Spring-Ford’s Power proves he’s the one to beat, wins All-Area Cross Country Runner of the Year
digitalsportsnews
| December 26, 2014
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For the second straight year, all eyes were on Spring-Ford distance standout, Paul Power as the man to beat. A defending Pioneer Athletic Conference Champion, Power earns his place as top running in districts and states, going undefeated in dual meets the previous year. He captured his second PAC-10 title, went undefeated in dual meets, again led the area runners with a fifth-place finish at the District 1 Class AAA Championships and again was the top finisher at the PIAA Championships, placing 11th in Class AAA. On the weekend of September 20th at Hershey Park, he won the PIAA Foundation Invitational Gold race with a meet record of 15:50. He set a Spring-Ford home course record with a lightning fast 15:03 and qualified for the Northeast Foot Locker Race in New York. Running his way to the top, Paul Power is the Mercury All-Area Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year yet again. "It's an honor to be named All-Area Runner of the Year. It's a really nice way to cap off my senior season in cross country,” Power said. Commenting on his highlight of the season, Power says, “When I broke the meet record and ran 15:50, I really surprised myself,” he said. “It was just a really good race. It gave me a lot of confidence going forward, that I could run with the top guys. Not only just run with them, but beat them. That didn't happen late in the season, but I ran with them.”
All of his hard work and determination has caught the attention of a lot of college coaches, who have reached out to him after the PIAA Foundation win. With an spirit for competition, Power is happy when he wins. Placing 11th best in the state, although a high accomplishment, wasn’t good enough for him at the PIAA championship race. "I've just always been that way,” he said. I'm a very competitive person.” A natural athlete himself, Power comes from athletic parents. His mother, Marcy, was a standout field hockey and lacrosse player at Phoenixville High School. His dad, Paul Sr., played lacrosse at Upper Merion and then Villanova. "Both my parents have definitely helped me a lot and given me my competitive edge,' he said. Power has committed to continue running track and field at Villanova. “I just want Spring-Ford to keep on moving forward,' he said.” “I set some records and I hope they are high enough for the younger runners to want to break them. It would be nice if my name would stay up there forever, but I really want this program to keep moving along.”
