Mira Mesa sophomore Mallory Asis, pictured in this contributed photo, has been crushing the 3.11-mile layout at Morley Field so far this winter season.
- - -
SAN DIEGO -- Mallory Asis decided to try something different.
A sophomore at Mira Mesa High in San Diego, Asis started her track career as a sprinter and if they'd had a track season in 2020, she figures she would have run the 100, 200 and 400, as usual.
But Asis had shocked everyone by winning the Eastern League cross country title in 2019, so she might have tried an 800 or 1,600. Still, she considered herself a sprinter because as a seventh-grader she had qualified for the Junior Olympic Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.
That speedster mentality was probably why her strategy, even in cross country, was to take it out hard right from the start. The soon-to-be 16-year-old decided on March 2 she'd see what it would be like to negative split a race or at least, as she put it, "finish stronger."
With 1980 tunes like Matthew Wilder's "Break My Stride" bouncing around in her head, Asis went through the mile at 5:40 en route to winning a dual meet against cross country power Cathedral Catholic, finishing in 18:11.0 over 3.11 miles.
That was the fastest time ever over that course, breaking the previous best of 18:15.3 by Coronado's Teresa Perez in 2017. The record lasted just one week. On Tuesday (March 9), Asis came within a tick of breaking 18, clocking an 18:01.
"I'd call myself an anxious runner before that race," said Asis. "This time I told myself to relax. I really wasn't concerned about my time and I decided to see what my time could be if I just enjoyed myself. I went into that race with a different mind-set."
For a basis of comparison, consider that Asis, after trying to stay with eventual state champion Carlie Dorostkar of Canyon Crest for the first mile, faded to 14th in the 2019 San Diego Section Division I championships at 19:14.6.
"That was a freshman mistake," chuckled Asis, looking back.
It was basically over the same course but instead of 3.11 miles, it was only 3.0. Meaning, she was more than a minute faster this time.
"It was more even than before (first half, second half) and I kept reminding myself to finish strong. I wanted to change it up to see what I could do."
Consider that the 5-foot-2 1/2 Asis went out for cross country in the first place because she simply likes running. She figured running 3 miles -- on up to 14.67 miles in practice -- couldn't hurt her sprinting. Now, she's starting to wonder if just maybe she's a distance runner with sprinters' speed.
"When I ran track with the Havoc Youth (AAU) team, the coaches were always telling me to control my arms -- they even tied a rubber band from my thumb to my elbow," she recalled. "Now, coach (Eric Miller) reminds me five or six times a workout to keep my arms under control. I realize I drop my arms when I get tired.
"I just figured running cross country would help my breathing and build endurance. Sprinters need to lift their legs and I was doing that in cross country. I knew I'd get stronger."
Remember, a certain quarter-miler named Monique Henderson of Morse High, the state and National Federation record-holder in the 400 at 50.74, ran cross country for the Tigers and anyone who watched her win four straight quarter-mile state titles, saw how she powered through the final 100 meters while others faltered.
She always credited cross country.
So what is Asis? Sprinter or distance runner?
Right now she's a blooming cross country runner who won't even be able to defend her Eastern League title, where she ran 19:05.25, let alone compete in the section or State Meet, which she missed in 2019. The Marauders moved to the Western League and the SDS and State Meets have been canceled due to COVID-19.
Instead of sulking as first one and then another deadline for cross country came and went, she just hooked up with a former Mira Mesa runner now in college, Alexis "Bones" Parker, for training runs for a few months in the fall. The rest of the time Asis runs six days a week on her own. She admits she's a little stunned with her success.
"I'm surprised," said Asis. "I feel 50-50 about that -- I aimed to get to this point but it's kind of surreal right now. I was surprised at how well I did last year."
Asis was not the team's No. 1 runner at the start of the season a year ago but she started enjoying some success and won that league title. She didn't even realize that winning carries with it some responsibility.
"I was picking up books for me and my friends when they told me I had to run over for a victory ceremony," she recalls. "I didn't know what they meant, I told them I just wanted to get my books, but they told me drop them and run over.
"I didn't know they had a victory ceremony."
To this day running doesn't consume her life. Asis plays piano when she can find the time, but she admits she was terribly disappointed with not getting to run in the fall or having the social interaction with her classmates. That remains to this day.
"All of my classes are distance learning," said Asis, who carries a 4.7 GPA. "Some classes I wish I had more time, I really get lonely. AP history and psychology are OK with lectures online, but chemistry and math is where I misses the interaction.
"Running is really important to me mentally and physically. It's an outlet. I plan to keep running after high school and college but I'll admit it is fun to win. It's a confidence booster and a reward for all the hard work."
- - -
- - -
Steve Brand is a regular contributor to MileSplitCA and serves as the San Diego Section editor.