Throughout the spring semester we are honoring our senior student-athletes with a "Senior Salute" series. Today's featured senior is Luke Henke, a mathematics major from Wyoming, Ohio. Henke is a member of the track and field team.
Q: Why did you choose to attend The College of Wooster?
A: The track and field coaches were really cool and my grandparents grew up in Wooster, so I thought it would be cool to bring it full circle.
Q: What does being a Fighting Scot student-athlete mean to you?
A: It means I can get hyped up from listening to bagpipes.
Q: What are some of your favorite memories as a student at The College of Wooster?
A: The indoor conference championships as a junior were amazing. The energy from the whole team was crazy for both days of the competition. Getting all-conference with the whole team there cheering me on was an irreplaceable experience.
Q: What is the best part about being a student-athlete at The College of Wooster?
A: Being able to compete and train with people who want to push each other to get better as athletes and people.
Q: What else were you involved with on campus besides your sport?
A: I'm the captain of the club volleyball team and co-champion of the Underground's partner pool tournament. Shoutout to my teammate, Griffin Suppa.
Q: Which College of Wooster faculty or staff member has made the greatest impact on you and why?
A: Dr. Marian Frazier has made a massive impact on my education. She teaches every class with so much contagious enthusiasm and positivity that makes it impossible not to be completely engrossed in the subject matter of her classes.
Q: What other people or resources impacted your Wooster experience in a positive way and how did these people and resources set you up to be successful at Wooster?
A: Dr. Colby Long, Dr. Christopher Kang, and all of my track and field coaches have had a super positive impact on my experience here. All of these people have shown so much meticulous care in their jobs to help me become the best I can be in my academics and athletics. Dr. Long has taught some of my favorite classes and is a great advisor to help me on a path to success. I have only had Dr. Kang for one class. While the class was not related to my major, Dr. Kang created such a positive learning environment that fostered creativity I didn't know I had. My track and field coaches have been great, caring about my development as a student-athlete and being positive role models to talk to and learn from whenever I was struggling with my sport. They gave me the chance to join the track and field team where I really found a good community when first-year was unforgiving.
Q: Tell us a bit about your Independent Study project?
A: My Independent Study project aims to create a mathematical and statistical model to predict the outcome of basketball games. I am analyzing which stats really matter in regards to winning basketball games. I am taking a look at how the sport has changed over time and how it has evolved with some of the sport's biggest changes happening in the last decade.
Q: Tell us a bit about something cool you did as a student at The College of Wooster?
A: Every year the track and field team goes to Myrtle Beach to compete at the Coastal Carolina Invitational. This is an amazing opportunity to hang out with the team for an extended period of time and to compete against a lot of Div. I competition. This meet gives me the opportunity to really push myself against athletes I don't usually get the chance to compete against.
Q: Reflecting back on your time at Wooster, what advice would you give your first-year (freshman) self?
A: I would tell my first-year self to go join more clubs and put myself in more scenarios to meet new people. It can be a daunting task, but most of the people at Wooster are very nice and all of the first-years are in the same situation of not knowing practically anyone.
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