Junior varsity soccer coach Kate Taylor will add cross country to her duties.
By STEVE LEE
Published May 22, 2003
LAND O'LAKES - For the second time in his 10 seasons as Land O'Lakes' cross country coach, Kris Keppel will get some help with the girls team.
Kate Taylor will coach the girls next season with Keppel remaining as the boys coach. She is the first girls coach since Donna Weerts (1988-89).
Preparing two teams limited Keppel in watching Land O'Lakes' runners during races.
"Mentally, I'll be able to concentrate on my (boys) team better," Keppel said. "I can get my guys ready instead of watching the girls run."
Taylor, 27, is a first-year science teacher at Land O'Lakes who coached the junior varsity girls soccer team to a 10-0 record and was an assistant for the varsity's state championship team. She will continue coaching soccer.
"I figured the ideal fit would be someone who coaches soccer," said Keppel, a media specialist at Land O'Lakes.
"It's really a good fit, not only in terms of getting girls to come out (for cross country), but helping her girls soccer team."
Last season, 14 boys and three girls ran cross country for Land O'Lakes with two runners making the top 20 at the state meet. Freshman Steven Bell placed eighth and Danielle Shimer 18th.
Keppel said he learned Taylor was a runner and recently approached her, saying, "I'd really like to get some more girls running."
"I like to run," Taylor said. "I'm training for a marathon, so I thought (coaching) would be good."
Taylor and her sister, Nicole Keller, who lives in Kansas, plan to run the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., in October. It will be the first marathon for the sisters.
Taylor and Keppel will coach both boys and girls during practices in the fall, when Land O'Lakes moves to split schedules. Freshman and some sophomores will not start school until 10:25 a.m., so Taylor will take that group for 8 a.m. practices.
Keppel will coach the upperclassmen after school at about 2:15 p.m.
Taylor and her husband, Chris, moved to New Port Richey last summer from Iowa. Chris coached football, weightlifting and track at Ridgewood.
Taylor participated in basketball, volleyball, softball and track at St. Mary's High in Martensdal, Iowa, before playing soccer at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.
