Track teams face Princeton and Yale

Taylor leads Quakers against Ivy foes As a high school sophomore, he broke the national record for a 16-year-old with a throw of 192 feet, 6 inches. As a junior, he was ranked seventh in the nation. Before his senior year was over, he had broken the record in the javelin for 17- to 18-year-olds and won the junior olympics. With these credentials, junior John Taylor could have chosen almost any school in the nation. When all was said and done, it came down to two non-scholarship Ivy League schools: Penn and Brown. "I felt like I would be wasting my education if I went to a scholarship school," Taylor said. "I know I wasn't the best student in the world, but I felt like I was qualified to go to an Ivy, and if I got in I would go." He got into both schools. Unfortunately for the Quakers, he chose to become a Bear and leave his hometown of Philadelphia for Providence. "I try not to get upset over those kind of things," said assistant coach Nathan Taylor, who recruited John Taylor. "I honestly think he felt that it was best choice for him." As things progressed at Brown, Taylor found himself in a track and field program which he felt was not committed to throwing. Both his coach and Tom Pukstys, the American record holder whom he trained with, quit. He began to inquire about transferring, and Penn was at the top of his list. "Coach Taylor is one of the top field event coaches on the East Coast," Taylor said. "Plus, my high school coaches would be close and Penn had the major I wanted." Coach Taylor didn't let him slip through his grasps again. "I didn't want to influence his decision," he said. "I wanted him to come if he wanted to be here, not because I told him he did." Last season at Brown, Taylor finished as one of the top eight Americans, which qualified him as an all-American without throwing his top throw of the season. He was disappointed with his throw of 222 feet because a month earlier at the Penn Relays he threw 240-6. "I think last season I hit my peak too early," Taylor said. "I am working so my peak will be moved back to the right time." In his mind, his biggest problem was being accepted by the team, especially because he didn't participate in the indoor season. He feels the guys took to him right away and a potential sticky situation was avoided. "I felt a little concerned over his acceptance, but John's personality quickly won over the guys," coach Taylor said. "He is a team-oriented athlete." This weekend he leads the team to Yale where Penn will take on the Princeton and the Elis. Princeton has a strong team and will give Penn its most competitive meet of the season. No matter what happens, Penn knows the real test will come when it sees Princeton again at the league meet in three weeks. Unlike past seasons where they were content to win the Ivies, this year the Quakers want the to win IC4As, which will mean beating Princeton and last year's champ, Navy. "We can do it this year if the guys step it up," coach Taylor said. "And I know they will."