December 9, 2004

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that former Central College volleyball player and track and field performer Raegan (Schultz) Wagner (Barnum, Iowa/NW Webster) has been named the Duane Schroeder IIAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Year for the 2003-04 academic year.

“The Iowa Conference is very proud of the accomplishments of Raegan (Schultz) Wagner and [IIAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year] Brent Showalter. They have made tremendous contributions to their campuses, communities, athletic programs, and they stand as shining examples of all that is possible to achieve at our member institutions,” IIAC Commissioner John Cochrane said. “The commitment that Raegan and Brent have shown to their own individual development, in service to others and compassion to those less fortunate, has prepared them to be successful leaders in whatever field of endeavor they choose to pursue in life. It is with great pleasure that I congratulate these two outstanding young people on being named this year’s recipients of the Duane Schroeder Scholar Athlete of the Year Award.”

Wagner graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2004 with a 3.87 grade point average as a business management major with a communication studies minor, earning Dean’s List honors throughout her collegiate career. She was a member of Alpha Zeta Mu (an honorary campus academic society), an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient and the NCAA Woman of the Year from the State of Iowa honoring the outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics and community leadership. Wagner is currently an underwriter for Principal Financial Group in Des Moines, Iowa.

“Raegan distinguished herself quickly as someone who had a passion for learning and enjoyed the give and take of academic dialogue. Raegan was always a student I could count on to not only have read class material by the expected date, but to have read it critically,” Communications Studies Department Chair Dr. Dennis M. Doyle said. “She often demonstrated the best example of a student scholar with thoughtful, insightful questioning of material and an openness to receive constructive criticism. It was clear that her classmates also recognized her as a leader and listened carefully to the contributions she made to discussions. Often when I am talking to prospective students who plan to participate in athletics at Central, I mention that our student-athletes are expected to excel in the classroom. Raegan is an example I like to use to illustrate the successful balancing of demands.”

Wagner served as a volunteer for the Literacy Army, a program that reads books to elementary school students; Relay for Life, a program that raised money for the American Cancer Society; and in various capacities during Pella’s Tulip Festival. She also served as a coach/counselor at various volleyball camps and was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, serving a year as its secretary, a member of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and a Campus Bible study leader.

“While at Central College, Raegan was a leader on our campus, both within our track and field program as the team captain, and within the student body and on the volleyball team. She is in every sense of the word a team player, very hard working, trustworthy and willing to help others,” Central track and field coach Kevin Sanger said. “During her tenure at Central, Raegan helped transform our women’s track and field program. Our team improved each and every year and placed in the top-10 in our NCAA power ranking in 2003 and 2004. I have been at Central College for ten years and Raegan is without a doubt one of the finest individuals I have had the privilege to coach. She is a top notch student-athlete but even more importantly an outstanding person.”

Wagner was a nine-time NCAA national qualifier and a five-time NCAA All-American including three times in the heptathlon, once in the javelin and once in the indoor 55-meter hurdles. In winning the 2004 heptathlon National Championship, she set the NCAA Division III record in the event with 4,943 points. She holds the Iowa Conference 100-meter hurdle record and six school records (heptathlon, javelin, shuttle hurdle relay, indoor 200-meter hurdles, indoor 4x200 relay and indoor 4x400 relay). She was a two-time team most valuable performer, the most valuable freshman and a four-time letter winner. She was also a three-year volleyball letter winner, a member of the 2000 NCAA National Championship volleyball team, four Conference Championship volleyball teams and the team’s 2003 Most Improved Player.

The 2004 Central College Student-Athlete Award recipient as the female senior student-athlete with the highest grade point average, Wagner was a six-time Iowa Conference All-Academic Team member (three times for volleyball and three times for track and field). She was CoSIDA Academic All-America® First Team Track and Field selection and a two-time United States Track Coaches Association Scholar All-American.

The Duane Schroeder IIAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Year Award was first presented in December 2001 for the 2000-01 academic year. To be eligible for nomination, a student-athlete shall have graduated or exhausted their athletic eligibility during the academic year for which the award is given. She must have demonstrated a high level of accomplishment and achievement in a varsity sport, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale), and show evidence of scholarly achievements, community service involvement and leadership.

The Duane Schroeder IIAC Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards are named in honor of the late Duane Schroeder, the former Wartburg College sports information director. Schroeder served as Wartburg’s SID for 43 years until his retirement in 2000. Upon his retirement from his sports information duties, he was named SID Emeritus and served as Wartburg’s News Director until 2001. During much of his four decades at Wartburg, Schroeder served as the IIAC’s secretary and treasurer.

Also nominated for the Duane Schroeder IIAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Year were former Coe College cross country and track performer Jenna Boerboom, former Cornell College soccer player Erin Lynch, former University of Dubuque basketball player Dana (Kester) Harrold, and former Wartburg College volleyball player and track and field performer Dia Dohlman.

Previous recipients of the Duane Schroeder IIAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Year include Johanna Olson (2000-01, Luther College track and cross country), Brianne Schoonover (2001-02, Wartburg College basketball and track) and Jessica Jensen (2002-03, Buena Vista University basketball and track).

-30-