Elite Jumper Also Shines in Modeling

An eight-hour day of training at an elite track and field camp completely wipes you out.

But that’s nothing compared to a full day doing nothing but lounging around looking good.

That’s according to Burlingame High senior Madison Mason, who qualifies as an expert on the subject.

Mason, a track and field standout and sometimes fashion model, has won three Peninsula Athletic League titles in the last two years, while attracting the attention of both four-year colleges and talent scouts along the way.

Mason qualified for the Central Coast Section preliminaries in three events after winning her second consecutive league title in the long jump on May 4. She finished second in the high jump on the same day and second in the triple jump on Wednesday.

So far this year she’s gone on an official recruiting visit to U.C. San Diego and had official business at some Bay Area modeling studios. Mason figured prominently in the launch of fashion startup Rockin Clothing Co.

She’s hoping for a picture-perfect ending to her distinguished prep career by becoming Burlingame High’s first jumper to qualify for the state championships in at least 10 years. Her best chance is in the high jump, in which she placed fourth at CCS last year. She needs to place third to go to state.

The CCS preliminaries are on Saturday at Gilroy High, and the section finals are on May 27 at the same location. The state meet will be June 3-4 at Buchanan High in Clovis.

Mason, an excellent all-around athlete who also plays club soccer and played basketball in middle school, was among just six athletes who attended an elite three-day, invite-only 5 Star High Jump camp in Berkeley last summer hosted by Jeff Rodgers at St. Mary’s High. She developed new high jump-specific techniques during long grueling days of advanced training, which she actually prefers to a life of being pampered by hairstylists and makeup artists.

“It’s a lot more fun to me,” Mason said of her preference for athletic endeavors, “but (modeling is) money, free clothes, and stuff I could put into a portfolio if I ever decide to go to an agency.”

Mason said her work at the St. Mary’s camp paid big dividends, noting that she started making a tighter turn into her approach, giving her a more explosive step into her leap. Her leap has measured as high as 5 feet, 5 inches—a height that, if she can duplicate it at CCS, will probably get her to the state meet.

She had, by her standards, an off day in the PAL championships last week in the high jump, when she cleared 5-2. She also competed on the team’s 4x100-meter relay team.

Mason will attend Missouri this fall and plans to major in communications, which she hopes to apply towards a broadcast journalism career. She’s considering walking on the Tigers’ track team, but hasn’t contacted their coaches yet.

Burlingame jumping coach Betsy Westman said she believes Mason can compete at the Division I level, noting she believes that Mason would excel in the heptathlon.

Mason won the PAL long jump earlier this month despite a mechanical misstep. She jumped off her wrong (left) foot, which she attributes to being out of synch after her coaches moved her start back two steps to try to get her more momentum into her leap.

Not the typical championship finish, but then again, Mason is no ordinary athlete, Westman said.

“If your steps are off, you just have to adjust, and not everybody can adjust the way she can,” Westman said.

And not everybody takes the time to mentor younger teammates and promote camaraderie, Westman said.

“She’s very intense when she’s jumping but she’s very easy to coach and she’s easy to be around,” Westman said. “She’s just a great kid.”

Mason has been competing in track and field since she was a sixth grader at St. Matthew’s. She transferred to Burlingame from crosstown Mercy after her freshman year.

She launched her modeling career at the prodding of Stephanie Wang, an Aragon student and budding photographer who saw Mason’s body type as a perfect fit for the fashion scene. San Francisco-based photographer Andrew Ho, Wang’s mentor, helped her land the Rockin Clothing gig.

“Both are very fast-paced, but one is more glitz, glamour and girly, and the other is more hardcore sports,” Mason said of her extracurricular activities.

Another striking similarity between track and modeling is the extent to which networking helps, Mason said, noting that building relationships with other coaches at meets helped her get a spot in Rodgers’ camp.

“I really like the social aspect of both of them, and connecting with people in both worlds is how I get through it and feel comfortable in it,” she said. “It’s not really what I’m doing that matters, it’s who I’m doing it with.”