Has Paralympic Olympic ambitions
Sprinter Brittni Mason has built a strong resume on the women's track team at Eastern Michigan University since graduating from West Geauga in 2016. Her 4X100-meter relay team set a school record in May.
Sprinter Brittni Mason has built a strong resume on the women’s track team at Eastern Michigan University since graduating from West Geauga in 2016. Her 4X100-meter relay team set a school record in May.
This month, the senior was named captain of this season’s team for the first time.
Yet May also marked the beginning of a new opportunity when Mason learned she was eligible to compete in the Paralympic Games. She’s now a member of Team USA.
In her international debut, Mason set a T47 100-meter world record Nov. 12 during the Para Athletics Championships in Dubai. Her gold-medal time was 11.89 seconds, beating teammate Deja Young, who was reigning Paralympic and world champion on both the 100- and 200-meter.
“The championship meet was incredible,” she wrote via text from Richmond Heights, where she was celebrating the holidays with family. “The athletes from different teams were very friendly as well as the members on the USA team.
“If anyone gets the opportunity to visit Dubai, I would strongly recommend. It’s such a beautiful city. With this being my first international meet, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience and or better outcome.”
Mason was born with Erb’s palsy, which affects her left arm and shoulder. She began running at age 10 before setting school records as a Wolverine.
Her accomplishments have made her former track coach Mike Taurasi very proud.
“The West Geauga Track and Field Family is extremely proud of Brittni for her amazing accomplishment,” Taurasi said. “She was always such a dedicated student athlete that set very high goals for herself on and off the track.”
A exercise science major, Mason has been an Academic All-Mid American Conference honoree since she started college. Her time at West Geauga is still special for her.
“High school was very involved and the coaches, teachers and students were always rooting for me and believing in me,” she wrote. “I still keep in touch with a few people from West G even after four years of graduating in 2016, and they helped me with who I am today by believing I could accomplish anything I put my mind to.”
Mason will continue to compete at an international level in the Paralympic Olympic trials in Minneapolis in June and hopes to compete in Tokyo at the end of August.
She plans on studying for a Master’s degree after that.
While at West G, Mason was a two-time state qualifier in 100 and 200 as a junior and senior. In 2016, as a senior, she was Division II state runner-up in 100 (12.14) and third in 200 (25.11).
