Eastern Mennonite University goalkeeper Leah Wenger (Broadway, Va./Eastern Mennonite) has been named the top scholar-athlete in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.
As part of the ODAC postseason awards, Wenger was voted as the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Voting for the scholar-athlete award was completed by the conference’s athletic communications directors.
Wenger said she felt honored to be recognition for her hard work.
“EMU has given me the opportunity to be involved on campus in so many ways,” she explained. “Professors and coaches alike understand that a lot of involvements mean there has to be give and take. I feel supported by them in all areas of my college career, not just the ones that they are involved in. It’s been an art form to figure out how to balance everything over four years, but I’ve found a way to do everything I love with passion, energy and joy.”
The ODAC names a top scholar-athlete for each of its sponsored sports, with voting based on athletic play as well as any other engagements off the field of play.
Wenger finished a stellar career with her best individual season, which in turn triggered EMU’s best season since 2006. In her fourth season starting for the Royals, Wenger displayed a talented balance of volume and quality. She was sixth in the ODAC with 98 saves but also seventh with an .824 save percentage. Wenger led the ODAC with 10 shutouts on the year and was tops in minutes played during the season at 1645:17.
She racked up 13 saves in a 1-0 regular season loss to eventual ODAC runner-up Virginia Wesleyan, and also had double digit save efforts in games against Roanoke and NCAA qualifier Randolph-Macon.
Wenger finished her career with 58 starts in 67 games, and sits fourth in the EMU record books for career saves (323), wins (26), shutouts (15), and minutes played (5309:27).
In the classroom, Wenger holds a 3.95 GPA as a Psychology and Music (Vocal Performance) double major. She also holds an Honors minor, and is a regular on the ODAC All-Academic Team and EMU Dean’s List.
Wenger is the co-president of EMU’s Student Government Association and a member of the EMU University Choir and Chamber Singers. She is in the Composer Collective club, Astral Society Club, and helps to organize campus hymn sings. As part of EMU’s cross cultural program, she studied in India in during the spring of 2018 semester.
Wenger is also currently working internships with the Harrisonburg Community Services Board and the Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir.
“Leah is extremely deserving of this award,” said Head Coach Ted Erickson. “I think when most people look at Leah on the soccer field they see her as just our goalie and forget that she’s a student-athlete. They have no idea the number of hats she wears and is extremely successful in each and every area! What an amazing individual she is!”
The Eastern Mennonite soccer women ended their season in the ODAC Tournament with a record of 10-7-1. The .583 winning percentage was the best for the Royals since 2006 as they earned the seventh double digit-win campaign in the 21 season of program history.
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