Indiana University Athletics
Behnke Relishes Underdog Mentality in 10K
6/10/2015 10:24:00 AM | Track and Field
NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
June 10-13 • Eugene, Ore.
NCAA Championships Central Page
By Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
Heading into college, Amanda Behnke was never going to race in a 10,000m race.
Not a chance.
She never competed in that long of a distance. It would take her nearly two weeks to recover her energy after one race. It wasn't for her.
That is, until she actually tried one on a whim. That's when Behnke realized her untapped potential.
"Coming into college, I was like, `There's no way I'm ever going to do a 10K. That sounds awful,'" Behnke said. "But then I started to realize I was better at the longer distances, so I tried one my freshman season. It was hard, but I found out I wasn't too bad at it."
"Wasn't too bad" turned out to be an understatement. Now a redshirt sophomore, Behnke is thankful she ventured into the 10K. She's set to compete for a national championship in the women's 10K at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., on Thursday June 11 at 9:38 p.m. ET.
"To qualify for nationals is unbelievable," Behnke said. "I'm just really, really grateful to be going."
She's grateful because she didn't think she had a chance at going to nationals at all when she crossed the line at the NCAA Preliminary race May 28.
Only the top 12 women in the 10K final advanced to the national championships. When Behnke crossed the line in 34:31.86, she thought she was 13th--the first one out.
"In that moment, I was devastated," Behnke said. "But there was just this anticipating as I waited for the results to pop up on the screen. Then my name finally came up, and it was next to the 12. It was just an overwhelming feeling that I don't even know how to describe. I was speechless and just overcome with emotion."
Behnke broke down in tears upon realizing she punched her ticket for the NCAA National Championships. She managed to put herself among the best distance runners in the country in only her first year focused on the 10K.
Considering how far she's come this season, Behnke said she already considers the year to have been a success, but she doesn't plan on settling yet.
As the last woman to qualify for the field of 24, Behnke said she feels like an underdog heading into race day. She likes that role because she's not racing with any pressure from outside expectations.
"I think I'm going to be more willing to take risks to see what could happen," she said. "So that changes my strategy a little bit in a sense because I've got nothing to lose."
Because it's the last race of the season, Behnke said she won't be holding anything back.
She hasn't had set a person record since early April at the Stanford Invitational, but at nationals, times don't matter. The only thing that matters is the order the runners cross the line.
At the end of the day, Behnke hopes to be up front.
"No one really expects me to beat a bunch of people, but I'm going to see what I can do," Behnke said. "Hopefully, I'll prove some people wrong."
