It's a Family Thing

Ali Paul, Lily Paul and Marina Paul have all run cross country
and been members of the track & field teams at Minnesota State

It runs in the family.

Lily Paul enters her sophomore year as a member of the Minnesota State women’s cross country and track and field teams. Not coincidentally, both of her older sisters, Ali and Marina, were also runners for the Mavericks

Cedar Grove is a small town of just over 2,000 people located in southeastern Wisconsin and this is where it all began for the trio of young tracksters. Lester Paul, Lily’s father, built a 5k running track on the family’s home property. “I never missed a day running with my dad in high school,” said Lily. “I ran with him every step of the way. He stressed more than just being a good runner. He made sure we worked as hard as we could."

Les Paul was never much a runner growing up. A bodybuilder and wrestler, he basically was the opposite of a runner. But after seeing the eldest of the Paul progeny, Ali, gain success as a runner, his coaching career started to take flight. “He has four daughters and three of us have ran here at Minnesota State. He put his passion and time into running, so we could be the best runners we could be.”

(Besides Ali, Marina and Lily, the fourth Paul sister, Chloe, ran in high school and is in the mixed choir and an a capella group at UW-Eau Claire)).

Ali Paul was an All-American runner at Minnesota State who also qualified for Junior Nationals. Marina ran for all four of her collegiate years in Mankato and her senior season was her best season where she earned all-conference, all-region, and the team’s top runner accolades.

Now, Lily is leading the women’s cross country team as its top runner.

“I didn’t come in expecting to be a top performer. My dad kind of told me to shoot for the middle of the pack to start and as freshman season began I was a top two runner. Then, by the start of the second half of the season, I took the jump as our top runner.”

Lily finished 60th at the 2015 NCAA DII Central Regional championship and was Minnesota State's top finisher and earned all-conference second team honors with an 18th-place finish (23:51.4) at the 2015 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship meet.

This unexpected success built a confidence in Lily that she carries with her into her sophomore year.

Minnesota State women’s cross country and track and field coach Jen Blue had Lilly’s two older sisters as student-athletes, instilling a comfort in Lily’s decision to compete for the Mavericks.

“I have known Coach Blue since I was in sixth grade. She knows our family very well and talks to my parents like they are longtime family friends. We work well together.”

Now in her 15th season as the head cross country and track and field coach with the Mavericks, coach Blue had Ali Paul through her All-American season at Minnesota State, which helped Marina (an All-NSIC runner who placed 20th for the Mavericks at the 2014 conference championships) and Lily get to know her and the program better while watching their older sister succeed.

“They are all their own unique person. They have similar mannerisms. Marina and Lily run like each other. Ali was more introverted. Lily is the most outgoing. They are all very driven and lot of this comes from their dad pushing them growing up. He is intense” said Blue.

This work ethic has led to a lot of success in the Maverick uniform. Lily looks to continue this success by following the Paul tradition here at Minnesota State.

       contributed by Trevor Patterson, Minnesota State Athletic Communications intern

Williams Hurdling Her Way to Success

 

Minnesota State's Altoniece Williams established a
school record in the 60m hurdles this year

8.36 seconds.

That’s all it took for Altoniece Williams to break her school record in the 60-meter hurdles. And on the cusp of the NCAA Division II national championships, that performance ranks as the second-fastest time in nation.

A sophomore at Minnesota State who is pursuing a major in criminal law and corrections, Williams is a Miami, Fla., native which most everyone one would know, is more than 1,700 miles from Mankato.

Following high school, Williams spent a year at Iowa Central College running track where she caught the eye of Chris Parno, who coaches Minnesota State’s sprinters and hurdlers.  

 “Altoniece came to Minnesota State for a track meet last season as a member of the Iowa Central team and then I saw her at two other track meets. I also know her junior college coach which made it easy to recruit her here.”

“I wanted to experience something new and different,” said Williams about venturing northward from the Sunshine State. Intent on experiencing something different and getting away from the heat of Miami, Williams points out that while she’s experienced success on the track, she also enjoys her time in Minnesota. “I really enjoy the snow and the weather. I had never experienced snow until I went to Iowa. I made snow angels and snow balls and even tasted the snow when I saw it for the first time.”

Concentrating being the best that she can be as a well-rounded student-athlete, Williams does not do much outside of track and school work.

Jen Blue, the who was named 2016 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Women’s Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year after leading the Mavericks to the league team title appreciates what Williams has contributed to the program in her first year in Mankato.

“Altoniece is a team player and leads by example. She has a solid work ethic and works hard every day at what she does,” said Blue. “Not only do her coaches know how hard she works, but she knows if she puts in the time and effort she will see the results she has been hoping for.

“I push myself to try and get better every day,” said Williams. “My goal is to be number one and it is always great to break my own records, but I also try to improve myself each week.”

Williams competed in the 200 meters, the 60-meter hurdles, and the 4x4 relay at this year’s indoor conference meet a post personal bests of 8.36 in the 60m hurdles and the in the 200m (:25.00).

The Mavericks compete in the NCAA DII championship meet March 11-12 in Pittsburg, Kan., where Williams will make her national debut.

Contributed by Shelbie Werden, Athletic Communications Intern

-30-