Last weekend, Paul Roberts dared anyone to try to take the lead from him. For about 2.7 miles, that strategy worked like magic. Then the magic wore off.
And when it wore off there was barely enough left of Paul Roberts to stumble across the NXN finish line.
Today, Roberts took a very different strategy into Foot Locker Nationals. The wisdom of a different strategy was underscored quickly when Drew Hunter went off the front never to be heard from, or threatened, again.
Through the first mile, Roberts lurked in the back half of the pack. You could have been forgiven for thinking the last three weeks of travel and hard racing had gotten the better of Roberts.
But, in the middle mile, Roberts made a move that cast a doubt over all those assumptions of too much accumulated travel and racing. With others falling off their early paces, Roberts used the middle mile to pick off those who had misjudged their day's adrenaline.
Still, there was the final mile to go. Last week, the last stages of the race didn't treat Roberts well. This week, the story had a different ending.
With a half-mile to go, Roberts had worked his way up into sixth placed, but it appeared just a bit too optimistic that he would be able to pick off any more places. And, sixth place still looked like a much better ending to his high school cross country career than anyone would have imagined in the aftermath of NXN.
Appearances notwithstanding, Roberts found enough reserves to pick off one more and end up in fifth place at 15:15.6, Colorado's best boys finish at FLN since John McGuire ran to a fourth-place finish in 2004.
Colorado was also represented in the girls race by Kayla Young of Denver North. A late entry into the field made possible by Lauren Gregory's withdrawal due to injury, Young would finish in 33rd with a time of 18:31.4
Complete Results, Photos, and Video
Paul Roberts Post-Race Interview
As a footnote to this article, Paul Roberts' younger brother Isaac (who enters high school this coming fall) finished 8th in the 13-14 division of USATF Nationals Junior Olympic Cross Country today.