Saratoga Springs cross-country standouts Jay Navin and Taylor Driscoll named Runners of the Year.
Saratoga’s Taylor Driscoll named girls XC Athlete of the Year
SARATOGA SPRINGS — It may seem strange to think of now, given all that Taylor Driscoll has accomplished in cross country and as a distance runner in track and field, but when the Saratoga Springs senior first took up competitive running, she wanted to be a sprinter.
Blue Streaks coach Linda Kranick said a preference for shorter distances is not uncommon among younger athletes. Driscoll, however, took a little more time than the average newcomer to see where her true talents lay.
“It wasn’t easy to convince her as an eighthgrader,” Kranick said recently. “She reluctantly did cross country as a ninth-grader, and once she progressed through that year, she realized she was indeed a distance runner. So we were able to convince her, and now she’ll admit that Art ( Kranick) and I were right— I hope.”
By way of explanation, Driscoll said, “I just liked the speed stuff more than the distance stuff when I was younger. My coaches convinced me to switch and I grew to like it, although it was a little overwhelming at first.”
In retrospect, it’s a good thing the Kranicks prevailed. This fall, Driscoll wrapped up her high school cross country career in memorable fashion, finishing first in the Suburban Council and Section II championships; fourth in the state meet; third in the Federation meet and Northeast Regionals; and then, on December 1, ninth in the NXN National Championships in Portland, Oregon. She was named FirstTeam All-State and Senior of the Year in New York. Not surprisingly, she is also The Saratogian’s female cross country athlete of the year.
The Section II title was Driscoll’s second straight. In other postseason meets in 2011, she ran second in the Suburban, eighth in Federation and tenth in the Northeast Regionals. In two previous trips to nationals, she finished 35th in 2010 and 22nd last year.
“I kind of knew what I was doing this time,” Driscoll said of her most recent experience in Oregon. “It really helped trans- late into my having a good ending to my career. There’s definitely a lot of pressure to do well so your team can score well. That’s your motivation. And it feels good having your team with you, knowing they’re sharing the pressure — that they’re also there for you.”
Competing at nationals as the Kinetic Running Club, Saratoga finished fifth in the team scoring. The performance followed three consecutive years as the national runner- up. Also competing this year for the Blue Streaks were Keelin Hollowood, Olivia Morrow, Sarah Morin, Spencer Hayes, Maddie Samuel and Shania Hayward.
Hollowood, a standout in cross country and track and field since she was in eighth grade, ran in Portland for the fifth straight year. She finished in the top 55 all five years, with her best finish 25th as a freshman in 2009. Hollowood was Suburban Council and Section II champ that same year, and has been near the top in both meets every year since.
This year’s nationals were run under conditions Linda Kranick described as “abysmal.”
The course at Portland Meadows racetrack had mud so deep it could “suck your shoe off” if you stepped in the wrong place. This year’s winning time was 99 seconds slower than last year’s, evidence of the care runners had to take in “navigating” their way around the course.
Driscoll finished among a group of runners that hit the wire within seconds of each other.
Had she been able to get there four seconds sooner, she would have improved her finish from ninth to fifth.
“It was pretty close,” she said of the finish. “It’s really an honor because you’re running against the best in the country. And I was happy where our team finished. It was especially nice for the younger girls.”
Driscoll is a very efficient runner, with an accelerated yet controlled stride that carries her lightly over the ground — and serves her well under any circumstances.
“She’s got a quick turnover,” Kranick said. “And she can run a wide range of distances.
“She’s a good 400 runner right up to 5K, which is what you like to see.”
That versatility has been evident in Driscoll’s track and field career. During last spring’s outdoor season, she was Suburban Council champion in the 800 meters. At the Class A sectionals, she ran third in the 800 and second in the 3000. She went on to win the State Qualifier in the 800, and then finished eighth in the event at the Federation meet. In addition, she was a member of the third- place Saratoga 4x800 relay team.
Driscoll also ran indoors, winning the Suburban Council, Division I sectionals and state- qualifying meets in the 1000 meters. She finished third at states.
Driscoll has yet to decide on her plans for next year, but wherever she goes she intends to continue running— over a considerable distance of ground, of course.