Jasmin Day

Steve Virgen

Jasmin Day wanted to try something different this fall. She wanted a

challenge. She wanted to run.

The consensus expectation would be that Day, a Costa Mesa High

sophomore, would be aiming for a Golden West League girls cross

country individual title. Not so.

Day had other goals in mind. She has a different system to reach

her potential. It’s rather simple, really. Whatever she does, she

performs at her best.

Sure she wants to win, but it all starts with competing at her

highest level.

Last week, Day was in her true form, as she surprised several

opponents when she won the Golden West League individual

championship. It wasn’t the performance that was stunning. Rather, it

was the fact that Day is in her first year of cross country

competition.

“I didn’t even think I would do it because this was my first

year,” said Day, who finished in 18:41. “I just wanted to run the

best I could. [Winning the league individual title] really wasn’t one

of my goals.”

Day won in every Golden West League meet this season, while the

Mustangs also went undefeated, and led by Day’s first-place finish in

the finals, Mesa won the league’s team title Nov. 5 at Central Park

in Huntington Beach. It was the first time since 1997, the Mustangs

won a league title.

“I was just excited to win,” said Day, the Daily Pilot Athlete of

the Week. “The faster I run, the better it is for my team. I wanted

to win. I wanted to do it for the seniors. I knew the school had not

won [a league title] for awhile.”

Now that Day has established herself as the best runner in the

Golden West League, excitement has come to the Mustangs, and

eagerness has come to Coach Joe Busi.

“It’s going to be a real pleasure to see how she develops,” he

said. “I don’t even think we’ve begun to see her potential. Hopefully

she stays with it.”

Day does plan to stay with it. When she finds something she’s good

at she usually stays with it. Why do you think she loves soccer so

much?

Day, who competed in three sports last year and will do so again,

enjoys soccer the most because that’s when she shows the totality of

her athleticism. She didn’t really like volleyball, yet she helped

the Mustangs win the Golden West League title last year.

So, does she miss volleyball?

“Not really,” Day said. “I think that’s more of my sister’s sport.

I’m happy in cross country. It’s such a fun environment. I like all

the people on my team. You’re just running and it’s all you.”

Last year Day played with her older sister, Sharon, in volleyball,

soccer and track and field. The Mustangs won the Golden West League

title in each sport and in soccer they won a share of the CIF

Southern Section Division III title. But now Jasmin, affectionately

known as Jazzy, is on her own and making her own decisions. Sharon is

at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

During the spring Jazzy started to gain some independence. She

competed in the 800 meters, the usually grueling middle-distance race

that requires patience, stamina and unique strength. Most soccer

players usually run the sprints.

Toward the end of the track and field season, Day started to grow

more comfortable with running the 800 and wanted to take on a longer

distance.

She decided to run cross country. Pity the Golden West League

opponents.

“She just has the body and the capacity for [cross country],” Busi

said. “It’s one of those things of whether you’re born to run or

you’re not. She is. She’s just taken to it. She’s definitely lean and

strong and produces great results. Actually, she could produce in any

sport she wanted to do. I don’t think it makes a difference.”