Wingate, N.C.----Since Wingate University is hosting the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional cross country meet in November, I thought it was time for me to take another walking tour of our beautiful course. When I asked December 2025 graduates Oskar Enseling and Daniel Schmidt to accompany me, they did not hesitate to accept.
 
I failed to tell my tour guides that I remember the days when our cross country facility was a nine-hole golf course, complete with underground sprinklers. As we started our tour on what was formerly the ninth fairway, I knew I was in good hands.
 
Oskar mentioned how it is important to keep your breathing in order during a 10K race. Unlike other courses, Wingate's layout has something for everyone…flat lands, hills and cool trees to give one shade in the summer and early fall when shade is a hot commodity.
 
I used up every single one of my 20 questions…Oskar and Daniel fielded them with much patience and kindness. We saw several of their current and former teammates getting in their training runs, including three-time national champion Titouan Le Grix ('25), who is as friendly as anyone I've ever met.
 
We finished our pre-Bulldog Stampede tour at the University's covered picnic area, which overlooks the school's picturesque lake. We didn't do all the loops, which is a good thing for the AARP card-carrying crowd. We chatted for a moment, then we parted company. Oskar and Daniel were looking forward to their post-practice ice bath, while I was preparing for Thursday dinner with friends.
 
Precious memories
 
Wingate Athletics honored Oskar and Daniel following the Bulldog Stampede with their senior framed photo. They appreciated the moment and made sure they told me. Oskar and Daniel will move on to their next adventures in December, but they will take with them a treasure trove of memories. I wish them well.
 
Three questions with Oskar Enseling (Nottuln, Germany)
 
1-What is your No. 1 WUXCTF memory?
 
"The first time the team went to the biggest XC race on the East Coast at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, I was standing at the start line when the gun went off and 500+ fellow athletes sprinted ahead. The whole experience of that race was unlike anything I had ever experienced before…and as Coach Pol (Domenech) said, you can't really imagine it beforehand."
 
2-What is your No. 1 non-athletic memory at WU?
 
"What stands out most to me are the connections I built over the years with people I would never have met otherwise. Professors who encouraged me to think deeper, friendships that grew so strong I cannot imagine being without them and opportunities that opened through the generosity and open-heartedness of so many people—some of whom I may never meet again. All of them will have a special place in my heart."
 
3-What are your future plans?
 
"For me, it is always a very special time when an outstanding chapter like the one I had at Wingate closes and makes space for something new. The next chapter will be very different—most likely starting in Switzerland with either a graduate degree in psychology or some work experience. Yet I trust the details will fall into place once I get there."
     
Three questions with Daniel Schmidt (Aarhus, Denmark)
 
1-What is your No. 1 WUXCTF memory?
 
"Probably the track race depicted in my senior frame. Running my 5000 meters personal-best time at the Raleigh Relays, one year to the day of my hip surgery was a very special moment. Also, because my girlfriend Alex was there to see it, coming all the way from Europe."
 
2-What is your No. 1 non-athletic memory at WU?
 
"My favorite non-athletic memory would be when I went on a bike trip with my two teammates Oskar Enseling and Scott Nutter around Los Angeles for spring break 2024."
 
3-What are your future plans?
 
"My future plans would be to move to London and get a job in some type of field where I'm able to use my psychology degree and athletic background to help people and organizations excel in their fields." 
 
Up next for the Wingate cross country teams
 
Enseling and Schmidt and 45 of their teammates will compete in the 51st annual Paul Short Run, hosted by Lehigh University on Friday, October 3. Twenty-seven men and 20 women will suit up for the Navy Blue and Vegas Gold-clad Bulldogs in either the open races or the scored races.
 
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 30 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.
 
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(Editor's note: Wingate University assistant athletic director for public relations and student-athlete recognition David Sherwood contributed this article. Sherwood is a 1985 Wingate graduate with a degree in communication studies.)