In less than a year, Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza made a couple changes.
The first was her name. Formerly known as Alyssa Palomino, the outfielder added her stepfatherβs last name to her own after being officially adopted.
The second may not be quite as notable.
In high school, Palomino-Cardoza noticed a mole growing on the tip of her nose. It got bigger every year, as Palomino-Cardoza became one of the nationβs top high school players, enrolled at the UA, suffered through a medical redshirt year with a torn ACL and then became an everyday standout in the Wildcatsβ lineup.
One day at practice a few weeks ago, athletic trainer Bruce Johnston gave the 22-year-old a suggestion: Put apple cider vinegar on the mole.
For days, Palomino-Cardoza soaked a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar and placed it on her nose for hours at a time. The sight of one of Arizonaβs best players β in 59 games, Palomino-Cardoza is hitting .394 with 17 home runs and 65 RBIs β taping a vinegar-scented cotton ball to her nose and keeping it there hours at a time was, well, strange.
βIt was super funny,β UA pitcher Taylor McQuillin said. βOne of the first nights, she put it on and then had a whole bunch of Band-Aids and stuff. Her nose looked like a clown nose.β
McQuillin tried to capture her best friendβs routine, but Palomino-Cardoza hid from the attention.
McQuillin takes hours getting her hair and makeup ready for games, nights out β or any event, really.
Palomino-Cardoza styles her hair for games, but thatβs about it. More often than not, she passes on makeup.
Thatβs how Palomino-Cardoza has always been, McQuillin said.
βSheβs one of those all-natural (beauties),β McQuillin said. βThatβs how she thinks: βI donβt need to wear makeup to go out and do my thing. Iβm just going to go out and people are going to like me for who I am. And if they donβt, thatβs their own problem.β
βThose are the friends I like to have, especially because Iβm the exact opposite.β
The cotton ball-and-vinegar routine was a matter of practicality. Palomino-Cardoza said one of her doctors told her it might have to be surgically removed.
βAnd I didnβt want to do all that,β Palomino-Cardoza said.
Apple cider vinegar did the trick.
βI like it,β she said. βItβs still kind of weird, like I touch my nose and go βOh, thereβs nothing there.β But I like it better, I think.β