LARAMIE, Wyo. (May 29, 2020) – Paul Roberts is a graduating track & field athlete who majored in economics. Roberts is from Lyons, Colo., and has earned a total of four academic awards from the Mountain West across his competition on the cross country and track & field teams during his two-year career.
 
Roberts was a cross country All-American in 2018 and most recently was named the Mountain West Indoor Championships Most Outstanding Performer. In 2018, he was the MW cross country champion and was named the league's Cross Country Athlete of the Year.  He has a total of four MW Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors, a USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week honor and a pair of all-league honors in cross country. During indoor track & field competition, Roberts is the reigning 3,000m conference champion, and he earned all-league honors in the 5,000m. His indoor personal best in the 5,000m of 14:04.12 is second all-time at UW, while his 3,000m PR of 8:09.36 is fifth. Below, Roberts shares his experiences from his time as a Cowboy.
 
1) What are you going to miss the most from your time at UW?
I enjoyed many different aspects of going to UW. However, I think that the biggest thing I will miss are the friendships that I was able to build with my  teammates and classmates.
 
2) What is your favorite memory as a student-athlete at UW?
My favorite memory in terms of athletics is defiantly the 2018 cross country season as a whole. After transferring in, the team and coaches were very welcoming, and I became a part of the tight knit group very quickly. Every practice and every race seemed to help us gain confidence and to love competing for the love of the sport, each other, the Lord, and our coaches more. Nationals, in particularly, was a surreal experience that really put a cherry on top of the season. We went in barely ranked or not even ranked on some polls and came out 12th place. I love to do well, but doing well with a team is something I enjoy more than any individual accomplishment.
 
3) What does it mean to you to have a degree from UW?
I am very grateful for all of the professors that I had while at UW and the opportunity that I had to learn so much. The degree means a lot, simply a Bachelor's, but more importantly a time to learn how to critically think, create good habits, and how to effectively work well with others.
 
4) Is there anyone you would like to thank, either here at UW or from home, as you graduate?
I want to thank my family, especially my parents for teaching and parenting me and getting me to this point. I am blessed to have such encouraging yet challenging parents and siblings who have shown me what it means to live life to the fullest for Him. I am also beyond grateful for all my coaches, but especially coach Scott Dahlberg for the role model, coach, and friend that he has been and continues to be in my life. And finally, thanks to all of my teammates for the journey and for pushing me and walking with me every step.
 
5) What are your plans for the future?
As of now, they seem to be ever changing. I am planning on working staining cabins with my brother-in-law in New Mexico until the end of the fall and then hopefully do a little bit of world traveling to visit family before figuring out a concrete job early next year.
 
6) What advice would you give to incoming student-athletes?
Relationships are what it is all about. Invest in those around you and learn from them. Enjoy the process and make sure to take a step back often to be reminded of why you are where you are and why you love doing what you are doing. College is a unique opportunity to compete with and for fellow teammates and coaches, make sure that you don't take that privilege for granted.