FULTON, Mo.—Our next inductee into the William Woods Hall of Fame, is none other than former women's basketball player, Patricia Wilderman.
Patricia was a four-year standout for the Owls (1988 to 1992), a part of the 1991-92 women's basketball squad that was the first team to make it to the National Tournament and is the second women's basketball player to be inducted into the WWU Hall of Fame, as all-time leading scorer Lana Unnewher-Brooks was part of the inaugural 2013 class.
"To follow Helen Stephens, Roger Ternes, Lana Unnewher-Brooks and stand next to the other inductees is very humbling," said Wilderman. "I still have a personal letter from both Helen and Roger that inspires me today," she added.
"It is truly an honor to be recognized at this level within an institution that has such incredible history and success in its athletic program," said Wilderman. "For me specifically, it was a tremendous reminder of the strong foundation of academics and character building that I experienced during my years at William Woods."
Wilderman contributes her success in the classroom as well to the liberal arts program at WWU. "My time at William Woods was marked with tremendous personal growth across the board," said Wilderman. "The liberal arts education allowed me to explore various career paths and receive a well-rounded education that built a strong foundation of knowledge and experience for my career."
On the court, she felt coach Ternes played a factor in why she chose WWU. "I feel extremely blessed to have played for Ternes," she added. "He (Roger), was a great coach and athletic director, however, for many of us he was also a mentor and friend. "He (Roger), would not remember it, but during my senior year of high school, I was struggling with some issues and he wrote and mailed a letter of encouragement that made a big difference in my life. To this day, I still have that letter and hope that I have returned that favor to others during my career and life," said Wilderman.
Her resume' to the Hall of Fame committee speaks for itself, as she closed out her career with 1,941 total points, which ranks Wilderman second all-time behind Lana Unnewehr-Brooks in the women's basketball record books.
She does rank first all-time in steals (278) and free throw percentage (82.2 percent), while ranking in the top five in numerous categories including rebounds (839), assists (388), field goals (703) and free throws made (526).
Arguably her best year came during the 1990-91 year, where she compiled 572 points, 82 steals, 161 free throws made and shot 84.3 percent from the charity stripe, all of which rank in the top five in individual season records.
"While an athlete at William Woods, my entire life revolved around my education and basketball seasons," said Wilderman. "Certainly the statistics, win-loss record, trophies and medals were important during those years."
Other accolades for Wilderman include being the NAIA All-District 16 Player of the Year (1991-92), named to the NAIA All-American honorable mention team (1991-92) and was a three-time NAIA first team All-District honoree.
"Like most, my record and award memories focus on the true knock-down battles," she added. "Yet, the important memories today aren't the stats, medals or trophies, but the lifetime mentors and friendships made, along with the experiences that taught us so much as athletes and young people," said Wilderman.
