Morgan Neuendorf ’18
Engineering science
Soccer, basketball

2017-18 honors: Soccer: IIAC MVP, AcademicAll-Conference, First-team All-Region, First-teamScholar All-Region, Third-team Scholar All-American,NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Basketball: Second-team All-Conference, CoSIDAAcademic All-District, Academic All-Conference

After graduation: Environmental engineeringmaster’s program, Clemson University

Why did you decide to attend Wartburg?

I went to Waverly-Shell Rock, but I originally planned to play basketball on a scholarship at Minnesota State in Mankato. But I ended my senior season in high school at the soccer state championship, and I knew I wanted to play soccer in college. I spent the summer working basketball camps in Mankato, but when I got to campus to begin classes, I talked to the coaches, and it really became clear that I wasn’t going to be able to do both at a Division II school. I had talked to Dr. (Dan) Black and Dr. (LeAnn) Faidley (engineering professors) and both of them were very genuine and caring. That was a major selling point for me academically. Thankfully, Wartburg didn’t start until after Labor Day, so I went to two weeks of classes at Mankato and then transferred to Wartburg.

Did your coaches emphasize doing well in the classroom and on the court or field?

The biggest indicator for me that academics came before athletics at Wartburg was when (soccer) Coach (Tiffany) Pins took a genuine interest in my classes. She made sure I had enough credits to play, but also that they were the classes I needed.

Were there times your coaches let you modify your schedule to accommodate an academic pursuit?

(Basketball) Coach (Bob) Amsberry would never make us feel bad for asking to study during a practice during finals week. He would even offer to get shots up with us later in the day, or if we felt like we didn’t have time, then he respected that. He was always really good about knowing when it was too much and it was time to really focus on academics.

What was the athletic highlight of your Wartburg career?

Making it to the Final Four (in basketball), but even more so, having that stretch of home games and having a really good crowd out there for all of them. That was awesome. Then making it to the Sweet 16 for soccer in my sophomore year.

And academically?

Coach Pins has all these pictures on her wall of the All-Americans, and I was like ‘That would be so cool to be up there,’ and now I am. Receiving the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, too, which I guess is a little bit of both.