Rock Hill, S.C.----Wingate University senior Kaleigh Wilgeroth has hauled in another award, earning the 2025 South Atlantic Conference women's lacrosse Scholar-Athlete award. The SAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is presented annually to one student-athlete in each of the conference's championship sports and is voted on by the SAC's Faculty Athletic Representatives Committee. The winners are selected based on their achievements in academics, athletics, service and leadership.

Wilgeroth gives the Wingate women's lacrosse program a SAC Scholar-Athlete for the second straight year, and the third time in program history. Gillian McLean was the first Bulldog to earn the honor in 2014, while Leah Knowles took home the hardware in 2024. Knowles went on to win the SAC President's Award, which goes to the top SAC Scholar-Athlete in the entire conference. Wilgeroth gives Wingate University 119 SAC Scholar-Athletes all-time, the most in league history.

Wilgeroth earned all-conference honors for the third straight year in 2025, hauling in first team accolades for the second straight season while leading the Bulldogs to a third straight regular season SAC title and fourth straight trip to the SAC title game. She picked up IWLCA All-Region accolades for the second straight season in 2025.

Wilgeroth led the SAC champion Bulldogs with 76 points, notching 46 goals and 30 assists to go along with 20 ground balls and 18 caused turnovers. Wilgeroth led the team in assists, while ranking second in goals. She ranked fourth in the SAC in points and assists, while ranking 10th in the league in goals. Wilgeroth played a key role in the WU offense ranking fourth in the nation in assists, sixth in points and ninth in scoring offense.

Wilgeroth piled up 153 points over her final two seasons, with 86 goals and 67 assists. She wrapped up her illustrious WU career with 136 goals and 84 assists, good for 220 points while adding 77 ground balls and 53 caused turnovers.

Wilgeroth graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA, majoring in Criminal Justice. She was named to the WU President's List every semester, while also being named to the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll every year. She has earned Academic All-America accolades each of the last two years, collecting second team honors in 2024. Wilgeroth was named the Elite 23 Award winner in 2025. She has also earned IWLCA Honor Roll accolades every year of her career.

Wilgeroth has spent the last two years volunteering as a varsity lacrosse coach at Weddington High School. She has also volunteered as a coach in club lacrosse with the Rapids in South Carolina and the Pride in North Carolina. Wilgeroth has volunteered with OneDay OneDog Day of Service and United Way Day of Caring all four years of her WU career. She interned with Wingate campus safety in the fall of 2024.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Wingate University is a lab of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina and offers 60 degree pathways, including 37 undergraduate majors, 10 pre-professional tracks and five dual-degree programs. Graduate students choose from seven master's and five doctoral programs. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a leader in healthcare education where nearly one in five undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 29 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 17 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.