By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

It’s been quite a ride for Abby Taylor.

The Troup High senior has enjoyed success on the golf course, on the softball field, in the classroom, and in all areas of her student life.

“These have been the best years of my life,” Taylor said. “I’ve grown a lot as a person, and matured, and learned to have fun and just enjoy the experience that comes with it.”

Taylor is hoping the experience she has gained and the lessons she has learned during her four years at Troup will serve her well at her next stop.

Taylor is heading to Point University to join the golf team, and a signing-day celebration in her honor was held in the Troup High media center last week.

Many of those closest to Taylor, including her friends, teammates, coaches and family members were on hand to enjoy the moment with her.

Among those at the signing ceremony was Kayla Yeargin, who coached Taylor in softball and golf.

“I’m going to miss this child dearly, but I know that her next years are going to be big and better things, and I can’t wait to see how she grows,” Yeargin said.

It meant a great deal to Taylor to have so many people there to support her last week, with her teammates in softball and golf filling up many of the seats in the media center.

“I have great friends, great support, great teachers like Yeargin who helped me no matter what,” Taylor said. “They’ve always been there for me. It means a lot to have everybody here together.”

Taylor has been a two-sport standout at Troup.

She was a four-year starter in softball, and she enjoyed a successful senior season while helping lead Troup to a third-place finish in the region and a spot in the state playoffs.

Taylor played in every game last season, and she hit .386, which was the third-best batting average on the team.

Taylor was also Troup’s number one pitcher, and she won seven games.

Taylor was a four-year member of the golf team, and she qualified for the state tournament in 2016 and is hoping to duplicate that feat this season.

No coach at the school has gotten to know Taylor as well as Yeargin, and she said it’s been a joy to watch her grow and develop as a person.

“With her dedication to the sport, she is very special to me,” Yeargin said. “As her softball coach , as a golf coach, we formed a very tight relationship over the years, and it’s been my pleasure to watch her become the young lady she is, from a quiet seventh-grader that didn’t want to speak to anyone who was in her shell, to a senior who will lead the dance parties, and make the jokes, and has really taken a leadership role no matter where she’s at, whether it’s in the classroom, on the course, or anywhere.”

Since she excels at two sports, Taylor could have played either one of them in college, and she chose golf.

“It’s always been a goal of mine to play a college sport, whether it was softball or golf,” Taylor said. “It turned out that golf was the pathway that opened up for me. I’m really excited. Golf is something you can do your whole life.”

Taylor was recruited by Point golf coach Angela Ormsby, and she’s looking forward to playing for her.

“She made me feel comfortable, and was really relatable,” Taylor said.

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