Cedarville Magazine, Spring 2019

After Two ACL Injuries, Abby Wolford ’19 Finishes Strong “It felt like someone literally shot my knee. It was the worst pain I’d ever felt in my life.” That’s how redshirt guard Abby Wolford ’19 described her season-ending injury that kept her off the court for her entire season more than two years ago. Last year, Wolford was primed for a comeback. But in her first game back, she felt an uncomfortable sensation in her knee. “I remember feeling a pop, and I kind of freaked out a little,” she recalled. After seeking medical attention, Wolford learned heartbreaking news: For the second time in about a year, she had torn her ACL. While the mountain in front of her seemed impossible to scale, Abby’s second ACL recovery was more efficient than her first. However, it would cost her junior season, her second year in a row off the court. But for this 2018–19 campaign, Wolford has made it back where she belongs: on the court. “I remember feeling like a freshman again, being so excited to put my uniform on,” Wolford said of returning this season. And while Wolford still doesn’t think she’s consistently at 100 percent, a midseason win over Hillsdale was the first time she came close to that feeling. This season, she co-led the team in scoring with 12.3 points per game and connected on 38 percent of her three-point tries. She gives credit to God for bringing her through the injuries and back on the court. She also credits the environment at Cedarville for propelling her to battle through season-ending injuries in two consecutive seasons. “I could not have gone through those two years at any other school,” Wolford declared. “The prayers, encouragement, my teammates, coaches, and athletic department. I feel so blessed.” TimMiller ’20 is the Student Assistant in the Cedarville University Sports Information department. Yellow Jacket Pole Vaulter Second in NCAA Division II Tommy Ansiel ’21 became just the second Yellow Jacket to clear 17 feet in the pole vault during the Cedarville Collegiate Invitational at the Doden Field House on February 1. Ansiel went 17-2.75 (5.25 meters) to make the NCAA Division II automatic qualifying mark with the No. 2 effort in the country to date. Two-time NAIA indoor champion Jason Scott ’07 previously held all 10 marks in the school’s Top 10. Ansiel now holds the third best mark. “It was completely a gift from God to have a breakout performance so much higher than I had ever jumped before,” Ansiel said. “I really am just thankful for the abilities God has given me and aim to glorify Him in how I use them.”