MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / April 14, 2000

RESERVE – Yoshiko Taylor’s performance in the one-mile and two mile for East St. John over the last four years will have her running 120 miles up theroad over the next four years.

Taylor signed a track scholarship with the University of Louisiana-Lafayette Wednesday morning in the East St. John library, capping off a prep careerthat saw her win a number of district and regional titles in the sport.

“I’m excited,” Michael Taylor, Yoshiko’s father, said. “I’m glad to see her goto a good school. Education is No. 1 and they have a good engineeringprogram.

Taylor chose Louisiana-Lafayette over a number of schools, including UNO, Southern, Grambling, St. Louis and Northwestern State.Taylor has run track all four years in high school plus three years in junior high. She has won three straight district titles in the two-mile and has beenthe district champion in the mile the last two years. Last year, she won theregional championship in the two mile and placed sixth at the Class 5A state championships in both the mile and two-mile.

Taylor also plays basketball and competes in cross-country for the Lady Cats. She won district titles in cross-country each of the past three yearsand was fifth in the state in 1998.

Taylor made history again this track season, becoming the first East St.

John girl to compete in the pole vault. She had a vault of seven feet earlierthis season, currently the third-best mark in the metro area. She cleared 7-3 in practice Tuesday.

Taylor will probably run the 1,500 and the 3,000 in college and could also run the 5,000.

“The competition,” Taylor said of what will be the biggest difference between running track in high school and college, adding that she is looking forward to it.”

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