Mensing running the steeplechase at the 2008 Penn Relays in Philadelphia wearing only one shoe (Tim O'Dowd)

Your time of 10:32.72 set at the Drake Relays is currently ranked 43rd in the nation heading into the NCAA Regional Championships. How has your training and preparation been as you look to qualify for the NCAA Championship meet?

Unfortunately, my past few competitions haven't been like I expected. At the Penn Relays, I lost one of my shoes in the first lap and at Georgia Tech this past weekend a professional girl took the race out in a first lap of 74sec and so everyone struggled even to finish the race. But my training has been going pretty good, I have been hitting my times in my workouts and I am confident I can run under 10:30.

You lost your shoe before the first water hazard and still managed to clock 10:35.91? Describe what was going through your head at the time knowing you lost your shoe and had to manage getting back into the lead pack during the race.

Someone stepped on my shoe and my heel came out of the shoe. I tried slipping back in but not successfully so I had to kick it off in order to jump the barrier. My first thought was that it is the foot that I usually use to step on the barrier before clearing the water. So I had to change my rhythm in order to get to the barrier with the other foot and I was happy that I had practiced jumping with either leg before. I was thinking about dropping out of the race and I think i would have done that if it wouldn't have been the Penn Relays. It is every year my favorite meet to run at and I didn't want to leave Philadelphia with out finishing. The bottom of my foot was defintely hurting a bit and I felt blisters developing under my foot. I am happy I still finished with such a strong time but after I couldn't practice for five days.

Another amazing feat is that you've graduated from Coastal Carolina in three years while maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA. A multiple Big South Scholar Athlete of the Year award winner, what drove you to become so successful in the classroom with much attention also being focused on the track?

I think the mentality of students coming in to University in Europe is a little different than in the U.S. We say, once you finish high school you can focus on learning what you actually want to learn. So when I choose to be a Math major I knew that it will be hard and take a lot of work but it was something I was interrested in. Also, I know the work is definetly worth it because good grades help getting into a school that I want to study at or getting a job I would enjoy doing. It would be a waste of time to spend the years at the University, spending the same time of my life and not getting anything out of it, so I always tried my best.

Originally from Neuhausen, Germany, what led you to enroll at Coastal Carolina? Have you had many chances to visit your friends and family back home?

I was very lucky to be able to come here. I have been running track before but I never knew about the american school system, how they have athletic teams running for university. So I was lucky to meet a Coach from Coastal Carolina University at the European Cross Country Championships in Scotland. He told me about student athletes and after talking on the phone a few times with Coach Connie he offered me a scholarship to come and study in the US. Originally I was only planning on staying for a year. But then I really enjoyed myself and decided to finish my degree here. I do get to go home every Christmas and for summer, I usually think people from Ohio (studying in South Carolina) do not get to see their family much more.

This is actually your second outdoor season in terms of eligibility after redshirting the 2007 season. Did sitting out last season help you in preparation for being fresh and ready to go this season?

I am not sure if it helped me preparing for this outdoor. My first steeplechase race felt very weird because I hadn't done it for two years. So technique-wise I had to catch up a little bit. But not racing outdoor in 2007 definitely helped mentally, I was so much more ready to get back on the track.

During your freshman year in cross country, you placed fifth overall at the Big South Championships while also helping lead Coastal Carolina to the league title. How much did that experience mean to you considering it was your first semester on campus after coming over from Germany?

It was very exciting because I had never had a team. Track usually is a sport where you compete as an individual so for me the fact that I was running for a team was new. It is a lot more fun to go home with a team title because it is not only a single person being happy it is the whole team that can celebrate over a championship.

Now that we're about to embark on the NCAA Regional Championship meet, have you been pleased with your season so far?

I haven't really been happy about my season. Like I said, the meets didn't go like what I was hoping for. I am still hoping to get close or even improve my personal best from my freshman year which is 10:24. Mentally, I feel a lot stronger this season, and the practice has been going well so I am excited for regionals.

What are your plans for this summer after the NCAA season concludes? Will you continue to train and compete or try to rest and recover for the cross country season this fall?

I will definetly rest for a few weeks, I feel like my legs need a break. But then I will try and keep up my milage, maybe join my aunt and dad to do some roadraces back in Germany just for fun. Me and one of my friends are actually thinking about trying a heptathlon. But I am planing to recover because going to the University of Minnesota next fall I want to be ready to get a spot on their championship team.

Who are some of the people that you look up to and have helped you along the way on and off the track?

My parents are definitely helping me lot mentally. Running is not in the family and they do not know much about times or qualifying races, so they are always happy with my results and they would never push me. It is nice when there is a place where people do not talk about running. Then second my boyfriend helped me a lot. He is on the golf team here and he knows the pressure and what it feels like to be a athlete. He always supported me. So these would be people off the track but then I would never enjoy practice as much without great teammates. I love practicing with the team and it wouldn't have been such a good time without them.

The campus of Coastal Carolina is not too far from the beaches of South Carolina. Do you have much time to head out there and relax considering your workload during the season?

Definitely not. Considering I live about 20 min from the beach I go there almost never. I think my last semester I spend maybe three days at the beach. It is kind of sad, but I think it doesn't only have to do with the workload. If you do not live at the beach you think it is great and you want it, but once you can have it all the time its nothing special anymore and so for me it almost gets boring after a while.