Falcon All-American new to track, cross country last year

UW-River Falls health and human performance major Becca Jordahl is in her second year of running cross country and track with the Falcons. She has won a number of competitions and awards in those events, including winning second place in the 5,000-meter race at the 2008 NCAA Division III indoor meet.

Jordahl is in her fourth year of college, but her second at UWRF. She spent her first year of college at Walla Walla Community College in Washington State, and then attended Century College in St. Paul, Minn. for a year, where she attained an associate’s degree.

While looking at what UWRF has to offer, Jordahl got the idea to go out for the cross country team while searching the school Web site under athletic interests. She says she spoke with the coach and was convinced to join the team.

Jordahl played soccer during her college career and switched to track when she came to UWRF. One of the most interesting aspects of her career is that she had never run on a team before last year.

“I was always really athletic,” Jordahl said in a phone interview. “I played soccer and softball and danced. I did pretty much everything but track. I always ran for health benefits, but I never ran on a team.”

Jordahl runs the 6,000-meter race in cross country. Her credits for cross country include being named the 2007 Div. III Midwest Region Female Cross Country Athlete of the Year by the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Jordahl was named to the Division III All-Midwest-Region Cross Country team and won the NCAA Midwest Regional individual title in the same year. She was an NCAA All-American in 2007 as well, according to the UWRF athletics Web site.

Her success with cross country running led Jordahl to go out for track as well. She runs the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter runs for the indoor track season and the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter runs for the outdoor track season.

Jordahl’s success has continued throughout her running career. She holds several UWRF school records. In indoor track she holds the mile, 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter records. In outdoor track she holds the 10,000-meter record. Jordahl made all of those record times in 2008.

Adding to Jordahl’s athletic accomplishments are her wins at the 2008 WIAC indoor conference meet, where she took first in the 3,000-meter and the 5,000-meter. She also won second place in the 5,000-meter run at the NCAA Division III indoor meet.

“I got second place by four seconds, and I thought it went really well. I gave it all I could at the time,” Jordahl said. “Maybe on another day I could have won, but it was definitely her [the first place winner’s] day to win.”

More recently, Jordahl was named the WIAC Athlete of the Week April 8 for the current outdoor track season.

Jordahl will compete at the UW-Eau Claire Open Saturday. The meet will begin at 10 a.m.