Student-Athlete of the Week: Taylor James

The Niwot track and field program has produced its fair share of talented athletes, most notably Elise Cranny, who will be representing the U.S. in the 5000-meter Olympic race on Friday, July 30. But Taylor James stands out even in that elite group. During a storied track and cross country career at Niwot, the versatile performer earned seven individual state track titles, a handful of relay titles, a runner-up title in cross-country, and set at least two Class 4A records. For longtime Niwot track coach Maurice Henriques, James will be hard to replace on and off the field.

"I've never had an athlete so humble," he said "It's all about the team. She's been an ambassador for the sport and the face of the program, and exactly the kind of kid you want to go out and have success. When she goes to the next level, if she can learn to be selfish, then it's lights out."

On June 26, James competed as a Cougar for the final time at the 2021 Class 4A state track and field championships, where she picked up four more medals and led the Niwot girls to a second consecutive team title. The Courier caught up with her afterwards to talk about her high school legacy and what the future holds in store for Niwot's next Stanford-bound runner.

Left Hand Valley Courier (LHVC): What did Elise Cranny's win in the Olympic trials mean to the team and to you personally?

Taylor James (TJ): It was just such an exciting news to hear, especially since she is a Niwot alum. She's always been an inspiration to all of us because of how hard she works to try to reach her goals. We all kind of took a step back, and we're like, wow, like she came through this program, so maybe one of us can get on that stage someday too.

LHVC: How seriously do you personally think about the Olympics?

TJ: Honestly, I just like to take things as they come. I'm not the type of person who gets too imaginative, I guess. At the same time, it's hard not to, at least every once in a while, have that in the back of my mind. Like, maybe if I end up in the right place at the right time in terms of my athletic development, then that would be truly amazing. But I'm not putting pressure on myself to accomplish something like that."

LHVC: Do you feel like your high school career ended on a high note? Is that how you would have chosen to go out if you could have sketched it as a freshman four years ago?

TJ: Actually, I have to complain a little bit. I would have wanted to be on the four by four [relay], but Coach Mo said that they didn't need me on the four by four, because we have so many amazing girls and that I need to try to save my legs for this weekend. So I think if I were painting a picture of a perfect high school career, and ending on like a high note, I guess I would have run the four by four. However, I still really enjoyed myself, I was happy to help the team in any way that I could have. And it was really fun to run a four by one. I don't do that super often.

LHVC: Thinking about your high school career as a whole, did you accomplish everything you wanted to? Is there a particular accomplishment that really stands out or that you're most proud of?

TJ: I think every athlete has those moments that they're like, 'Oh, I wish I could have done this in this race' or tried to run a little faster. So yeah, it took me longer than I would have hoped to get back to the 800-meter shape I'm in now. But that's okay. It's all part of the process. Honestly, I just can't complain too much, because the past four years have really been amazing. I've been lucky enough to have just such a great support system, and my coaches and teammates have pushed me to be to run some of these times. And I feel so grateful for that. At the end of the day, if you look at the whole overview of it all. I'm very happy with how the past four years turned out.