Leading by Leaps and Bounds

From the moment she steps foot on the runway, Michelle Mahanian is a picture of concentration. She visualizes what she wants to do, takes a deep breath, and proceeds to jump towards another record. Setting standards of excellence has become routine for the senior captain of Palisades High’s track and field team. “My teammates like to tease me about being so focused and I guess it’s true,” Mahanian says. “In my head I’m counting off my steps. Every little element has to be so precise and how you prepare mentally is a key factor.” Since becoming a Dolphin, Mahanian has excelled at both cross country and track, scoring points for her team in just about every event possible. But now she specializes in the long jump and triple jump. “I like the triple jump best because it incorporates every aspect of the sport,” the Dolphins’ vivacious leader says. “Speed, endurance, balance, strength, coordination and, most importantly, determination.” Mahanian has medaled in both events every year she has competed, finishing second in the long jump in 10th and 11th grade and winning the league championship in the triple jump as a sophomore. She achieved personal bests in each event in a meet against Venice three weeks ago, with distances of 31 feet, one inch in the triple jump and 14 feet, 10 inches in the long jump. “In four years, she’s never missed a practice,” says Ron Brumel, head coach of Pali’s track and cross country teams. “She never complains. She always has a smile on her face. She sparkles, she shines. She’s a joy to be around.” Brumel first thought Mahanian would develop into a distance runner, but when he saw her affection for field events he gradually phased her into sprint training designed to develop power and speed, attributes found in successful jumpers and hurdlers. “I ran the mile and the 800 meters in ninth grade but I wanted a little more variety,” Mahanian recalls. “So I switched to the 400 meters in 10th grade, the 200 in 11th grade and this year I’ve run the 200 and 100.” Mahanian’s interest in cross country and track began at Paul Revere Middle School, where she participated in the “Run for Fun” after-school program. “I saw the kind of people who got involved in running and I decided I wanted to be friends with them.” One such person is fellow Pali senior Lia Holman, who has been Mahanian’s friend, classmate and teammate since their days at Revere. “Michelle is really fun to be around,” Holman says. “She balances everything in her life so well. She’s a real inspiration to all of us. And it’s fun to cheer each other on during a meet.” As much time as she devotes to track, Mahanian is equally committed to one of her other talents, as a musician. She sings and plays the piano, flute and violin at Palisades. Every Saturday, she performs as the lead flutist and piano soloist for the Southeast Symphony Association in Culver City. Mahanian even composes her own musical scores for “Reflections,” an annual nationwide competition, and she has taken first place in the district every year since 8th grade. She describes her style as a mix of pop and classical “with a touch of Persian because both of my parents are Persian.” Mahanian takes her role as team captain seriously and tries to lead the best way she knows how, by example. “We’ve had some captains in the past who were more dictatorial and I’ve found it’s better to let your actions speak for you.” Perhaps the best example of Mahanian’s leadership is her commitment to a voluntary organization she founded called “Music to Heal.” “I gather up high school musicians around Los Angeles and we go play for patients in convalescent homes to take their minds off of being sick,” says Mahanian, who came up with the idea while working as a patient escort at UCLA Medical Center the summer before her junior year. “We were on ABC news last year and received a $1,000 grant to keep it going.” Despite everything else on her plate, Mahanian also manages to get straight ‘A’s in the classroom, even with a course load that consists of five AP classes’environmental science, calculus, world history, government and English literature. All that and she has yet to turn 18. “Cross country and track follow the same pattern as school and music,” she says. “It’s all about self-discipline and time management. If I decide to do something, I believe in doing it 100 percent.” Mahanian’s grades, extracurricular activities and community service earned her full athletic scholarships to a number of schools, including Cornell and UCLA. She says her friends convinced her to choose UCLA because of her familiarity with the campus and its close proximity to her family in Brentwood, though she has opted to live on campus. But while a bright future awaits, her immediate goal is to win her events at today’s Western League Finals in Culver City and then to medal at the City Championships May 26.