Student-Athlete Spotlight: Michael Mansy
9/11/2014 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Recently, Gopack.com had the opportunity to catch up with Michael Mansy of the men’s cross country team to get to know more about who he is.
A redshirt senior, Mansy will graduate this December with a Business Administration degree, with a concentration in marketing.
Last season, the Johnson City, Tenn. native earned All-ACC Academic team honors while running a season-best performance at the ACC Championships. His 46th place finish at the NCAA Southeast Regional earned him an at-large berth to the 2013 NCAA tournament in Terre Haute, Ind.
Why he chose NC State: At the start of my senior year of high school, I wasn’t considering NC State at all. My interest was sparked when I traveled to Hendersonville, NC to run my first meet of the season, The WNC Cross-Country Carnival. I won the meet and had one of my best races of my high school career. Coach Geiger happened to be in attendance. He came up to me after the race and told me that I would be wearing red and white next year. It really sparked my interest that he had so much confidence in me, so I decided to take a visit that following January.
After my visit, I knew this was where I wanted to be. I fell in love with the Raleigh, the campus, and the entire atmosphere. But what really drew me to NC State was the cross-country program itself. NC State has won more ACC cross-country titles than any other school in the conference. I also saw how close all of the guys were on the team and how well they got along. I can say with confidence that my current and past teammates are and will always be my best friends.
His plans after collegiate running: Running has and always has been a big part of my life. I will always run to stay fit; however, when it comes to competing post collegiately at a high level, I don’t have any set plans as of right now. To successfully do that, it takes a whole new level of commitment and determination. After December, I’ll evaluate my situation and see if it’s in the cards for me.
One thing he will miss about being a part of the Wolfpack family: I am going to miss the entire experience, but more specifically, being around all of my teammates. I am blessed to say that I am surrounded daily by the greatest guys and girls on both the men’s’ and women’s teams. I am going to miss constantly goofing off with them and running with them on a daily basis. There is nothing better than being on a team that works hard every day to win and achieve the same goals. There have been some crazy workouts and races that I wouldn’t have made it through if it weren’t for my teammates pushing me and encouraging me to never give up.
His favorite memory during his time at NC State: There are so many that I could choose from, but the one that sticks out to me at the moment is going to Boulder, Colorado last summer with the team to train. I had never seen the Rocky Mountains before, so living at 8,000 feet for three weeks surrounded by them was amazing in itself. We had the opportunity to run on some of the best trails in the country and train with some All-Americans from other colleges. After three weeks of hard running, we all came back from that trip in the best shape.
His favorite meet to run in: Hands down, my favorite meet is the ACC Cross Country Championships. Besides the national championships, it’s the most important meet of the season. It’s the race that is constantly in your head, motivating you whenever you are working out day to day. It’s a smaller race, so the volume of runners doesn’t ever overwhelm you. You always know where you are in the field of runners and you can easily communicate with your teammates who are running beside you in the pack. There is a lot of emotion and pride that goes into that race for both the team and the coaching staff. Every year we go into it with great preparation and with the mindset of winning.
What he enjoys doing when he is not in class or practicing: I have always had a big passion for music. I love discovering new music and attending concerts whenever I can. I also play guitar and I love to sit outside on my back porch and write my own songs. It’s a great way to relax from a hard day of school and running.