(For information about AAU sports for kids, click here.)

Taylor Scott with two of her national medals.

Thirteen-year-old Taylor Scott finished second and third in two national AAU races last year.

This year, she's working hard to qualify again and maybe improve her rankings.

The seventh grader at Rockwood Valley Middle School finished second in the 800-meter (the metric half-mile) race in the AAU 11-12-year grouping. She also finished third in the 1,500-meter (metric mile) race in the same category.

That meet was held in Orlando, Fla.

Scott will move up to the 13-14-year competition this summer. She's even doing some practicing at the shorter 400-meter distance because she feels she's getting faster as she gets older.

"Two years ago, my stamina was my biggest strength. But, my speed has picked up in the last year so that stamina and speed are about equal," she said.

She said as the races get shorter the emphasis shifts from stamina to speed. She said the 400-meter race is virtually a sprint from start to finish.

"In the 1,500, I start fast for the first 400 meters. Then, I float for the next two laps or so. I start to sprint again in the backstretch of the last lap," Taylor said.

She added, "In the 800, I sprint for 200 yards, ease up for the next 300 and then go all out for the final 300 meters."

Taylor's interest in running started in the second grade. "I just started running around the neighborhood," she said. But, she joined the Blazers track team by the summer.

She's still a member of that club, which isn't associated with her school. "I run for the school team but we only have one tournament a year," she said.

By participating in a track team, her chances to compete increase. "We run against some other team about every other week," she said.

Taylor is five feet tall and weighs 84 pounds. She said she's never been hurt while running.

Now, she practices about four days a week.

On an "easy" workout, she'll run for about 25 minutes. A harder workout includes running five 600-meters with about a three-minute break between the runs.

Besides running, her other exercises involve throwing the medicine ball. That's a large heavy ball that athletes use to help develop their upper-body strength. Taylor is especially interested in strengthening her arms.

She points out the pumping action of the arms is a big factor in how well you run.

Taylor doesn't limit her sports to track and field. She also is involved in basketball and cross country.

Last year, her Angels basketball team won the 12-and-under title in the Show-Me Games. Her father, Jordan, is the coach of the Angels.

She's planning to attend a basketball camp this summer put on by the Lafayette High School coach. Taylor plans to attend Lafayette when she finishes middle school.

Taylor said she'd like to be a runner in college.

Her favorite athletes are Olympic champions Marion Jones and Jackie Joyner-Kersee. She also reads books about running, including one that gives training tips from famous runners.

Asked about her career plans, she said, "I'd like to be an Olympic runner. But, if not that, I want to be a teacher. I'd like to teach second grade where you teach all the subjects to the kids."

Her mother, Beth, is an assistant principal.

Taylor says she feels her participation in sports helps her with her school work. "I do my homework before I go to practice, except if I have a big project. Then, I start it first and then finish after practice," she said.

She has a younger sister, 11-year-old Brooke, who is also a runner. However, Brooke admits she hasn't been able to beat her sister yet.

But, then, not to many kids Taylor's age have been able to do that either.