ANNA WILGENBUSCH OF UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS, a senior on the women's cross country and track & field teams from St. Paul, Minn., has been selected the SCAC Character & Community Female Student-Athlete of the Week for the week beginning December 13.
The SCAC Character & Community award honors the efforts of student-athletes who excel in the field of athletics, and also serve their campus and community.
Wilgenbusch will likely go down as one of UD’s best ever athletes. The cross country senior ran her final race a few short weeks ago at the NCAA Division III National Championships, placing 34th in a field of 300 of the best runners in the country to secure her second NCAA All-American Award.
“It’s just incredible, I’m still absorbing it, honestly,” said Wilgenbusch. “That race meant so much to me. I went in without putting a lot of expectations on myself, and Coach Nick intentionally didn’t put any on me, stressing the enjoyment of the experience. I’m so incredibly grateful that I was able to be there. Going into this season, I wasn’t sure what I was going to be able to do and I’m just thankful to have had the opportunity to be there.”
Being a standout athlete in high school as well, Wilgensbusch was understandably being recruited by bigger schools, but she yearned for more than the biggest and best program; the community and culture of the school was of the utmost importance.
“I was looking for a small Catholic liberal arts school with a strong theology program, but the community I found right off the bat was amazing," said Wilgenbusch. "I had some friends from high school that came here, and it was so evident that they found a strong Catholic community that would challenge them in their faith and in their studies.”
Faith and community have always been at the forefront for Wilgenbusch. The life-long Catholic has been finding ways to serve since childhood, first serving in middle school by playing music for people in her local nursing homes. Leaving her home state of Minnesota and attending UD did not do anything to hinder her servant's heart. As fate would have it, her team made a trip to Minnesota this year to run in the prestigious Roy Griak Invitational. Rather than take the rest of the day to relax after the race, Wilgenbusch organized a service trip for the team at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Convent in Minneapolis where they helped the sisters clear some nearby trails and perform various yard work and housekeeping tasks on the grounds.
“Faith has always been a part of my life," continued Wilgenbusch. "My faith is such a big reason for why I run and I integrate it into everything I do. I enjoy helping those in need and bringing joy to those who are suffering, and that’s part of why I chose UD; to be able to continue my service to the church.”
