Year: 2019
Award: Track & Field, High School
Location/Affiliation: Niwot High School
- 4A Track Athlete of the Year
- 200, 400, 800 Meter State Champion
Reading through runner Taylor James’ 2019 athletic accomplishments, it’s easy to see she’s a great choice for our high school track and field award. She’s also a 4.0 student. But, there’s another layer to Taylor’s story.
Perhaps the best way to understand what makes Taylor unique, is through the story her Niwot High School coach shared about the 4A Track & Field State Championships. That meet Taylor had a chance to win four individual state titles but she gave up going after one of them to replace an injured teammate on a relay event.
“She is all Niwot,” the coach said, “never all Taylor James.”
In the end, Taylor helped her Cougars win that relay title, and despite her selfless gesture, she still came away with an individual state championship triple crown, winning the 200, 400, and 800 meter events. She was the 4A Track Athlete of the Year and won the same honor from BoCoPreps.com and the Northern Conference.
In 2020, despite a season cancelled by COVID-19, Taylor James collected another honor. She is the Gatorade Colorado Track Athlete of the Year.
