Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 26, 1995 TAG: 9510270015
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: E-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JAMES C. BLACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Coach Sharon Franklin has both types on the Lord Botetourt cross country team in senior twins Michael and Robert Pauley and sophomore Will Wyche.
In the Pauley twins, Franklin gets the brash but respectful teenagers who know they're good and push everyone around them to get better.
``They are very persuasive,'' Franklin said. ``If a younger kid doesn't do what he can, the Pauleys are on his case.''
In terms of personality, Wyche is totally different. He quietly goes about his business and simply strives to get better each passing day.
``The first time I saw Will, I called him `Flash,' because I saw so much potential,'' said Richard Pauley, the twins' father. ``He just needs a little grit.
``Now, he will somewhat grudgingly show a smile.''
But together, the three runners are a family.
``We call Will `Pauley III,''' Robert said.
It was the combination of competitiveness and cohesion that led Botetourt to its first Metro meet title in the boys' varsity division Oct.14. Individually, the twins and Wyche finished in the top 15.
Botetourt was a favorite to advance to Region III competition from the Blue Ridge District meet Wednesday (Oct.25) in Lexington.
The success of the Cavaliers' cross country team has come in a relatively short time. This is only the program's sixth year.
Richard Pauley, who is involved in an elementary school cross country program, organized the Botetourt team because the runners did not have a team to compete for once they reached high school.
And in the six years, the program has been highlighted by the feats of the Pauley boys. In addition to Michael and Robert, their brother, Andrew, ran for the Cavaliers.
Andrew, who graduated from Botetourt in 1993, won the Blue Ridge District individual championship his senior year. He now runs for Virginia Tech.
Running has been a major part of the lives of all three brothers. On weekends and during the summer, they start running at 7 a.m. and will cover 10 to 13 miles a day.
When Robert and Michael Pauley were 10 years old, the two competed in Lynchburg's Virginia 10-miler for the first time. There is a photo in their father's office of Michael running the race.
``That's one of the types of races you just want to finish,'' Michael said. ``You're not worrying about how you ran.''
Wyche never has run in the Lynchburg race. His road race experience is a little bit more high-profile than that of his teammates.
Wyche ran in the prestigious Atlanta Peachtree marathon, where he estimates 50,000 runners were entered.
Though Richard Pauley said he can't recall his sons fantasizing about running a major national race like the Boston or New York City marathons, all three high school runners intend to continue running after graduation.
Like their father and brother, the twins plan to attend Virginia Tech.
``I would like to take it past Tech,'' Robert said. ``I like to compete with the best.''
Though Wyche is undecided, the Pauleys intend to drag him along with them.
``They're always saying I can't beat them,'' Wyche said.
Well, the soft-spoken sophomore bettered one half of the duo when he placed ninth in the Metro race this year. Michael finished eighth and Robert placed 14th.
This year was the first time Robert had lost to a teammate in high school since his freshman year. Back then, it was brother Andrew who passed him on the course.
And between Michael and Robert, they compete at everything - hunting, fishing, basketball and so on. Both are on Botetourt's varsity basketball squad.
``At everything we do, it's who can do it the fastest or the best,'' Michael said.
And competition between the Pauleys is not restricted to sports.
``On a scale of one to 10, they are a 15,'' Franklin said of their competitiveness.
The classroom included.
Last year, the brothers took Franklin's Algebra II course.
``They each wanted to be the first one to give the answer,'' Franklin said.
She also recalls one day how the pair got the whole class fired up to solve an advanced math problem so the students wouldn't have to do homework for the weekend.
But on the cross country course, the only numbers the pair and Wyche are worried about are the ones on the clock.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***