George Washington University Athletics
Friday, May 24
Jacksonville, Fla.
8:20 p.m.
George Washington University
at
NCAA East Preliminary
'Here to Represent'
5/23/2019 11:31:00 AM | Women's Track/Cross Country
Dannheim to become first GW woman to compete at national meet Friday
Suzanne Dannheim was trackside for history last May as Carter Day and Matt Lange became the first GW runners to compete at the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
Dannheim made the three-hour drive to the University of South Florida from her native Jacksonville, Fla., with teammate Brittany Wilkinson to cheer on her fellow Colonials in the 3000m Steeplechase.
Surrounded by some of the nation's top student-athletes, Dannheim made a silent promise.
"I think it was a good experience for me to watch people racing, to see how competitive it was," Dannheim said. "I definitely remember telling myself, 'I'm going to be here next year.'"
Dannheim delivered on that vow, punching her NCAA ticket with a breakout junior season. She qualified in the steeplechase thanks to her program-record time of 10:23.95 at Bucknell's Bison Outdoor Classic on April 13.
At approximately 8:20 p.m. on Friday, Dannheim will make her own history as the first GW woman to compete at the national meet. It's all the more special that her landmark race will come in front of a slew of friends and family in her hometown at North Florida's Hodges Stadium.
"It's really exciting," Dannheim said. "Honestly, I just came into this season saying 'There's only one option, and that is to go.'
"From the very beginning of the season, I planned my mentality and my training around the fact that I was going to qualify, and for it to pay off in this way, it really means a lot."
Dannheim has blossomed at GW under the direction of head coach Terry Weir.
She came to the Colonials from the Bolles School in Jacksonville, where she was a solid contributor but hardly an elite recruit competing for one of Florida's most decorated cross country/track programs.
Dannheim arrived in Foggy Bottom three years ago with a personal-best mile time of approximately 5:15. These days, she's maintaining a similar pace for nearly two miles in the rigorous steeplechase while navigating hurdles and a water hazard.
There's not much of a secret behind her rise, according to Weir.
"To be honest, it's all about her work ethic," said Weir, who appointed Dannheim as team captain before this season. "It's just who she is and what she does."
Dannheim's diligent approach has been evident in her swift improvement in the steeplechase, a challenging event that requires a level of athleticism and focus beyond a traditional distance race.
Since tackling steeplechase for the first time in April 2018 at William & Mary, she's worked hard on her fitness and form to drop time.
Dannheim set the program record in her final race last season, but her time of 10:38.36 was about nine seconds shy of what she needed to join Day and Lange at the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
With qualifying for that meet in mind, she embarked on a new workout regimen that included more mileage, more weight lifting and more hurdle work.
"In the steeple, you have to have a lot of muscular strength," Dannheim said. "You're pushing off things. You're jumping over things. Everything's just a little bit more taxing."
Dannheim first saw the results during the cross country season when she led the Colonials to an eighth-place finish at the A-10 Championship with the second-fastest 5K time in program history and then took 23rd at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional to help the Buff and Blue earn their best-ever showing in the team standings.
That success sent her into the track season with a decided spring in her step and a renewed confidence that she was on the right path.
"When you're putting in all that extra work, mentally you're a little bit more dialed in," Dannheim said. "You start to take yourself a little bit more seriously."
Dannheim wasted no time, putting up a sure-fire NCAA qualifying time in her first steeplechase race of the season. She shaved nearly 15 seconds off the program record en route to a third-place finish at Bucknell.
She started strong and hung with the leaders, showcasing her newfound power and the strides she's made fine-tuning her form working with Lange, who joined the staff this season.
"Suz just hit it right out of the park," Weir said. "She was ready, and she executed and did exactly what we thought she could do."
Dannheim was just off that pace in her last race, finishing fifth (10:24.44) in a competitive field at the Atlantic 10 Championship.
She feels like she's ready to go even faster on Friday at North Florida, where she'll be one of nine runners from the conference competing in the event.
Being in familiar surroundings should help: She won a high school state championship at Hodges Stadium, and she'd often run the trails around the North Florida campus during her days at Bolles School.
She returned home to Jacksonville last Friday, and she's relished the chance to train at her old high school this week as she makes her final preparations.
"The home court advantage is so real," she said with a giggle.
No longer a spectator, Dannheim will be among 48 competitors in the event battling for 12 spots at the NCAA Championships, which will be held in Austin, Texas from June 5-8.
It's an opportunity she won't take for granted. She's grateful to be the first GW woman at the meet and proud to blaze a trail for Colonials to come.
"As a program, we are developing and getting better and better every year," said Dannheim, a Finance major who will head to New York when her season ends for a summer internship with Goldman Sachs. "More than anything this says about me, it's about GW's statement to the NCAA, to the A-10. We're here to represent, and I think next year we'll have more girls coming with me to this meet."
Dannheim made the three-hour drive to the University of South Florida from her native Jacksonville, Fla., with teammate Brittany Wilkinson to cheer on her fellow Colonials in the 3000m Steeplechase.
Surrounded by some of the nation's top student-athletes, Dannheim made a silent promise.
"I think it was a good experience for me to watch people racing, to see how competitive it was," Dannheim said. "I definitely remember telling myself, 'I'm going to be here next year.'"
Dannheim delivered on that vow, punching her NCAA ticket with a breakout junior season. She qualified in the steeplechase thanks to her program-record time of 10:23.95 at Bucknell's Bison Outdoor Classic on April 13.
At approximately 8:20 p.m. on Friday, Dannheim will make her own history as the first GW woman to compete at the national meet. It's all the more special that her landmark race will come in front of a slew of friends and family in her hometown at North Florida's Hodges Stadium.
"It's really exciting," Dannheim said. "Honestly, I just came into this season saying 'There's only one option, and that is to go.'
"From the very beginning of the season, I planned my mentality and my training around the fact that I was going to qualify, and for it to pay off in this way, it really means a lot."
Dannheim has blossomed at GW under the direction of head coach Terry Weir.
She came to the Colonials from the Bolles School in Jacksonville, where she was a solid contributor but hardly an elite recruit competing for one of Florida's most decorated cross country/track programs.
Dannheim arrived in Foggy Bottom three years ago with a personal-best mile time of approximately 5:15. These days, she's maintaining a similar pace for nearly two miles in the rigorous steeplechase while navigating hurdles and a water hazard.
There's not much of a secret behind her rise, according to Weir.
"To be honest, it's all about her work ethic," said Weir, who appointed Dannheim as team captain before this season. "It's just who she is and what she does."
Dannheim's diligent approach has been evident in her swift improvement in the steeplechase, a challenging event that requires a level of athleticism and focus beyond a traditional distance race.
Since tackling steeplechase for the first time in April 2018 at William & Mary, she's worked hard on her fitness and form to drop time.
Dannheim set the program record in her final race last season, but her time of 10:38.36 was about nine seconds shy of what she needed to join Day and Lange at the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
With qualifying for that meet in mind, she embarked on a new workout regimen that included more mileage, more weight lifting and more hurdle work.
"In the steeple, you have to have a lot of muscular strength," Dannheim said. "You're pushing off things. You're jumping over things. Everything's just a little bit more taxing."
Dannheim first saw the results during the cross country season when she led the Colonials to an eighth-place finish at the A-10 Championship with the second-fastest 5K time in program history and then took 23rd at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional to help the Buff and Blue earn their best-ever showing in the team standings.
That success sent her into the track season with a decided spring in her step and a renewed confidence that she was on the right path.
"When you're putting in all that extra work, mentally you're a little bit more dialed in," Dannheim said. "You start to take yourself a little bit more seriously."
Dannheim wasted no time, putting up a sure-fire NCAA qualifying time in her first steeplechase race of the season. She shaved nearly 15 seconds off the program record en route to a third-place finish at Bucknell.
She started strong and hung with the leaders, showcasing her newfound power and the strides she's made fine-tuning her form working with Lange, who joined the staff this season.
"Suz just hit it right out of the park," Weir said. "She was ready, and she executed and did exactly what we thought she could do."
Dannheim was just off that pace in her last race, finishing fifth (10:24.44) in a competitive field at the Atlantic 10 Championship.
She feels like she's ready to go even faster on Friday at North Florida, where she'll be one of nine runners from the conference competing in the event.
Being in familiar surroundings should help: She won a high school state championship at Hodges Stadium, and she'd often run the trails around the North Florida campus during her days at Bolles School.
She returned home to Jacksonville last Friday, and she's relished the chance to train at her old high school this week as she makes her final preparations.
"The home court advantage is so real," she said with a giggle.
No longer a spectator, Dannheim will be among 48 competitors in the event battling for 12 spots at the NCAA Championships, which will be held in Austin, Texas from June 5-8.
It's an opportunity she won't take for granted. She's grateful to be the first GW woman at the meet and proud to blaze a trail for Colonials to come.
"As a program, we are developing and getting better and better every year," said Dannheim, a Finance major who will head to New York when her season ends for a summer internship with Goldman Sachs. "More than anything this says about me, it's about GW's statement to the NCAA, to the A-10. We're here to represent, and I think next year we'll have more girls coming with me to this meet."
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Women's Track/Cross Country
Distance
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