MileSplitCA Podcast - Mariah Castillo |

May 17, 2020

Tags: Interview 1600m 3200m 800m Saugus Tcu Horned Frogs Poll Tournament Distance Runner

Mariah Castillo, a 2018 graduate of Saugus High, joins MileSplitCA editor Jeffrey Parenti in this podcast interview. Castillo is the winner of MileSplitCA's Greatest Girls Combination Distance Runner of the Decade poll tournament, an overwhelming voting favorite throughout the two-week five-round competition.

During her senior year at Saugus, Castillo displayed tremendous range across all three of the standard California distances: 800m, 1600m, 3200m. Her PRs of 4:39.77c and 10:06.47 rank third and eighth, respectively, in the decade and are the the No. 8 and No. 15 performances in CA history.

Castillo just finished her sophomore year at TCU where her last competition included two medals at the Big 12 Indoor Championships where, on consecutive days, she broke the school's 36-year-old 800m indoor record.

In this wide-ranging interview, Castillo reflects on winning the poll tournament, her senior year at Saugus, the influence of Saugus coach Rene Paragas, homesickness when she first went to Texas, overcoming her learning disability, and why her IG name is 'goofy_mariah'.

Interview timestamps

00:05 - Introduction

00:40 - Were you aware of the poll tournament?

01:54 - Have you seen the dream teams?

02:23 - Congratulations on winning the poll tournament

03:56 - Mariah on voting support from the Saugus community

05:49 - Senior year at Saugus HS

07:12 - Mariah on Saugus HS coach Rene Paragas

08:33 - The influence of Paragas during a rollercoaster senior year

12:05 - Transition from disappointment at CIF-State to a PR at Brooks

12:50 - Message from Paragas that still sticks with you

13:37 - How was the transition to college at Texas Christian University?

14:28 - Surviving early homesickness: 'I can't quit'

15:19 - How close did she come to leaving Texas

16:00 - Advice to other freshmen who struggle in their first year away?

16:50 - Running evolution at TCU, adjusting to a new coach

19:54 - Heading into indoor season: 'I felt very prepared'

21:38 - Big 12 Indoor Championships

23:00 - Is 800m your focus event?

23:28 - On the shutdown

25:24 - Melting pot environment of the TCU roster

27:08 - On her course of study, future plans and family

28:40 - Challenge of online learning: 'It took an army to help me get good grades and pass'

29:50 - On overcoming challenges of her learning disability

30:38 - TCU: 'You give a chance on us, we'll give a chance on you'

31:24 - 'I have a great support system there'

32:29 - Finished with sophomore year; on returning to TCU in the fall

33:10 - Plans for the summer, training

34:23 - On training and training partners

35:31 - What are you doing to pass the time when not running?

36:50 - IG name of 'goofy ... mariah'

37:36 - Thank you, Mariah, and CONGRATULATIONS!