by Walker McCrary / tmbears.com
Cleveland, Ga – Truett McConnell’s Victoria Schillinger was named a semifinalist for the 13th annual Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup earlier this month. Schillinger was one of just 20 student-athletes from all NCAA and NAIA institutions that were named semifinalists.
Schillinger marks the third TMU student-athlete in a row to be named to the Wooden Cup honorees, joining Joseph Hulen and Meagan Taylor as TMU student-athletes who have been given the honor of being named semi-finalist for the Wooden Cup award.
Schillinger is a senior at TMU and will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education. She competed on the women’s soccer team at Truett McConnell from 2013-16 and accumulated numerous awards both on and off the field of play.
Schillinger was named an NAIA Scholar-Athlete twice and named to the women’s soccer All-Academic Team three times. She was a two-time team captain for the team.
“As a senior women’s soccer student-athlete for Truett McConnell University, Victoria epitomizes character, teamwork and citizenship,” said TMU Director of Athletics Dr. Stacy Hall. “She clearly demonstrates excellence both on and off the field.”
Off the field, she was also a Servant Leadership Scholarship recipient and a member of the Student Professional Association of Georgia Educators Leaders. She has been on two mission trips outside of the United States, including a week-long trip to El Salvador and a two-week trip to Rwanda.
While at Truett McConnell, Schillinger has completed over 400 hours of community service in addition to over 450 hours of practicum and/or observation at the local schools in the White County area.
“[Schillinger] is well respected by her peers, coaches and administration,” said Hall. “She understands what it means to be a servant leader and has demonstrated her commitment to this high ideal.”
The Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup is named in honor of John Wooden, one of the greatest coaches and most positive role models in the history of the NCAA. Wooden gave Athletes for a Better World (ABW) permission to present the award in his name. The Cup is presented to two distinguished athletes from any sport – one intercollegiate and one professional – who best display character, teamwork, and citizenship, the attributes Athletes for a Better World deems central to transforming individuals, sport, and society. The award establishes the recipients as athletes of excellence both on and off of the field, role models both as performers and persons, and is one of the most distinctive honors athletes can achieve. The Wooden Cup is open to all college athletes, in all sports, in all divisions and is regarded as one of the most prestigious awards in college sports.
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Walker McCrary is the Director of Marketing and Communications for TMU Athletics
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