Big River Interview: Paris Daniels

Normandy Senior Paris Daniels knows how to end a season in fine fashion. In May she ended her junior year for the Vikings at the Missouri State High School Championships with Class 4 State Titles in the 200 and 400. meters. This past weekend in Knoxville, TN she ended her summer track campaign with the St. Louis Blues Track Club with an AAU National Championship in the 4x400 meter relay. Daniels also finished third in the 400 and fourth in the 200 at the prestigous meet. Big River caught up with Paris soon after the Missouri State Meet to talk about her performances there and what her goals were for summer track.

BR: Congratulations on a great State Meet. Were you pleased with your two State Titles?

PD: Yes. I was pleased. My goal times were actually 55 [for the 400] and 23 [for the 200] and instead I ran a 56 and a 24 so I was just a second off.

BR: Your friend Alishea Usery ran those times in the Class 3 races. Would you rather have raced her?

PD: Well, I'm running with her now for the St. Louis Blues.

BR: You've probably raced her plenty of times anyway. Tell us a little about you and when you started running.

PD: I got started during my freshman year. I wanted to do it just to do something. As a freshman the first thing I did was run the 800 in 2:26. I ran the 400 in 60-61.

BR: That's interesting since you are now a State Champion at 200. When did you move down?

PD: At first I hated the 200 and I hated the 100. My freshman year I ran 2:16-2:17 and qualified for State in the 800. My sophomore year I ran the 400. Then this year I ran the 200 and the 400. My senior year I want to run the 100, 200, 400 and 4 x 400. [Ed. Note: Daniels finished third in the 800 at the State Meet as a freshman to then Eureka junior Merideth Snow and fellow freshman Lauren Borduin from Rock Bridge. She was second in the 400 as a sophomore.]

BR: Normandy High School has a great track and field tradition going way back. Tell us what it is like to run for a school that has that kind of history.

PD: I felt like I was a little bit behind at first. Everybody loves track at Normandy. We have a good team and everybody gets along.

BR: Speaking of great teams, you run summer track for the St. Louis Blues. You guys have a great squad right now. What are your plans for this summer?

PD: We are running the 4x400 at AAU Regionals in Joplin. Individually I'll be running the 200, 400 and 4x400.

BR: Are you guys going to win that 4x400 at the National Meet?

PD: I hope so. I'd also like to PR in the 200 and 400. [Ed. Note: Daniels ran a big PR of 54.36 in the prelims of the 400 and then 55.0 to finish third at Nationals. For video of Paris in action at the AAU Junior Olympic Games click HERE.]

BR: Thanks for a great interview Paris and congratulations on your 4x400 National Title!!

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