Out of nowhere.
That’s where Mark Menefee came from to win the 5,000-meter run at last weekend’s Big 12 track and field championships.
“Nobody was expecting me to win, but I went into it with the attitude that I’d try,” said Menefee, Kansas University’s sophomore runner from Buhler.
Menefee — he did not run during cross country season because of a knee injury — entered the Big 12s ranked ninth in the 5,000.
That’s right … ninth.
“I know how fast I can run. I know I’ve never concerned myself with rankings,” Menefee said.
Like the rest of the contenders, Menefee started the 5,000 slowly and stayed with the leaders through seven laps of the 12 1/2 lap race.
With five laps remaining, he bolted several seconds in front of the pack.
Menefee kept a sizable lead the rest of the way crossing the tape in 14:20.3, 14 seconds ahead of runnerup Ed Torrez of Colorado.
“I think everybody was surprised I did that. I think they were taken off guard,” Menefee said. “They thought I’d come back.”
Why’d he take off? Simple, the pace was too slow.
“I felt I was not working as hard as I should have. I wasn’t going to let them drag me back,” Menefee said.
Once he took the lead, “I always tried to keep in my mind there was somebody right behind me. Everybody on the team was yelling for me and the coaches were yelling for me. Nobody came around my right side (to pass him).
“Everybody was excited bout my win. Coach (Gary Schwartz) had talked about some people having to do more than usual for us to do well as a team. We talked about taking our chance and putting it on the line. It was our theme. I kind of went along with it,” he added.
Menefee helped the KU men to a sixth-place finish.
His performance was one of the highlights of the entire meet, Schwartz noted.
“To see a young man have that kind of confidence to win it out of nowhere … it’s awfully impressive,” the coach said. “He had a plan and wasn’t going to let anybody take it away from him.”
Menefee, who was a state champion in cross country and won the 3,200 at the state track meet while at Buhler High in 1996-97, placed third at the cross country nationals two seasons ago at Hutchinson CC.
After being recruited by Kansas and Kansas State, he joined KU’s program for the 1999-2000 school year.
Menefee’s first big win came in the 5,000 at the Kansas Relays. He followed that with the surprise win at league and now will start next year as one of the top runners in the conference.
“I know I’m a lot faster than the times I’ve posted,” Menefee said. “The 5K is shaping up as my bread and butter event. I’ll do the 1,500 and 5,000 next year and be ready to go during cross country. I think I’m in the best shape of my life. There’s not much better than winning the Big 12 championship, but I am not stopping here.
“Maybe I won’t get the element of surprise anymore, but that’s OK.”
