(Taylor Yantis/Photo courtesy of Yantis family.)

Taylor Yantis grew up a lot in her four years as an athlete at Phoenix Paradise Valley High.

After her recent graduation, it is time for her to grow up even more as she goes off to study and compete at Abilene Christian University in Texas.

Yantis leaves PV as one of the top female track and field athletes in the state this past season (heptathlon, hurdles) and  one of the top athletes in school history (track, volleyball).

Her family is understandably proud of her accomplishments. Her father, Donnie, a PV graduate and head football coach at the school since 2000, has been a major influence, as have her mother, Courtney, and her stepmother, Laurie.

“We won’t be seeing her as much, but we will still try to see her compete whenever we can,’’ Donnie Yantis said.

“It’s going to be an adjustment for us, too.’’

He remembers the days when he and Taylor would go hiking up a mountain near their home. There were days when she didn’t feel like it, but in the end, realized how that type of workout would help her.

“It was kind of like, “Hate me now, love me later,’ ’’ Donnie Yantis said. “Even now, she will give me cards telling me how thankful she is. The bottom line is, she is the one who has put in all of the hard work.’’

Gone, too, will be the days when dad would make a peanut butter and jelly or turkey sandwich as Taylor got ready for school.

“It’s going to be hard,’’ Taylor said. “My parents have always been involved, been very supportive. They text me a lot to see how things are going. But it is time for me to do things for myself, to be able to grow up.’’

She was more of a volleyball player in her early years, competing on the club circuit. She began to flourish in track at PV, although it came with its share of challenges.

The track coaches thought that Taylor might make a good hurdler because of her athleticism, but dad was concerned that she might fall and hurt herself. He didn’t want her to try it, but the track coaches got her to do it one day while dad was away. She didn’t fall, dad relented and look at her now -- the hurdles are her bread and butter.

(Taylor Yantis/Photo courtesy of Yantis family.)

“As a dad, I was upset, but as a coach, I understood,’’ Donnie Yantis said.

Taylor says she loves track “so much. Nothing compares to the feeling you get running a race, whether you win or lose.’’

She is not quite 5-feet-6, but plays taller than that as an outside hitter in volleyball. The Trojans won their first-round match in the state tournament, but then lost to eventual champion Flagstaff in the second round.

“We felt we could have put on a better show than we did, but overall, we had a good season,’’ she said.

Taylor knew that it would be track, not volleyball, to carry her into college. She wanted to attend a small Christian college to help her grow spiritually as well as academically, and wanted the college to have a football team so she can attend the games.

“I’ve been going to football practices with my dad ever since I can remember, even before I came to PV,’’ she said. “I love everything about it, the players’ dedication to the sport. I couldn’t imagine going somewhere where they didn’t have football.’’

She sent out feelers and e-mailed her track stats to several schools, and Abilene Christian seemed to be a good fit. It’s in a football-rich state and the track team is on the rise. Taylor primarily will be a heptathlete. She finished second in the state this year to Chandler Hamilton’s Ashley Moore in the heptathlon.

“I took my visit to Abilene Christian in December and loved everything about it,’’ she said.

“Being in a Christian environment is important to me.’’

Former PV player Jesse Harper will be a senior on the team this fall, and Taylor will be joined on the track team by another Arizonan, Tempe High middle-distance runner Diana Garcia.

Taylor has done well in academics, carrying a 3.75 grade-point average, and said she is excited to see what college classes are about. She has not decided on a major, but already keeps in contact with an adviser via e-mail.

Socializing is a big part of the college scene, but Taylor said she will “have to put that on the back burner. The coach wants me to make sure I get my classes done by 11 a.m. so I have time to train, and I have no problem with that. I know you have to study, too.’’

Taylor has been helping her dad with a football camp this week, and in August will hop into an RV with family members and head off to Texas.

PV’s football season will have started by then, so dad will have to fly sometime later. He has no doubt that Taylor will be prepared for what lies ahead.

“In all of her years, she has never been injured, never missed a practice,’’ Donnie Yantis said. “She has a lot of self-motivation. She is a very prideful person. She is not going back there out of shape. If anything, she will be in too good of shape. She doesn’t want to embarrass herself at that first workout.’’

THE TAYLOR YANTIS FILE

Volleyball highlights

 

*Four-year starter and team captain as a junior and senior.

 

*Had for than 1,100 career kills, 140 service aces and 1,200 digs.

 

*Second Team All-State outside hitter as a senior.

 

*Honorable Mention All-State her first three years.

 

Track and field highlights

 

*Three-year team captain.

 

*First place in 98 events in four years.

 

*Honorable Mention All-Arizona as a senior.

 

Events

 

*Runner-up in state heptathlon as senior and junior, school-record 4,278 points as a senior.

 

*State runner-up in 300 hurdles, sixth-fastest time in state history and a school record. No. 14 in nation.

 

*State runner-up in 100 hurdles.

 

*Seventh place in high jump.

 

Academics

 

*Four-year AIA Scholar-Athlete.

 

*PV Women's Student-Athlete of the Year – all four years.