Florida junior has bold goals

Unprecedented Mile-800 double in Florida State Meet - 
sub-1:50 800 at AOC Raleigh - 
national record 800 in 2003

Paul Cross (1) uses his speed to go 3-wide and launch his winning kick in the 800
over Oakton VA sr Phil Gaeta, a nationally ranked runner himself. Photo by John Dye

by Ricky Quintana

Paul Cross entered this season as the fourth fastest returning 800m runner 
in the nation. After placing second in the 800m by a mere .5 of a second at 
the indoor national high school championships in Landover, Maryland, this 
junior will be one of the favorites for every national 800m high school 
title in the next two years.

The indoor championships which came at the beginning of the Florida outdoor 
track season were a prelude to what has turned out to be an outstanding year 
so far for the humble and likable Cross. He has not only been dominant in 
his specialty, the 800m, but has shown a talent for a wide range of 
distances from the 400m to the 1600m/mile.

As evidence, take a look at some of the highlights of this season:

1. At the Broward County Championships, he led his team to victory and 
   school record (8:03) with a 1:49.6 split in the 4x800m, won the 1600m in 
   4:23( last lap of 59) and ran a then national leading time of 1:53.57 to win 
   a hotly contested 800m title over Tristan James( 1:54.7) of Ft. Lauderdale 
   Dillard.
2. He received the baton more than 100m behind and ran a torrid 4:12 ( last 
   lap 60) to help his team, South Plantation, win the DMR at the Florida 
   Relays Class 4A Division and then split 48.0 in the 4x 400m( his best open 
   400m is 48.45) relay.
3. At the Mobile Meet of Champions, he won the mile, 4:20.87( last lap of 
   59), and 800m, 1:51.66 ; the 800m time, a national leader, and coming only 1 
   hour after his mile victory.

The performance at Mobile seemed much more impressive as I witnessed Cross accepting a congratulatory hand shake and answering questions from John Dye (left) immediately after both victories with no apparent fatigue or oxygen debt from his blistering homestretch efforts. (One must also be reminded that 
Cross and his coach made a 10 hour drive to Mobile from South Florida the day before).

So what are the plans for this gifted junior who defeated High School All Americans John Jefferson, and Daniel Soule last year while at Flanagan High and lost the indoor title narrowly to Richard Smith (Alan Webb's teammate) 
this year?

I spoke to him about his races in Mobile and his future plans.

RQ: You won the mile tonight( at Mobile).Is the mile something that you want 
to pursue?
PC: Yea. My coach wants me to go after the state championship in the mile 
and 800m. I think that will be the first time that it has been done in class 
4A. My coach really wants that to happen.
My coach also wants me to work the mile into my regimen to give me more 
experience and more endurance for the 800m. It’s something that will help me 
out. It’s something that we’re pursuing... the mile and the 800.

RQ: How did the 800m go for you tonight?( see the race recaps for splits and 
observations)
PC: I wanted to take it easy today. After the mile, I felt a little tired, 
but when we did the first lap, I decided to push the first 200m and then let 
the guys take over at the 400m. After that I was like “ alright, I'm going to 
go the last 200m.” That was my game plan.

RQ: Going back to the mile. Did the slow pace affect you?
PC: I was really looking forward to a fast pace, but when I started getting 
boxed in, I decided to take it easy and not jump out and ruin my sprint. I 
just tried to stay back and use my speed at the end to go the last 400.

RQ: You’ve run some really good splits in relays. What are your goal times? 
Is that something that you want to talk about?
PC: It doesn’t bother me( talking about his goals). This year I want to go 
for a 1:49 or 1:48 for the 800. I know that if I can run an 800m fresh, I 
think I can go sub 1:50. To do that in the state meet, I’ll have to be 
pushed, but at nationals when I’m fresh, I can run it open. I can run sub 
1:50 pretty easily. I’m not trying to be bigheaded saying I can go under 
1:50. It depends on the right time and the right situation.

RQ: Do you plan any other races besides nationals in Raleigh?
PC: Definitely Golden South.

RQ: Will you do the 4x 800m at state too?
PC: Yes.

RQ: One person that you will be compared to a lot in the next two years is 
Moise Joseph. Do you have any contact with him?
PC: We’re real close. That’s my boy, right there. He mentored me when I was 
a freshman and he taught me alot about form and strategy. He taught me alot, 
but I try to have my own style.
He used to be an even pace kind of guy and then kick on you. You didn’t even 
know you were being kicked on.
I like to be quick to the point. I like to strike a lot. He taught me a lot. 
Very experienced guy.

RQ: What do you think about all the attention you are getting? How are you 
handling that? It’s getting big here. You’re doing some great things.
PC: One, every day I pray. That helps me a lot.
Two. It feels good with the attention because I have an “X” on me. Every 
time I go out, people try to stay with me and that helps me. That gets me 
through a race because everyone is trying to push with me. It’s great 
competition.
A lot of guys down there in Florida, especially, are trying to get their 
names out there and they are doing a very good job this year.

RQ: What about next year? What are your goals?
PC: This year. I really want to win outdoor nationals. I came close 
indoors. I don’t want to make any excuses, but a few mistakes got me.
I want to repeat as state champ in the 800m and try to win the mile.
Next year, I really want to go for the national record in the 800m. I think 
it’s within my grasp. As long as I keep training, stay healthy and eat right 
I think I can get it.