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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."
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."
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