Rachel Paul Running to Be the Best

PHILADELPHIA -Rachel Paul saw her name in big letters, listed as the eighth-best high-school miler in the United States.

That wasn't good enough for her.

"I want to be the national champion," she said. "I'll be back. Promise."

The determined Sachem East junior made this oath minutes after leaving the hallowed track at Franklin Field, where she competed against 13 other qualifiers in the High School Girls' Mile Run Championship, at the Penn Relays.

Paul finished in 4:57.66, well off Angel Piccirillo's (Homer Center, Pa.) winning time of 4:48.83, and within 0.24 seconds of 5th place.

Though Paul isn't one to make excuses, it should be noted that she began her week in bed with a fever and nasal infection, which prevented her from practicing, and kept her status for the race uncertain.

Desire took over by Thursday morning, and Paul made the trip from Long Island to Philadelphia for her first solo event at the oldest and largest track and field event in the country.

She stayed with the pack for most of the race, then made a daring move to pull up on the shoulders of the leaders with 500 meters left. Still weaker physically, she maintained that pace for another 150 meters before running out of steam.

While Paul wondered minutes later whether she "made the move too early," her coach saw it differently.

"It was one of the gutsiest moves I've seen her make, simply because she had to," Sachem coach Dan Schaub said. "They made a move and she responded. She put herself in that position and went for it. That was incredible, given what went down earlier in the week.”

Without a response, Paul would've quickly run out of track, and likely finished in about the same place.

"That what was so impressive about it," Schaub said. "The pain zone she was in is difficult to comprehend. She could've given in and no one would have questioned her. She faded not from a poorly run race, or from a poor strategic race. She did what she had to do. It was a make or break moment, and she went for it. She had the guts to try."

Paul also has the guts to try again. Her Penn Relays time has already qualified her for the Nike Outdoor Nationals, which begin June 17-19 in Greensboro, N.C.

Her goal remains to "crush" her Penn Relays time and her career-best 4.55 indoor mile time. The experience of competing against a more aggressive group in a stadium atmosphere helped her learn more about herself.

"Even if you're not happy with a race, you have to at least get something positive out of it," Paul said. "I think I did. Maybe I came back too fast from being sick. I ran on adrenaline. This is only my third time running the mile, and I like the longer distances.

 "You'll definitely see me at Nationals."

And likely higher than eighth place.

"I've heard her say it often enough, like someone would say, 'I'm going to break such and such a time or throw such and such a  
distance,'" Schaub said. "For her, it's, 'I'm going to be the national champion in the mile.' I believe her."

High School Girls' Mile Run Championship

• 1. Angel Piccirillo, Homer Center (Homer City, PA), 4:48.83.
• 2. Kelsey Margey, Harborfields (Greenlawn, NY), 4:49.38.
• 3. Joelle Amaral, Randolph (Randolph, NJ), 4:50.52.
• 4. Reagan Anderson, Tatnall (Wilmington, DE), 4:52.13.
• 5. Maria Seykora, Notre Dame Academy (Villanova, PA), 4:53.89.
• 6. Emily Frydrych, St. Mark's (Wilmington, DE), 4:57.42.
• 7. Shaylyn Tuite, Pittsford (Pittsford, NY), 4:57.49.
• 8. Rachel Paul, Sachem East (Farmingville, NY), 4:57.66. 
• 9. Aubrey Waggoner, Conard (West Hartford, CT), 4:58.75.
• 10. Anne Carey, St. John the Baptist (West Islip, NY), 4:59.15.
• 11. Hayley McMahon, Arlington (LaGrangeville, NY), 5:00.14.
• 12. Abbie Benson, Iroquois Central (Elma, NY), 5:03.70.
• 13. Chloe Schmidt, State College (State College, PA), 5:07.04.
• 14. Cayla Del Piano, S. Brunswick (Monmouth Junction, NJ), 5:11.10.