Mariscal and teammates set 4×800 relay school record by nearly six seconds
Jasayla Mariscal’s name is all over the Hollister High track and field record book. Even in events she did not run regularly or concentrate on. Her specialty is the 800 meters, where she won four straight league titles and ran the anchor leg on this spring’s school record 4×800 relay team at the Central Coast Section finals.
Mariscal, fourth on the school’s 800 meters list, is also fifth in the 400 meters record book, fifth in the 200, third with the 4×400 relay team and fifth with the 4×100 relay team. She graduated this past spring and will compete in college at Sacramento State beginning in the 2025-26 season, concentrating on the 800.
“Jasayla has always been a pretty aggressive runner,” Hollister head track coach Ryan Shorey said. “She knows what she wants and goes to achieve it. She made the CCS semifinals as a freshman in the 800 and was in the CCS finals the next three years. The race that has always stood out to me was the 4×400 relay at CCS Finals her freshman year. It made a big impact on her. She ran the third leg and they did 4:03.78, one of the fastest in school history. She was in the high 59 range. I said, ‘You’re a freshman and you ran that’.”
Shorey, who competed in sprints and relays at Hollister High and the U. of Redlands said that many folks consider the 800 to be the hardest race in track and field. He felt Mariscal’s mental fortitude was key to her success in that race. Endurance is crucial, as is speed.
“The 800 is like an extended sprint,” Shorey said. “She’s the fastest girl I’ve ever had. She has speed and the capacity to run fast at that distance.”
Mariscal excelled at other sports at Hollister. She led the 2024-25 Balers flag football team to a league title, catching approximately 160 passes for 1,700 yards and a boatload of touchdowns, while also starring in the defensive secondary. She was named Pacific Coast Athletic League Offensive Player of the Year and won the South MVP trophy in the Central Coast Flag Football All-Star Game.
800 meters? Yet also a sprinter. She tied for first in the All-Star Game 40-yard sprint competition.
Basketball? She was a key player on coach Mitch Burley’s 2023-24 league champion team. Her defensive quickness stymied opponents and led to steals and breakaway layups.
“My high school career – I truly couldn’t have been more grateful for,” Mariscal said. “Because not only have I made friendships that I can have forever, but I truly gained memories and experiences that I will forever cherish. My top memories had to be when we had won league in track on the boys and girls sides one year, me and my fellow teammate grabbed a water bucket and threw it on my head coach Ryan Shorey, and then ran to do our victory lap as a team.”
The Balers won the league track title in both boys and girls competition in the 2024-25 season. Hollister also won both sides in 2021-22 and 2022-23 and the girls also won in 2023-24.
“In the last four years, we won seven of the eight titles,” Shorey said. “The girls never finished worse than sixth in CCS finals the last five years. Hollister track and field has never done that before.”
A major focus for Mariscal this past season was the 4×800 relay. She teamed with sophomores Ana Kaplansky, at leadoff, and Pri Chavez, on the third leg, and fellow senior Dani Orsetti as the second runner. The target was the 9:42.29 school record.
Mariscal was on the 2023 team that ran 10:18.46 for 14th place at the CCS Finals. She was on the 2024 crew that finished in 10:05.32 and 12th place.
In 2025, the quartet ran a speedy 9:44.27 in the CCS prelims, less than two seconds behind the record. In the finals, the same group blasted through, with anchor runner Mariscal crossing the line in 9:36.75, good for ninth place. They crushed the old record.
“We had wanted the record from the very beginning of the season,” Mariscal said. “We all worked so hard, so it was so amazing to have achieved that.”
Mariscal has also competed with the Central Coast Track Club. That has taken her to events such as those conducted by the USATF and the Nike Outdoors Nationals.
“She’s got a combination of everything,” said coach Jon Powell, with Central Coast. “She can go out hard or sit back and kick at the end. She’s intelligent in her races and listens to the coaches. She really has a great kick; has a ton of speed. She is just an overall athlete.”
As a very young girl, Mariscal competed in softball, baseball, flag football, golf, soccer, cross country and basketball. When playing soccer as a freshman, she was told she was fast and she should try track.
“When I first started track, I loved seeing the dedication the coaches put into their athletes and the team dynamic quickly feeling like a family,” Mariscal said. “I liked the mindset we all had as a team whether it was to go win league or break a school record, and constantly upbringing one another to ensure we reached our full potential.”
Mariscal’s parents Gabby Mariscal and Jesse Mariscal did not play competitive sports in school. She is the trailblazer. But their support has been immense.
“From the very beginning of my sports career, my parents have given it their all, whether it was time or money, to ensure I would get to practice/games/meets on time, even if it meant they would have to get off of work early or pull multiple strings and my parents always provided me with the best equipment,” Mariscal said. “I truly can devote all my success to my parents because without them, I truly wouldn’t be where I am today or even have the opportunity to further my athletic career at Sacramento State. From Day 1 my parents have instilled the mindset to never give up and the grind never stops, and the one I stick to the most is to trust in God’s plans and give everything 110% because you never know who is watching.”
Mariscal was recruited by many schools, including Miami, SJSU, Bakersfield, CSUMB, Lipscomb and Sacramento State.
“As soon as I stepped on campus (at Sac State), I knew this was where I had wanted to go,” Mariscal said. “It immediately felt like home; the team’s family dynamic reminded me of my high school team, and was close to home. I truly am so grateful for the opportunity to pursue my track career at a higher level. At Sacramento, I will be majoring in Electrical Engineering in hopes of becoming an electronics or design engineer.”
