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  • becca mansheim

    Proving she belongs
    SDSU's Mansheim has excelled on D-I stage

    By Terry Vandrovec
    tvandrovec@argusleader.com
    Published: May 3, 2007
    Becka Mansheim couldn't be too upset about being underestimated by organizers of the Drake Relays. After all, she didn't always believe that she belonged in such a prestigious event.

    She was twice named all-state in cross country and four times in track at Brookings High. But Mansheim never finished in the top three at a state meet because of strong opponents and a busy extra-curricular schedule that limited her training.

    So when the school of her choice, South Dakota State, announced its move to NCAA Division I after she had committed - well, she was less than thrilled.

    "I thought Division II was as high as I could go, because I didn't excel in high school and I thought it was going to be a challenge for me already," said Mansheim, who will run the 3,000 meters on Saturday at the Howard Wood Dakota Relays, her ninth appearance at the event.

    "Going Division I, I thought, 'Holy cow, that's going to be a lot of work.' I didn't even know if we belonged there. But we do."

    She certainly does.

    Left off the initial list of Drake Relay invitees despite finishing third there last year, she gained entry into Saturday's 1,500 just five days before the race thanks to some lobbying by coach Rod DeHaven.

    Seeded outside the top 12, Mansheim finished fourth at 4 minutes, 24.38 seconds before a sellout crowd of 14,000, still buzzing from watching Alan Webb post the fastest mile in the world this year.

    Mansheim pushed the likes of Heather Dorniden - Minnesota's first and only national champ - into the final 100 meters, breaking her own school record by more than four seconds and bettering the NCAA Regional qualifying mark by more than three.

    Of course, SDSU is not eligible for that meet until 2009. That minor detail has done little to deter Mansheim.

    The times tell the tale of her progression: She finished fifth in the D-II North Central Conference meet at 4:42.44 as a freshman. As a sophomore, she won the Division I Independent title at 4:34.84. She repeated the following year and, at the Drake Relays, broke Nicole Scherr's 16-year-old school record at 4:28.64.

    On Saturday, Mansheim shattered that mark, shrugging off the disappointment of a lackluster final leg in Friday's distance medley and opening the door to extending her running career.

    When DeHaven, an occasional training partner because a busy class schedule sometimes prevents her from practicing with the team, submitted her seeding time at Drake, he guessed 4:24.

    He now believes she could break 4:20 under the right conditions, giving her a shot to qualify for the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in June and the 2008 Olympic Trials.

    "Her elevation has been such a straight line it's almost something you don't want to point out to other kids," said DeHaven, a former Olympic marathoner. "Because it usually doesn't work out that way."

    Why did it work this way this time?

    As Mansheim explains it, she ran only in-season during high school, focusing on swimming the rest of the year. Running full-time as a freshman at SDSU gave her a base on which to build. Her training increased from roughly 25 miles a week to as many as 70 during the summer.

    It doesn't hurt, DeHaven said, that she's just plain strong enough to overcome less-than-extraordinary leg speed.

    The results are impressive. Mansheim won two Independent cross country titles, owns four individual track school records (one outdoor and three indoor) and is a part of two record-setting relays, even though she's doesn't have any more couch time than she did in high school.

    In addition to competing in track and cross country, she's done well enough in the classroom to graduate in four years and earn ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America second-team honors, in addition to holding down a nursing job at a Brookings hospital. She's done all that while battling asthma, a condition pointed out solely by her coach - she did not bring it up.

    She is beyond excuses.

    "I didn't do what it took to get to the next level in high school - and looking back, I'm OK with that," said Mansheim. "I've had the opportunity to blossom and get better, and that's encouraging. If I came to college at my peak and wouldn't have had the opportunity to get faster, it'd be really discouraging. I'm happy for that."


  • #2
    Re: becca mansheim

    Thanks for posting that story, 1bunnies.

    Track and Field has always had its own form of politics. Becka finished third last year in Drake's 1500 and there was no question she should have been allowed in this year's field. But, in an effort to attract schools to the meet, it appears some horse-trading went on and spots in the race were promised to others. Fortunately, Coach Dehaven convinced the organizers that Becka deserved to be in that race and she took it from there.

    Becka has been busy re-writing the recordbook, setting the bar at the appropriate DI level...as noted in the Argus story, she's exceeded the qualifying time for the DI national meet but we have another season to go before SDSU runners can appear in that meet.

    GO JACKS!

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: becca mansheim

      WAY TO GO BECKA.........We will be cheering for you at Howard Wood on Friday. GOOD LUCK!!

      Go Jacks

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      • #4
        Re: becca mansheim

        JackJD
        "she's exceeded the qualifying time for the DI national meet"
        She has exceeded the qualifying time for the D1 REGIONAL meet.  They don't have provisional and automatic qualifying standards at D1.  From the regional meet, you can then qualify for nationals.  Nonetheless, its still an amazing accomplishment and if she were able to compete at regionals, it wouldn't surprise me if she would qualify for nationals.  Becka is THAT good and has been fun to watch.  Best of luck at Howard Wood and Independent Champs.  End your Jackrabbit career in style.

        Another track and field note...

        I don't know if this has been mentioned previously, but Sara Ackman, a Jackrabbit Discus thrower competing unattached this outdoor season, threw the disc about 178 feet earlier this outdoor season.  That mark would put her around 5th on the Division 1 performance list and is just short of qualifying her for the Olympic Trials.  She is redshirting so she will still have eligibility left when we finish the transition period and can compete at nationals.  Sara could very possibly become the first Jackrabbit Division 1 All-American in any sport.  

        Go Jacks!

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: becca mansheim

          You're absolutely correct, BackstheJacks, Becka's time met the REGIONAL qualifying standard.  It was great you brought up Sara Ackman.  She is one to watch and your prediction that she may be SDSU's first DI All-American athlete will likely be true.

          Ackman's throws coach is Jessica Sommerfeld -- she is doing a good job coaching Sara and others.  Jessica Tetzlaff, Watertown senior, will be joining the women throwers next season.  Jessica is the defending Class AA shot put champ and one of the better discus throwers in the state.  She's the daughter of Jackrabbit basketball great Mark Tetzlaff.

          Go Jacks!

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