Joanie Mancini Todd Scholarship

Joanie Todd established the Joanie Mancini Todd Scholarship to give back to the NCAA Swimming & Diving program at Western Colorado University. A 1985 Western graduate with a degree in Elementary Education and Physical Education, Joanie credits her opportunity to go to college and receive an education at Western to the athletic scholarship she received on the Swimming and Diving team.

In Swimming, Joanie was an 11-time All-American over three years and an Academic All-American. She was a four-year all-conference performer and team captain for one year. In National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics National Championship meets, Joanie led the Mountaineers to four top 15 team finishes, including a second-place showing in 1981. In the 1981 NAIA meet, Todd had top-five finishes in three individual events and four relays. The next year, she earned top six finishes in four events to earn All-American status again. Todd helped the Mountaineers to their first-ever Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship in 1981 by anchoring three RMAC champion relays and winning the 50-yard freestyle. In the 1982 RMAC championships, Todd won both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle. At the 1983 RMAC meet, Todd defended her 50-yard freestyle championship. In 2001, she was inducted into the Western Athletic Hall of Fame.

Joanie is also a dedicated member of the Foundation Board of Directors and believes that no matter what background you come from in life prior to Western, education is a great equalizer and maximizing your opportunities academically will help you to compete in today’ssociety. She says, “joining Western’sFoundation Board was an honor. I was a first-generation college graduate. Western gave me the opportunity to get two college degrees which changed my life. I want to help give back and make sure that other young people of today have that same opportunity that I was given.”

Being a swimmer her entire life, after coaching for 29 years, and a member of the Western Athletic Hall of Fame, Joanie wants recipients of this scholarship to know that it is an honor to be a part of Western’sSwimming and Diving program. “Take that seriously, represent Western well”, she encourages. “Work as hard as you can academically and as an athlete to maximize your opportunities. It will transfer later in life.” Thankful for what Western did for her, Joanie hopes this scholarship will make a difference for students in the Swimming and Diving program, just as her scholarships did for her.

ELIGIBILITY
-Athletics: Must be a member of the Women’sSwimming and Diving Team
-Year in School (after completion of current spring semester): Must be a full-time student at Western