In recent weeks, the running community is mourning one of its own.
Sarah Shulze, a former Oak Park (CA) High School star and a member of the University of Wisconsin's women's track and field and cross country programs, died on April 13. She was 21.
A celebration of life was conducted on Sunday for Shulze in Madison at the Great Hall Memorial Union.
It's in the last few days that fitting tributes have honored the late Shulze, who will be remembered not just for her ambitions on the track but also for her ideas and inspirations off of it.
She was a daughter to Scott and Brigitte, and a sister to Abbey and Ella.
She was a junior at Wisconsin and a member of the Badgers' women's cross country and track and field teams, enrolling at the school in 2019, in part, because her parents were Wisconsin graduates themselves.
"I've always been a Badger," she said back in 2018. "Both of my parents went to Wisconsin. I'm excited to be continuing the tradition and I'm so beyond excited to run for them."
She competed at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships both in 2019 and 2020, and was a named to the Big Ten all-academic teams in 2020 and 2021.
Off the track, she was a part of the school's Student Athlete Council. Beyond the sport, she interned at the Wisconsin state legislature and was even a poll worker during the 2020 Presidential election.
The college released a statement on April 22 that read:
"The Wisconsin Athletics community is heartbroken by the unexpected passing of Sarah Schulze, a junior with the Badger women's track and field and cross country teams. Sarah was a beloved daughter, sister, granddaughter, friend, teammate and Badger student-athlete. We extend our deepest sympathies and sincere condolences to Sarah's family, friends and Badger teammates during this extraordinarily difficult time. Our primary focus is the support of the Schulze family and o ur student-athletes."
Years before she arrived in Madison, she was a star at Oak Park High School, where she was named the Ventura County Athlete of the Year in 2019. Outside her athletic exploits, she served her community and her school, often with community organizations and as a part of school-wide clubs and programs.
She won various titles on the track during her time at Oak Park, claiming a big 3,200m win at the Mt. SAC Invitational in 2019. In cross country, she qualified for Nike Cross Nationals in 2018, and finished second at the CIF Division 3 Championship, earning a personal record time at 5K that year.
She was a staple on the Oak Park team as far back as her freshman season in 2015.
Shulze on signing with Wisconsin:
2019: CIF Southern Section Masters Meet -- Shulze wins the 3,200m:
2019: CIF Southern Section Division Finals -- Shulze wins the 1,600m:
