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