July 10, 2018 – Chelsee Wilson has earned more than a few titles and distinctions during her four years at Concordia University Chicago. College graduate, NCAA Division III track and field national qualifier, 2018 Track and Field All-American are just a few. Now, one more can be added as Wilson has been named the 2018 Woman of the Year by the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference.
         
"Chelsee is a tremendous young person," said Pete Gnan, Concordia-Chicago's Director of Athletics. "She is a great example of someone who has persevered to achieve great things on the track and in life. She is an inspiration to all of us that have been around her for the last four years." 
          
"Chelsee is an amazing young woman," said Janet Wolbert, Concordia-Chicago's Assistant Director of Athletics. "This honor and recognition is a result of her work ethic and dedication to serving others. She has earned many athletic achievements, but her servant's heart is what Chelsee will be remembered for by all she worked with during her time at Concordia." 
           
Athletically, Wilson was one who truly saved her best for last. She was the first CUC athlete to qualify for track and field nationals in all four years of competition. Wilson qualified in individual events during her first three years – twice in the 200-meter dash and once in the 100-meter dash – and her final appearance at the NACC Track and Field Outdoor Championships on May 4-5 saw her bring home her first conference championship in the 100 with a time of 12.49 seconds. She also finished second in both the 200 and 400 dashes, helping the CUC women to a second-place finish at the meet.
           
Wilson was named the NACC Track Athlete of the Meet, but her individual performances were just part of the story. This year, Wilson ran in both the 4 x 100-meter and 4 x 400-meter relays, and NACC championships in both events was just the beginning of their late-season odysseys. Both groups went on to qualify for the nationals the following week at North Central College's Gregory Invitational, and the 4 x 400 would run like lightning all the way to the finals, where they ran a school and conference record time of 3:46.29 for sixth place overall and All-American honors.
             
"Words cannot describe how proud I am that Chelsee has received this award from the NACC," said CUC head track and field coach Phil Kopinski. "What she has been able to do as a leader off of the track, around this campus and in the community is far greater than her numerous accolades on the track. Her commitment and passion to everything she does makes her the perfect person for this award. She has embodied the definition of student-athlete for the past four years. Who she is as a person has left a big imprint on this program and university, and I couldn't be happier for her."
           
Wilson's story is all the more amazing when one considers that she was not going to compete in the sport after high school, due to heart complications and the daunting challenge of academics. However, she wanted to prove to herself that she was "stronger than (her) uncertainties." Athletically, the proof came through her 10 school records and two conference records in addition to her merits in 2018. Away from the track, Wilson worked four jobs simultaneously for three years and also volunteered at a Senior Center and Feed My Starving Children, led a mental health outreach group, aided in the rebuilding of several disaster areas and designed and carried out an anthropological study around the idea of "Chicago Poverty Culture." Wilson was recognized in 2017 for all her efforts with the Northwestern Mutual Leadership Award.
           
Throughout all her accomplishments, Wilson states she is "humbled" by the world around her. "My service projects and scholarly studies have been met with adversity, devastation and trial, but they provided me with an understanding of humanity, compassion and perseverance." As for her athletic achievements, she says modestly that "work is not done alone when it comes to a sport, and my accomplishments belong to my coaches and teammates as well for the work they did beside me."
           
Hindsight, as the saying goes, is always 20/20, but no one would argue when Wilson says that "college was the right choice for me. Between walking across that stage and crossing that last finish line, I am so grateful for the opportunities I have been given."