Mandi grew up in Blanchardville, WI and was a standout three-sport athlete for Pecatonica High School. The shooting guard was an All-Conference, All-Area and WBCA Division 4 All-Star selection for the two-time WIAA Division 4 State Champion Vikings.
In the fall of 1995, Mandi enrolled at MATC to go to school and play basketball for Kris Mills. In her first season at MATC, the freshman point guard proved that she was going to be a special player as she led the team in steals and assists. Her 166 assists that season ranks her sixth all-time. Mandi’s on-the-floor leadership and her incredible work ethic pushed her teammates to new heights as the team went 24-4 and gained national attention in the national Division III rankings. For her play, this team co-captain received WTCC All-Conference and WJCAA All-Tournament honors as well as the Hustle and the Assist Leader team awards.
In her sophomore year, she continued where she left off. The team captain led the team in several categories including defensive rebounds, assists, steals and minutes played. Her 144 steals and 259 assists during the 1996-97 season still stand as the all-time season marks in program history. Her career totals in both categories also shattered the previous records and are, to this day, the most all-time. This multi-talented point guard even recorded a quadruple double (double figures in four categories) in game versus Waukesha Technical College. All these impressive statistics earned her many honors, including All-Conference, All-State, All-Region and All-American awards. The All-American honors were the second such honors for any MATC women’s basketball player. In addition, through her efforts, her team compiled an overall record of 30-9 and advanced to the National Tournament for the first time in school history, where they finished third.
“Mandi was the most dedicated player that I have ever coached,” commented former head women’s basketball coach, Kris Mills. “She had an absolute love for the game of basketball and she spent countless hours in the gym making herself a better player. And it definitely paid off.”
Off the court at MATC, Mandi was All-Academic Scholar both seasons and graduated with an Associates degree in Accounting and an impressive 3.74 GPA. She also received the department’s highest honor, being named the 1997 Sportsperson of the Year.
In the fall of 1997, Mandi enrolled at Concordia University where she played point guard and earned Lake Michigan All-Conference, Team MVP and Team Hustle Award honors. She came back to MATC to help as an assistant coach during the 1998-99 season before returning to Concordia for her final year. In her final year at Concordia, Mandi again earned All-Conference, team MVP and Team Hustle Award honors as well as being named Concordia Athlete of the Year. That spring she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education-Business.
After college Mandi became the Business/Computer Teacher for grades 6-12 in the Argyle School District. She just recently completed her Masters degree in Business Administration-Management and she continues to stay involved in athletics as she helps with junior high volleyball, basketball and track & field. Mandi currently lives in her hometown of Blanchardville with her husband Gary and her son, Jordan, and daughters, Alexis and Brianna.
