleven minutes in the 3200-meter run. For the third time, Taylor would win high point honors with 30 points, while leading the Pirates to a fifth-place finish as a team. For the second consecutive year, Taylor won the Ray McCoy Award by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association as the state's top female track and field athlete. She was also selected as the 2000-2001 Gatorade West Virginia Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

During Taylor’s high school running career (1998-2001), she scored a total of one hundred twenty points at the West Virginia State Track Meet at Laidley Field in Charleston, West Virginia.

 

High School Running Resume:

 

State Final PR's:

XC – 19.11.26

800 Meter Run – 2:15.99

1600 Meter Run – 5:11.60 (State Meet Record)

3200 Meter Run – 10:59.26 (State Record & State Meet Record)

 

State Titles:

1997 - XC

1998 – XC, 800M, 1600M, 3200M, High Point

1999 – XC, 800M, 1600M, 3200M, High Point

2000 – XC, 800M, 1600M, 3200M, High Point

2001 – 800M, 1600M, 3200M, High Point

 

State Meet All-Time Lists:

11th All-Class All-Time 800 Meters

3rd AA-A Girls All-Time 800 Meters

1st and 2nd AA-A Girls 1990's 800 Meters

1st and 2nd A Girls 2000's 800 Meters

7th, 8th, 9th AA-A Girls All-Time 1600 Meters

1st and 3rd AA-A Girls 1990's 1600 Meters

1st and 2nd A Girls 2000's 1600 Meters

4th and 6th AA-A Girls All-Time 3200 Meters

1st and 3rd AA-A Girls 1990's 3200 Meters

1st and 4th A Girls 2000's 3200 Meters

 

 Taylor’s times at the WV State Championships (1997-2001):

• 800 meter run (Track) – 2:21.52 (1998); 2:19.75 (1999); 2:20.46 (2000); 2:15.99 (2001)

• 1600 meter run (Track) – 5:21.65 (1998); 5:11.60 (1999); 5:11.81 (2000); 5:12.18 (2001)

• 3200 meter run (Track) – 11:45.44 (1998); 11:12.73 (1999); 11:35.36 (2000); 10:59.26 (2001)

• 5000 meter run (CC) – 21:48.00 (1997); 19:14.00 (1998); 19:11.26 (1999); 21:07.50 (2000)

 

 Personal:

Jessica Taylor’s father was a St. Mary's High School and Glenville State College Track and Cross-Country standout. Glenda Taylor Cottrill, is her aunt, while Steve, Mike, and Cliff are her cousins. Jessica currently lives in Fayetteville, West Virginia, where she is an avid dog lover.

 

Submitted by Coach Mike McMillion (updated 03/19/18)

Photo (L) Grafton’s Sheri Flohr and (R) Fayetteville’s Jessica Taylor