Taylor D'Antico's high school career may be over, but her resume as one of the most accomplished athletes in CHS sports history will live on.
The numbers are impressive. She's a nine-time varsity letter winner, played on 10 varsity championship teams, and was captain of the soccer, basketball and softball teams in her senior season.
Off the field, the honors are just as impressive: she won the 2010 NJSIAA Annual Scholar-Athlete Award, the Class of 2010 Senior Leadership Award and was voted Most Athletic (female) by the senior class.
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She also received the William Ray and Paul Brown Soccer Scholarship (Macklin Soccer Scholarship), the Cranford Soccer Club Scholarship, as well as the Thomas E. Salinardo Athletic Scholarship.
The varsity teams she played on won 158 games overall, and finished 45-15 (75%) in post-season play, garnering four Conference Championships, three Union County Championships, two sectional titles and one Central Jersey State crown.
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D'Antico's string of successes began in her spring sophomore season, when she earned the job as starting third baseman, helping the Lady Cougars to the Union County Championship title, finishing with a .400 batting average and just one error on a team that finished 25-1.
As a junior, D'Antico was the starting stopper on the varsity soccer team which finished 10-8-1, making first-team All-Conference and second-team All-County. She averaged seven points on a varsity basketball team that finished 18-11 and reached the state sectional finals for the first time since 1973. The softball team captured another conference championship as well as the state sectional crown in a 21-3 year. She finished the season with a .310 batting average, again committing just one error at the hot corner.
D'Antico's senior campaign was arguably the finest individual achievement in school history. She was captain of a team that finished with a record of 17-1-1, capturing the conference title and the Union County Championship for the second time in school history.
She was the starting stopper on a team that didn't give up a goal in the UCT, finishing with four goals in the tournament including the winning goals in both the semi-finals (Westfield) and final (Scotch Plains). For her efforts, she was awarded first-team All-Conference and All-Union County. She was also awarded All-State honors and All-Union County. She was also awarded All-State honors by the New Jersey Soccer Coaches Association.
Quite possibly her most memorable moment came on the soccer field, in the County semi-final game.
"I'd say beating Westfield on penalty kicks," said D'Antico. "Earlier in the season, we didn't play too well against them and beating them in penalty kicks was a great feeling."
She was also named to the Star-Ledger first-team All Union County and second team All-State Group 3, playing stopper on a team that finished with 15 shutouts and allowed an average of only .50 goals per game. She also scored 6 goals and had 4 assists, and was awarded Athlete of the Week honors in mid-season.
On the hardwood, D'Antico captained the basketball team, winning the state sectional title for the first time since the 1973-1974 season. The team finished with a 21-8 record. Taylor averaged 8 points per game, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 assists. She played excellent defense, often guarding the other team's top offensive player. She was named the Cranford Patch Athlete of the week (March 15) and was voted first-team All-Conference at seasons' end.
She capped her career, with, what else, a few more championships. She was captain of the softball team, which finished with a 23-4 record, capturing the Union County Tournament and Mountain Valley Conference championship. D'Antico wrapped up her career with a .386 batting average, with 19 RBI and again, committed just one error. She was honored as first-team All-Conference, first-team All-Union County, and third-team All-State Group 3.
But what is even more impressive, is the fact that D'Antico finished with a 3.70 GPA, and is headed for Coastal Carolina on a soccer scholarship.
"I'm really excited," said D'Antico about attending college. "I like the team members and the coach. I'm really excited about that. Coming into high school I knew I liked soccer the most. I knew I had the best opportunity to go to school for soccer. I worked really hard to get here."
Quite an ending to a storybook high school career.
