Tiger of the Week: Paul Christian
- Men’s Cross Country
- Hometown: Glen Ellyn, IL
- Grade: Senior
- Major: BM- Music
Coming back from being named an All-American last cross country season, this past weekend Paul Christian placed first in the conference meet, finishing four places higher than last year. In addition to this, Christian was also named the NCAC runner of the year.
TDP: What does winning conference mean to you?
PC: It was a really satisfying end to running in the NCAC. I remember being a sophomore and looking at the guys winning and thinking, wow I want to do that. And I did that.
It was also nice to get an individual championship to go along with the team championship because we haven’t done that yet.
TDP: What training would you contribute to your success?
PC: Just spending a lot of time thinking about the season. How I wanted it to go. Trying to remember the reasons why I run, and having a good mindset. After running competitively for so long, it can kind of get a little stale. focusing on what I enjoy about running and trying to remember what I love about the sport contributed to a good season.
TDP: What is your goal for the remainder of the season?
PC: Finishing as high up at regionals as I can to keep our team score. I would like to be All-American again.
TDP: How do you balance the school of music with running?
PC: It takes a lot of compromise and time management, I have to work with the music program and the athletic staff. I miss a lot of practices and occasionally a music rehearsal. I care about both pretty equally so it is important to prioritize music or running depending on what is coming up. I miss practice at least half a week because of music and I have to run on my own.
TDP: What does it mean to be a DePauw athlete?
PC: The best thing about being an athlete at depauw is the balance that you find between competing and everything else at depauw. And the community, not just among your teammates but with all of the athletes. Working towards something as a team is something that you get to experience, which is a valuable experience to work towards a goal with your friends.
TDP: How has it been coaching Paul for the past three years?
Head Coach Kori Stoffergen: Paul’s situation is unique since he is a music major. We only see him a couple times a week for practice.
It just takes a special type of person to balance his music major and being able to be a conference champ and an All-American. He has taken a different path than a normal athlete would for us.