A lap at the lake

Cosby Lake Park in Clay is locally known for its beautiful scenery and bountiful fishing, but for one Hewitt-Trussville senior, those peaceful grounds represent much more than amateur recreation.

The narrow path winding through the park is a mile long, and that’s where the battle begins for Marlee Mason.

Mason, a former softball and basketball player, stood on sore legs in Hewitt-Trussville Stadium. Her lungs begged for air and her feet waited for rest. She stood holding a medal, proving she’s one of the fastest prep runners in Metro Birmingham and, perhaps, the state.

Mason had just run 5,000 meters in less than 20 minutes, which was good enough to place fourth out of 74 listed runners in November’s AHSAA Class 7A, Section 3 meet. Despite the pain running through her slender body, she was “psyched” about qualifying for state.

Her accomplishment is special, especially considering she’s only three years deep in a race that goes far beyond the track.

“She came out for track and she’s in the shadow of Veronica Lyle [Alabama’s top female runner in 2013] and she struggled. Holy cow, she struggled,” said Hewitt-Trussville head coach David Dobbs of Mason’s freshman season.

As a freshman in 2013, Mason was simply looking for a place that fit. Athletically, she had devoted her previous 10 years to softball, but needed something different.

“I was kind of just looking for something that I fit into and I’ve always been good at running and I liked running, so I tried track my freshman year,” said Mason. “I’ve only been running [cross country] for three years, but that’s where it all started.”

 Mason was always known for her wheels on the base paths, but cross country was different; it was harder. It took time for Dobbs’ coaching to set in.

“I told her that she had to make a decision and I couldn’t make it for her, because I’m not the one who’s hurting like nobody’s business out there [on the trail]. ‘How bad do you want this thing?’” Dobbs asked Mason prior to her senior campaign.

That’s when the fire was lit. Mason, a former victim of middle school bullying, had doubters whispering in her ear as a junior for the Huskies. She decided not to run from the negative noise, but to run past it.

“During my junior year a lot of people counted me out and said, ‘You’re never going to be up there,’” said Mason. “And really over that summer it stayed in the back of my mind, and my senior year I knew I was going to do something great.”

That greatness began over the summer months leading into her final season of high school.

“It was like right after track, I didn’t even take a break. I just increased my mileage the whole summer and was dedicated to it and it carried over into the whole cross country season,” said Mason.

For Mason, those doubters are heard clearest in the quiet of her favorite park.

“A lot of people see me in the middle of Trussville doing a lot of [running], but I usually go to a place called Cosby Lake in Clay, because each lap around is about a mile,” said Mason. 

A quick glance at her watch told Mason how bad she was hurting and how far she had come in just a couple of short years. There were no college scouts tracking her from across the small lake, and never mind the fishermen and dog walkers. It was only Mason, along with those whispering doubters on the crooked track each day.

Despite the seclusion of the park, college programs have seen her countless laps around the water, as they’ve shown themselves in every meet this season.

Mason has now notched top four finishes in her last three meets, including the Section 3 race, Hoover Invitational and Husky Challenge. Multiple college programs have shown interest in the aspiring engineer, but she has narrowed the list down to one -— the University of Alabama-Huntsville.

Dobbs believes she is ready to be a college athlete, but wants her to understand the sacrifice it takes to be a truly great runner. According to the coach, it takes seven to eight years to become an expert on the trail.

“As a freshman (in college), you’re back at the bottom of the pile again. You’re competing against 23- and 24-year-olds, but as your body gets adjusted to the next level, you’ll be OK,” said Dobbs.

According to Mason’s mother, Jennifer, her daughter doesn’t back down from a challenge.

“She’s always dedicated. Instead of saying ‘I don’t feel like it today,’ she’s always going to be out there practicing and putting forth all the effort that she can to be the best and do what she can do to improve herself,” Jennifer said.