Sports

Rachel Paul Places 26th at Nike Cross Country Nationals

Traveled to Portland, Ore. with 44 other competitors from around U.S.

The Nike Cross Country Nationals were held Saturday at Portland Meadows Racetrack in Portland, Ore. With a race field consisting of the top 22 teams and top 45 individuals from the eight regional qualifying meets, Rachel Paul of Sachem East was running against all the best high school runners in the U.S. as 198 girls took to the starting line.

Conditions were typical for Portland in December: cold wind, temp in the low 40's, a little fog, and lots of mud. Paul got a solid start and found herself in the unusual position - for her and most of the other top runners - of running in a crowd, with all the accompanying jostling and bumping that goes with running in a pack.

Despite the slippery conditions Paul was able to maintain her focus and make a strong move in the last 400 meters to run down a number of girls and finish an outstanding 26th place.

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New York teams and individuals again dominated the competition as Fayettville-Manlius and Saratoga Springs, both from upstate, went one and two, and at large qualifier, North Shore of Long Island, placed ninth. In the eight years that Nike has sponsored Nationals a New York team has won every girls race and even placed first and second three times.

Paul had nothing but praise for the entire experience.

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"Nike Nationals gave me the chance to compete with and get to know the very best in the nation," she said. "The race itself was an incredible experience; two hundred of the most talented girls in the nation. I will take this experience with me to help me next year at Georgetown. Everyone should get to experience this."

Nike not only paid all expenses for the athletes but provided Nike sponsored Olympians and American Record holders to serve as team captains for the 4 days of festivities culminating in the race.

Paul will now begin a transition into the indoor track season and will probably see her first action during the Christmas break when the Sachem East and Sachem North girls travel to Providence, R.I. for the Rhode Island Classic. For the next few days though, it will be a well deserved break.


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