The 12-year-old member of the Mission Valley Track Club used to race and beat her cousin at family get-togethers.

“My uncle told me I ought to join a track club because I was so fast,” says the Hayward resident.

That was four years ago.

Since then, Harvey qualified for the 2003 Junior Olympics in Miami in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and 4x100 bantam girls relay. The relay team—comprising Alesha Blair, Jazmin Harper, Ciarra Brewer and Harvey—took the gold with a time of 55:13.

Harvey returned to the 2004 Junior Olympics in Eugene, Ore., as a bantam, winning the 100-meter dash in 13.20. She placed second in the 200 with 26.61.

She once again qualified for JOs in 2005 at the Regional 14 meet in Livermore, this time as a midget. She won both the 100 meters in 12.84 and the 200 meters in 26.60.

As a second-year midget this year, Harvey is on target to have another stellar season, says Mission Valley Track Club coach Jeff Prothro.

She showed her prowess at the Modesto Relays, May 7, by handily winning the 100-meter dash in 12.81.

But Prothro says they’re not forgetting her other event, the 200 meters.

“We’re putting a big focus on the 200,” Prothro says. “We’re doing more of a strength workout. We normally focus on speed work, but this year, we have changed things.”

The strength workouts also involve running 400 meters, which Prothro says will make Harvey a tougher 200-meter runner. But Harvey may may not be quite as enthusiastic about the new plan.

“She gives me an ugly look every time they call the 400,” Prothro says, smiling.