Grace Schultz Finishes Record-Breaking Career
Grace Schultz (First-Lake Geneva WI) admits that scoring wasn’t always her thing. During her high school basketball career at Fox Valley LHS, her main role was defense. But that didn’t stop her from setting high goals for her college career.
One of those goals was reached on December 4, when Schultz became the third player in MLC women’s basketball program history to score at least 1,000 career points. Schultz joined Erica Babinec ’12 and Emma Babinec ’06 as the only players to reach that milestone.
Schultz says that was one of several goals she set before her debut season in 2014, and the feeling of accomplishment after reaching that goal was special.
“I sat in the locker room and just absorbed all that had just happened,” she said. “It took me a little while to register that I had actually accomplished a big goal of mine. Sitting there, I couldn’t help but think of all the teammates and coaches that had challenged me to improve in practice and games throughout my life, knowing that none of my personal successes would be possible without them.”
Schultz hasn’t allowed the other aspects of her game to suffer as her scoring role increased. This season, Schultz set a new MLC single-season record with 97 steals, and finished second in program history with 265 career steals. She also finished second in program history with 666 career rebounds, and ranks sixth with 210 career assists. She finished her career with 1,299 career points, and ranks third in both career field goals and free throws.
While she has established herself as one of the premier athletes in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) during her career, Schultz credits her coach, Professor Dan Gawrisch ’08, and teammates for helping her game develop.
“I remember having conversations with Coach Gawrisch about what my role was on the team in every preseason meeting and how scoring became an important factor of my role,” she said. “Knowing his expectations and my own, along with hard work and a lot of shots in the gym, I have grown as a basketball player, and I give that credit to my coaches and teammates.”
Basketball is only part of Schultz’s athletic career at MLC. This fall Schultz finished her four-year career as a right-side hitter for
the volleyball team, where she was a two-year captain and finished with 436 career kills. During her career on both the basketball and volleyball teams, Schultz has helped her team qualify for the UMAC Postseason Tournament in all seven tries.
O
ne of the things that made her athletic career special is sharing her experiences with friends and classmates. Jade St. Germaine (St. Mark-Watertown WI), Kira Grev (Divinity-St. Paul), Taylor Weber (Bethlehem-Germantown WI), Heidi Moldenhauer (St. John-Manitowoc WI), Jenna Miller (Riverview-Appleton WI), and Rylee Weisensel (St. John-New Ulm MN) were part of a seven-player senior class on the volleyball team, while St. Germaine and high school classmate Hailey Johnson (St. Paul-Green Bay WI) played all four years with Schultz on the basketball team.
“As my eligibility decreased, my love for sports turned into a love for family, the family that was created through these sports,” Schultz said. “I still enjoy sports, but what I enjoy more are the memories and friendships that have been created. The special thing about MLC, besides training for a lifetime of public ministry, is that you realize how blessed you are to be surrounded by God-fearing friends and future colleagues every single day.”
This feature was originally published in the MLC InFocus, Spring 2018 issue.
