Local Star Finds True Calling on the Track

By David Perez
HurricaneSports.com
 
Isaiah Taylor’s sneakers dug into the track, and a feeling of déjà vu flooded into his mind.
 
The University of Miami junior has taken off to the sound of a gun at a race countless times, and
in the 100-meter sprint at the 2017 ACC Outdoor Championships, Taylor felt like he had been
here before.
 
“It was very serious, in a sense,” Taylor said. “It brought me back to realizing that I won my state
championship meet in high school. The finals were around the same time, and I just remember
the intensity I had.”
 
That intensity led Taylor to a fourth place finish in the race, and into what he said was a
reflective state of mind as he looked back after his finish.
 
Ever since elementary school Taylor has been faster than everyone else.
 
“It was always at school,” Taylor said. “It was the ‘oh who is the fastest kid in the school?’ You
hear about all those races and conversations as little kids growing up. All throughout elementary
school it was literally all the time, ‘oh you are fast but oh you can’t beat Isaiah.”
 
Every field day he was challenged to races, and every recess he showed his speed.
In many ways Taylor was born to run, and he went from racing against classmates to racing
against the clock in high school.
 
After learning under a track coach who doubled as a football coach, Isaiah felt he needed more
structure. Taylor began to run with an AAU team, and ultimately competed in the Junior Olympic
Games.
 
Track was his calling, and everyone around him knew it.
 
His father gave him the nickname “little ninja”, and his quick reflexes led him to success on all
playing fields.
 
Taylor played football and basketball before ultimately settling on track, and competitiveness ran
through his DNA.
 
Taylor’s mom, Veranda Taylor, ran track while growing up, and his father held a Guinness-world
record for bodybuilding titles.
 
Vincent Taylor, Isaiah’s father, competed internationally for over 20 years. But despite 22 titles
and a return to the sport at age 50, Isaiah pulled him away.
 
“I was traveling around the world doing appearances and stuff,” Taylor said. “I had gotten out of
bodybuilding but I was continuing self-promotions. [Ultimately] when it came down to seeing
what I was doing and seeing what he was doing, I had to get involved with him and his track,
man, because that was a diamond in the rough.”
 
Taylor’s father then took over as the track coach at West Broward High School during Isaiah’s
senior year. He brought structure to Isaiah’s workouts, resulting in a personal record 10.48 100-meter finish and a state championship meet victory.
 
Isaiah went from recess runner to state champion, and earned a scholarship at the
University of Miami — something he envisioned since his freshman year.
 
“In ninth grade, my kid put out an email,” Vincent Taylor said. “He said this is what I want to do —
I want to leave a name at West Broward High School. I want to blaze the path and win me a
scholarship to the University of Miami and I am going to run track there and leave a name.”
 
Isaiah’s father says his son’s career has become about outperforming the last race, and ever
since arriving at UM, that has been Taylor’s singular goal.
 
“Isaiah is a very driven kid,” head coach Amy Deem said. “You can’t be harder on Isaiah than
Isaiah is on himself — so he is – every day he tries to come out to see how he can be better, and
those are the type of kids you want.”
 
Taylor has improved his personal 100-meter record from a 10.48 to a 10.40 since arriving on
campus, but before every race only one thing is on his mind.
 
The junior looks up to pick out his parents in the crowd, and with every race, he looks to show
them the hard work was worth it.
 
“Even when I am still down [after] finishing workouts,” Taylor said. “If I ever feel like I can’t go
anymore and I can’t push through it, I just still have to sit back. It takes me five seconds to
remember everything. I think back and just remember my dad didn’t give up on me, my mom
didn’t give up on me, my coach didn’t give up on me … I have no reason to be bent over,
gasping, trying to find air and finding excuses to not get up and complete the next rep.”