When Camden Taylor ‘27 aces his math test, the grueling three-mile race that lies ahead of him on the weekend doesn’t affect him. In whatever Taylor faces, the background noise fades as he steps up to the line, and he’s willing to give his best effort and finish on empty.
Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) has been home to many talented student-athletes since the school conceived its athletics programs in the 2014–2015 school year. A testament to the discipline and dedication required to balance both a heavy academic course load and competitive athletics, Taylor sets an example for his fellow students from his diligence in both the classroom and on the track.
Taylor began his athletic career young, finding success with track and field in elementary school through the local youth running program, the Ventura Track Club Tigres (Tigres).
“I started [as] a sprinter, but the day before the last meet, I asked my coach if I could do distance. And then I qualified for varsity after my first 1600. After that, I just started doing distance for the rest of my running career,” Taylor said.
The chance Taylor took to run the longer distance events ended up paying off in the future. “I made it to the co-conference almost every year I did it. It was really awesome … But one of my biggest honors is probably winning the Ventura Conference Championships,” Taylor explained.
Progressing to the high school level of athletics and academics was certainly new territory that presented new challenges for Taylor, especially with more responsibilities as an 11th grader. Taylor tested himself with four Advanced Placement (AP) classes in his jam-packed schedule to further benefit his future.
For Taylor, the best way to juggle everything in his life is to simply manage how his time is spent.
“[I go to] school from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and I do as much work as possible. But then the second it’s 2:30 [p.m.], it’s practice time until 5 [p.m.] And I just stop thinking about school and focus on running … I think the most important part is just setting out, carving out time each day and [getting] it done,” Taylor said.
Noah Wagner ‘27, one of Taylor’s teammates, shared some insights into the positive contributions Taylor has made to the team culture and environment during practice.
“He’s always cheering and has been the reason I’ve finished a bunch of workouts,” Wagner said.
In terms of race times, Taylor has set a personal best in the three-mile with a time of 15:55.6. He often draws motivation from the bonds and support of his teammates, and the encouragement from his fellow athletes pushes him to overcome adversities both on and off the track.
“What motivates me and gets me out of bed every day … [is] all the guys on the cross country team and [hanging] out with them outside of practice … The faster I run there, the better we do as a team,” Taylor stated.
