by Dianna White
SANTA CLARA, CALIF. - Recent Santa Clara graduate and Bronco cross-country All-American Stephanie Wilson has been named to the 2011 Capital One Academic All-American Second Team for cross country and track and field. Wilson is the only WCC female athlete to receive this honor. Wilson graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in English and an overall GPA of 3.904 on June 11.
"I'm really honored by this accomplishment," said Wilson. "I have to thank my parents, coaches, professors and teammates for helping me!"
To be considered for this award, student-athletes must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30, and have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution.
Wilson also won the St. Clare medal. Click here for an earlier release.
"Running definitely inspired me to be a better student," said Wilson. "I've gained a lot of confidence from racing well and training hard, and that gave me the confidence to take some risks and apply for academic research projects. Our training schedule also provided some stability to keep me focused during the quarter. I loved getting up early for morning workouts-- it gave me some extra energy to get through classes and homework. I think that exercise stimulates creativity, and I've found that a long run with teammates can be a great place to discuss ideas. I have a bad habit of talking about the stories I'm reading for my English classes, and I'm glad my teammates were nice enough to put with me blabbing on and on during our runs!"
Wilson, a San Jose native who is a 2006 graduate of Archbishop Mitty High School, expresses interest in pursuing a career in nature writing or outdoor education. Her plans after graduation are a step in the right direction. "I'm going to intern with the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy in San Jose, and hopefully I'll work as an environmental educator for them starting in the fall," Wilson said. "I'm also working on publishing a trail guide for the Bay Area Ridge Trail that combines literature and hiking."
To continue with her running career, Wilson announced she joined the New Balance Running Club, coached by Dena Evans. "As long as I'm healthy I'm going to race club cross-country with them in the fall," said Wilson.
