RACEWALKER MIKE MANNOZZI, of Boardman, made the podium with a third place finish at the USA Track & Field 35k Race Walk national championships. Pictured, from left to right, Jordan Crawford, second place; Nick Christie, first place; and Mannozzi, third place.
     
      The Mahoning Valley was getting its due recognition in San Diego County, Calif., on Sunday, January 12 during the USA Track & Field 35k Race Walk national championships when Rock and Roll Marathon co-founder, Tracy Sundlun was announcing the “Italian Stallion,” Michael Mannozzi, from Boardman High School (Class of 2005), as he and over 60 other competitors from more than six nations competed in the event.
      As critical as this race was for Mannozzi, now 38-years-old, getting there was a feat.
      Mannozzi is a chaplain with the United State Air Force and is stationed at Vandenberg AFB in California. He patiently awaited approval from multiple layers of leadership to have the time off work, as well as passing through Los Angeles while the wild fires continued to blaze.
      It was a bit of a homecoming of sorts as the Mannozzi family had resided in San Diego the past two years while he was part of the Air Force World Class Athlete Program (WCAP). The program allowed Mannozzi to fulfill a crucial chapter in training with other U.S. team athletes as they strive towards the Olympic Games.
      Mannozzi’s began his career in race walking at Notre Dame College in Euclid, Oh. where he became a national champion race-walker in 2010, winning the 3K NAIA crown, coming from dead last on the final lap to claim the top spot.
      At last month’s 35K championships, Mannozzi had his best performance in eight years, finishing in third place.
      “I trusted my coach and stayed as consistent as possible. It took much faith and perseverance after the Olympic Trials to see the potential in myself that Perseus Karlstrom and Nick Christie had seen,” Mannozzi said.
      Perseus is a two-time world champion race walker from Sweden and Nick is the top U.S. male race walker, who is currently in Air Force basic training and will join the WCAP program after graduation.
      “Training with Nick and the other walkers in San Diego has forged me into a smarter and more efficient walker than the man that moved to San Diego in 2022,” Mannozzi said.
      He posted a time of 3:03:51 at the 35K championships which is an average of 8:18 per mile over the nearly 22 mile race, seven minutes and 35 seconds faster than his previous best in 2022 at this same event.
      His finish qualified him for the 2025 USA Team for the Pan Am Cup, a western hemisphere race walk championship scheduled for May, 2025 in Ecuador.
      The 35k and the 20k are the two internationally recognized distances at the Pan Am Cup and World Championships in 2025. Mannozzi is currently assigned to Space Launch Delta 30 Chaplain Corps, at Vandnenberg Space Force Base. He sends his love to his family, friend and sponsors back in Boardman.
      “The valley cheered Boom Boom Mancini in the 80’s and now they can cheer for Mannozzi, the Italian Stallion of USA Track and Field” he said!