FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
(article posted by Lauren Brightmore, Student Sports Information Assistant)
Oct. 25, 2010 - When opportunity knocks, Anna Wirtz answers the call. The North Central College senior works on her game and her academics, while taking advantage of leadership opportunities along the way. Wirtz, a sport management major, embraced opportunity when she attended the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Leadership Conference in 2009.
Her experiences at the conference served as a catalyst for the campus-wide Cardinal Cuisine program. Cardinal Cuisine is a program that promotes the school's athletic department, while serving healthier food options at the campus dining hall. While piloting Cardinal Cuisine, Wirtz balances classes, extra-curricular activities, internships, work, and volleyball. The dedication she has to each commitment is admirable, and the responsibilities never slow her or her game down.
Wirtz currently ranks in the career top 10 in digs and service aces for the Cardinals. Whatever the future holds for Wirtz, she knows that she can dig it.
Q: When did you begin playing volleyball?
A: I started playing in 6th grade. A bunch of my friends were playing volleyball, so I thought it was the cool thing to do. Eventually all my friends quit and I was the only one that stuck with it.
Q: What activities are you in involved with on campus?
A: I work with Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Sport Management Association (SMA). I work as an intern in the athletics department and I work in the Leadership, Ethics and Values (LEV) department.
Q: What is your role in the Leadership, Ethics and Values department?
A: I work on the marketing material for the department, promoting LEV minors, concentrations, and events. I also perform daily administrative tasks such as typing up evaluations and other program materials.
Q: What was it like to attend the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Leadership Conference.?
A: It was a great experience. I was a sophomore at the time, and the conference was held in Chicago. I met students from our conference, the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, as well as other Division III athletes from across the country. At the end of the conference, each student-athlete was challenged to create a program that improved their school. So that is how we began Cardinal Cuisine.
Q: What is Cardinal Cuisine?
A: Cardinal Cuisine is a program that I work on which combines nutrition and promotion for the athletic department. We thought Kaufman Hall, North Central's dining hall, was capable of offering healthier menu options, so we decided to add some better food choices to the menu while highlighting our athletic teams.
Q: This year the women's volleyball team has begun singing the national anthem at their home games. How did the team's new singing career begin?
A: Kelsey VandenBerg, a freshman on the team, is a music major. She was going to sing the national anthem by herself for our game that week, but then Coach Karen Seremet Kunka asked us if we all wanted to sing. I know Wheaton College has their teams sing and it sounds really cool. At first we were kind of leery, but we practiced a few times and it sounded OK, so we decided to sing with Kelsey. We sing for all our home games now and we like it. We try to go fast, though, and just get through it.
Q: What would you like to do after college?
A: Starting in the summer of 2011, I'm planning on going to graduate school. Most likely, I'm going to go to graduate school here at North Central, working with the sports leadership program. After graduate school, I want to work in community relations for a sports organization. My dream job would be working with NBA Cares. The organization brings the resources the NBA has to needy communities and families.
Q: This year's squad has over 30 girls on the roster. How does such a large group create team cohesion?
A: We are all friends on the team, so we all hang out on the weekends, which keeps us close. We also have different upperclassmen take charge of team activities like making signs or handing out ribbons for the week.
Q: What is your favorite memory of NCC Volleyball, and what will you miss the most?
A: My favorite memory was playing in the NCAA Tournament last year. In terms of what I will miss, I think I'll miss the whole team aspect of things, and also becoming really close with a big group of people.
Q: In a sport where the scoring is so quick and mistakes are costly, how do you maintain your cool during a game?
A: I do a lot of self-talk, thinking about where I need to be on the next play. Volleyball is a fast sport, and if someone is in the wrong spot, the rest of us have to compensate for it. If I do something wrong during a game then I make sure to do it the right way the next time.
Q: What are the team's goals for the remainder of the season?
A: We want to keep improving each game and qualify for the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Championship.
Q: In your opinion, what does it mean to be a Cardinal?
A: It means that you are a part of something bigger than yourself. At North Central you always have a support system around you. You just need to be proud of who you are and what your team has done even if you're not successful on the court. There is more to life than just winning games.
