A Carrillo star runner, Ashlin Mallon
By Sloane Crocker, Sports editor
Take a trip to the Maria Carrillo track any day of the year, track season or not, pouring rain or 100-degree heat, and you’re likely to see Carrillo freshman Ashlin Mallon training hard. Not even a full year into high school and she already has a staggeringly impressive resume, having excelled in top-tier meets including the National Junior Olympics while achieving outstanding times throughout middle school and her first MCHS cross country season. Now, with track and field season underway, there’s no doubt that she’ll only get faster, bolstering Carrillo’s chances of success.
You could say running is in her blood, as her mother Julia Stamps Mallon, is also a powerhouse athlete. Julia received a full scholarship to Stanford University, going on to become a six-time All-American in track and cross country and a three-time national cross country champion, so it's no wonder that Ashlin described how running is “a major part” of her family’s culture. Yet she isn’t just her mother’s daughter, as she has made quite a name for herself in her own respect.
Chief among her growing number of incredible accomplishments is her success at the National Junior Olympics, as she took fourth in both the 1500 meter finals and 800 meter finals, both events for girls ages 13-14 from all over the United States. Ashlin said that she was “so grateful” for the chance to compete with “some of the best runners from across the country,” and was happy to be able to push herself on the track while also making some new friends and overall having a “great experience.” And as for her pair of fourth place finishes, she said it went “pretty good”, though outstanding may be a more apt word in the face of success on such a large stage.
Beyond the Junior Olympics (as well as Nike Nationals and Brooks PR), Ashlin was a force to be reckoned with on the Rincon Valley Middle School cross country team, with an 11:42 two mile time at the 2022 Mt.SAC cross country invitational just to name one achievement. And when high school season came around, she was ready to bring the thunder. In the NBL oak championship, she ran three miles in 18 minutes and 21 seconds, then ran a 19:07 5000 meter in the CIF state cross country championships. Yet she said that she didn’t quite get the results she wanted, and knows that “it’s part of the sport, it’s not a straight line, it’s being able to come back from those difficult seasons.” She was still “so grateful” to be part of such a great team and great program, and is looking forward to “seeing how far [she] can go” in the 2024 track season.
Though she loves both sports, Ashlin said that she would “hands down” name track as the favorite over cross country, as “the energy is something so special and the community is amazing.” In terms of specific events, she is torn between the 800 meters and the mile, calling the mile “so much fun” despite its difficulty and describing its “great energy”. In terms of goals for the track season, Ashlin hopes to race in the state championships, and will “work as hard as [she] can and see how far [she] can get.” She also has set goals for herself beyond high school, as both of her parents competed collegiately at the division one level, and she thinks that would be “amazing” to achieve herself. Additionally, she hopes to compete at the national level while in high school, and is off to a great start with a 2:21 800-meter time at the first track meet of the 2024 season, the Big Cat Invitational.
So take the time to attend a track and field meet this season, and if you do, make sure to look out for Ashlin Mallon with her “magical” watermelon racing socks, wide smile, and incredible determination.