On the Fast Track

This story appears in the summer 2016 issue of 360: The Magazine of San Diego State University.

In the world of track and field, the 800-meter race event is an outlier. Too long to classify as a sprint and too short to fit snugly into the long-distance bracket, the race demands a finely calculated blend of speed and endurance.

The unique challenge of the 800m suits Ellison Grove. Recruited from Battlefield High School in rural Catharpin, Virginia, Grove has the mental and physical toughness necessary to compete in this middle-distance race. After two years at San Diego State University, she maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA and claims several spots in the Aztec record books for her feats on the track.

Grove was one of 14 Aztecs named to the 2016 all-Mountain West track and field team after finishing third in the Mountain West championships with a time of 2:07.81 in the 800m. Her personal best of 2:07.74, set earlier in May at Stanford University’s Payton Jordan Invitational, established Grove as the sixth fastest 800m runner in SDSU history.

She also holds the all-time Aztec record for the indoor 800m with a time of 2:09.67 and was part of the Aztec team that set a second-best school record (12:06.14) for the indoor distance medley relay at this year’s UW Invitational in Seattle.

As a fitting end to a great season, Grove was named to the 2015-16 Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Academic All-District Team, which recognizes top student-athletes from the United States and Canada for their combined athletic and academic achievements.

Top 1 percent

Grove’s been a runner since age 12 and an 800m competitor since high school. Coach Shelia Burrell, who personally recruited her, said Grove can relate to all event areas and disciplines.

"Everybody respects Ellison’s work ethic both on and off the track," Burrell said. "She is the first sophomore that I've named as team captain because her leadership skills are outstanding. I know I can trust her to always do what's best for the team and for the university."

As a freshman at SDSU, Grove trained with the sprinters to develop speed. In her sophomore year, she switched it up, running with the cross country team to build endurance. She prepares for each race by running it mentally and imagining herself “closing in on 2:06.”
 
That determination underscores Grove’s scholastic track record as well. The scholarship offer from Burrell was enticing, Grove said, but SDSU’s academic opportunities sealed the deal.

“School is my absolute first priority,” she said.

Summers in D.C.

Grove majors in International Security and Conflict Resolution (ISCOR) and minors in Russian with the goal of rising through the ranks of the U.S. Foreign Service. Hers is a challenging academic pursuit, said ISCOR coordinator and adviser Allen Greb, but she’s among the program’s top one percent of students.

Like many SDSU majors, ISCOR requires students to complete an internship, and Grove will have at least two under her belt by graduation.

Last summer, she worked in the Washington, D.C. office of Rep. Mike Conaway, a Texas Republican who serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. What she learned during committee hearings informed a 20-plus-page paper Grove wrote for class about ISIS recruitment methods. Her current internship for a federal agency will also involve U.S. foreign relations.

Grove’s 800m mentality reflects her professional goals. Middle distance runners rarely become media darlings like sprinters. Who can name Usain Bolt’s 800m counterpart? But that’s fine with Grove—she doesn’t aspire to be a headline-maker.

“I just want to lay my head down on the pillow at night thinking that I’ve done something to help people whether they know it or not,” she said.