A Year After Being Forced To Turn Around And Go Back Home Due To High Winds, Taylor James And REAL Training Colorado Have Shown Up Big In Pocatello

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Two days into a three-day schedule in Pocatello, Idaho, Taylor James has already made her presence felt at the Simplot Games. She has qualified for Saturday’s finals of the 800 meters, which is her specialty, and the 1,600 meters. And she will run on a leg on REAL Training Colorado’s 4x400 relay as well.

In the 800, James will have the meet record of 2:06.08, set last year by Marlena Preigh, in her sights.

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James expected to be in last year’s race with Preigh, but REAL Training Colorado’s two busloads of athletes ran into high winds in Wyoming and the I-80 freeway headed to eastern Idaho was closed at Rawlins, Wyo. The athletes and coaches had already come hundreds of miles and tried to wait out the dangerous conditions.

The team rented every room in a local hotel and even took a tour of an abandoned prison. But the winds did not let up, and James and her teammates had to turn around and go home.

“It was too bad, but we’re happy we made it this year with no problems,” James said.

James, a Nike Elite camper from Niwot High, who clocked 2:05.83 at the Music City Distance Carnival last June as a sophomore, is one of the elite middle-distance prospects in the country.

She was recently part of the NSAF-led group that traveled to compete at the International Games at Reykjavik, Iceland on Feb 1. She ran 2:11.59 for second place.

“It was amazing to be able to not only go on a trip with 12 athletes with amazing talent and work ethic, but also just to explore a new country and run in an international competition, which I’ve never done before and hope to do again in the future,” James said.

She and her parents took an 11-hour tour of Iceland to see the landscape and dive into a bit of culture before coming home.

On Friday at Holt Arena, she anchored her 4x400 relay team to a qualifying spot in the finals. And later, she paced the first heat of the girls 800 meters with a time of 2:16.15 that held up as the top qualifying time.

James has the 1,600 meters first Saturday and then has a 50-minute break before the 800 final.

Still, she’d like to put some pressure on Preigh’s record.

“That’s always the hope,” James said. “It’d be great to see if I can do that so early in the season.”

REAL Training Colorado brought more than 80 athletes and 15 coaches to Simplot this year.

“We were on a mission this year to make it,” REAL Training Colorado co-head coach Maurice Henriques said. “(Simplot Games) is a reward for the kids who’ve worked hard during the winter, like a treat at the end. It’s just a training bloc. We’re not trying peak, but just get kids excited going into the spring season.”

Henriques also coaches the Niwot High team. REAL Training Colorado comprises athletes from about 15 schools, including Niwot.

James’ three events are in some ways meant to simulate the spring events where she will double, triple or compete in four events.

“She actually runs better the more you run her,” Henriques said. “We’ll see if she can run under five (minutes) in the 1,600 and then what she can do after that in the 800.”

Other highlights of Friday’s qualifying included Trinity Price’s top time of 24.83 seconds in the 200 meters. Price, of Buford GA, was also entered in the 400 but did not participate in the prelim.

Gavin Schurr of RISE Athletics (Fairview CO) ran the fastest 200 in the boys qualifying rounds, clocking 22.19 seconds. Schurr is also the third-fastest qualifier for the 60-meter dash final.

Luke Tapp from Trojan Track (Rigby ID) ran 50.82 seconds for the fastest time in the boys 400 meters. Pre-meet favorite Omodiaogbe Oboh from ISC International (Santa Teresa CA) was the third-fastest qualifier.

Adi Nielson (Delta UT) and Brilee Pontius (Westlake UT), both from Gold Medal Athletics, posted the fastest times in the girls 400 prelims, 59.26 and 59.51 seconds, respectively.

Jackson Adams from Springville UT ran the fastest 800 meters in qualifying, 1:57.67.