The world of track and field is a space Chase Mars fell in love with as a sophomore in high school. Growing up in Chino Hills, California, Chase remembers initially finding his connection to sports in the game of basketball. From the speed of the game to its competitiveness, there was something unique about the sport that intrigued him early on. Over the years though, he began to feel that spark fade away. He knew it was time to pivot and search for another sport that fueled his competitive nature. It was then when he recalls attending a random track meet and discovering that spark again. He was captivated. He was intrigued by the opportunity to challenge himself to reach his highest potential. To Chase, this was the chance to define success on his own terms. He was all in. After graduating high school, Chase began his collegiate career at Vanguard University—where he became a 200m champion, two-time 4x100m champion, two-time 100m champion, and also earned an MVP honor in sprints. Despite earning these incredible accolades, he remained committed to reaching the next level. After two seasons at Vanguard, Chase transferred to California State University, Northridge (CSUN) to continue his collegiate career. He hasn't looked back since. From breaking the school's 60m and 200m records to earning a spot to compete at the USA Olympic Trials to making it all the way to the semifinals of the 200 meter dash at the Olympic Trials, Chase has continued to leave his mark on the sport. As he begins his senior year, he is focused on training to make the Tokyo 25 World Athletics Championships team and is also looking forward to working towards a professional contract in the sport. Amazing!
Take us all the way back! When did you discover that you were all-in with track and field?
I think I fell in love with it after my very first race. I ran like 11.7, and my coach came up to us and was like: “Who’s Chase Mars?” I was like, “That’s me.” He said, “This is your first-ever race? Oh, you’re gonna be good.” I think from that moment on I fell in love with it. So I was like: “Ok, let me put my all into this and see how this goes.”
After you graduated, you started your collegiate career at Vanguard University. How was that transition from high school to college like for you?
Definitely a crazy transition. Sophomore year of high school happened, and I had one season under my belt. My junior year, it was COVID, and I only ran one track meet. Then senior year, that was my second year (running track) and I was kind of telling myself: “I want to go D-I but I feel like I'm not really ready. So we'll just go to a small NAIA school, get established, and then we'll go from there.” So I went to Vanguard and it was definitely a huge transition in (terms of) the seriousness, the pressure, and the weight of everything. But, I had a great coach. My coach at Vanguard—Coach Johnny—taught me a lot of things and allowed me to take my time, slow my pace, learn, and go back to the basics pretty much. The transition was definitely hard (though). It was a life-changing experience.
As you reflect back on that journey early on, what were some challenges that you faced during that first season and how did you work to overcome them?