Anne Bersagel traveled from Oslo, Norway, to attend this year’s Woman of the Year dinner. On the return trip, the former Wake Forest University runner will have more than luggage to manage. Bersagel also will take back happy memories after being named the 2006 Woman of the Year October 28 in Indianapolis.

The award — one of the most prestigious that the NCAA bestows — honors female student-athletes who have completed their eligibility and demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership.

For the first time in the award’s 16-year history, NCAA conferences were invited to nominate a league Woman of the Year. From the 121 names submitted, 30 conference honorees were named (10 from each NCAA division) and from the 30 honorees, nine finalists (three from each division) were chosen. The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics selected Bersagel, who represented the Atlantic Coast Conference, from the pool of nine finalists.

In accepting the award, Bersagel told a crowd of 300 that included her parents, grandparents and former coach at Wake Forest, that it was an honor to be included among the accomplished and inspiring women being recognized during the evening. She said receiving the award was a testament to the kinds of opportunities she was given at Wake Forest. In remarks that echoed the night’s theme — "Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow" — Bersagel also acknowledged those who opened the doors for today’s women athletes.

"I want to thank the NCAA female athletes who came before us and really paved the way for us to compete in sports and fought for the concept that we are athletes, too. What they’ve given us is an opportunity that has enriched our lives," she said.

Currently a Fulbright Scholar pursuing a graduate degree in peace and conflict studies at the University of Oslo, Bersagel ultimately has her sights set on one day enriching the lives of others as the U.S. Secretary of State. That goal was inspired, she said, by the opportunity to work as an intern at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo and seeing the role that diplomats play in ensuring a peaceful world order.

Bersagel has other plans for the more immediate future, however. By her own admission, she is not quite ready to relinquish her lane on the track. An Olympic hopeful, she continues to train with Team USA Minnesota, based in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Last month, she competed in the World Road Running Championships 20K in Hungary, leading Team USA to a 10th-place finish overall. This spring Bersagel plans to enter the Boston Marathon, which will be her first marathon.

"As far as I’m concerned, I want to take it as far as I can," she said. "Once I feel like I’ve reached my limit in athletics, then I’m ready to move on to the next step. Until that point, I’m not willing to hang up my spikes."

Understanding well her own place as a role model, Bersagel said some of the best advice she could pass along to young athletes is actually attributed to Francie Larue Smith, a top distance runner in the United States in the 1980s who encouraged athletes to be patient, believe in themselves and to not expect too much too soon.

Those words, Bersagel said, have stuck with her for the better part of a decade.

"It’s so true, the idea that you dream big, and it’s important not to limit yourself, but at the same time be realistic," she said. "Don’t not expect too much to soon, but set big goals and celebrate the smaller milestones along the way."

A Greeley, Colorado, native, Bersagel is the first Woman of the Year honoree from Wake Forest and the sixth track and field student-athlete to receive the award.

The economics and political science double major graduated with honors in December 2005 and is the recipient of both an NCAA postgraduate scholarship and an NCAA Walter Byers Scholarship. A four-time Edwin G. Wilson Wake Forest Scholar Athlete of the Year, Bersagel also was a Colorado state finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship.

In addition to excelling in the classroom, Bersagel was a three-time Atlantic Coast Conference cross country performer of the week and holds school outdoor track records in the 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000 meters. She held a leadership position in Wake Forest’s chapter of Amnesty International and was vice president of the Tassel Chapter of Mortar Board. Bersagel also was the U.S. representative on the global economic trade panel at the NATO Youth Summit on Anti-Terrorism. In addition, she volunteered with Headstart and served as a tutor for the Forsyth County (North Carolina) public schools.

Last year’s Woman of the Year was Lauryn McCalley, a former swimming and diving student-athlete from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Danyelle Sargent, a CSTV sports anchor, and Kara Lawson, a former Tennessee basketball student-athlete and 2003 Woman of the Year finalist, emceed the event. Portions of the dinner will be rebroadcast at noon December 3 on ESPN2.