ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Webster University alumna Danielle Schultz '22 knows how to set records. As a Webster student, she broke two school records as a member of the Webster University Women's Cross Country and Track & Field program during the 2019-2022 seasons, while also earning near perfect grades in the classroom. And at Washington University from 2022-2024, she continued that trend with a high grade point average, completing her bachelor's degree and master's degree in record time, and setting several new national records on the track.

This past year, Schultz earned her personal-best times ever that included a second-place overall finish in the 800m at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a time of 2:08.25. She also was a member of the 4x400 relay team that earned the Division III NCAA National Champion.

Schultz attended Webster as a student in the Pre-Occupational Therapy 3-2 program. That program is a partnership with Washington University in St. Louis that allows students to study Exercise Science at Webster for three years, and then simultaneously finish that bachelor's degree while also earning a master's degree at Washington University in Occupational Therapy for two years. The program is rigorous, but that did not stop Schultz from earning a cumulative grade-point average of 3.91 at Webster and 3.89 at Washington University. And it didn't slow her down athletically.

At Webster, Schultz was a member of a well-connected team where she practiced alongside fellow mid-distance teammates that significantly enhanced both training sessions and race days. With the great support of her coaches and teammates, she etched her name into the Women's Cross Country and Women's Track & Field programs record books as the all-time leader in the 6k race and 800m events with times of 22:28 and 2:15.69 respectively. Back in 2021, Schultz broke the 6k race school record at the Midwest Regionals event and was named to the SLIAC All-Academic Team. Schultz was the first Webster cross country runner (male and female) to qualify for the NCAA Cross Country Division III Championships in 2021. At the conclusion of the 2022 Indoor Track & Field season, Danielle broke the all-time 800m Webster school record at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships with a time of 2:15.78.

As a Gorlok, Schultz was a superior distance competitor that dominated the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) in both sports. For cross country, Schultz was a key contributor of the 2019 and 2021 SLIAC Championship teams, selected as back-to-back SLIAC Runner of the Year in 2020 and 2021, named the 2020-21 SLIAC Individual Champion in the 5k with a time of 20:37, a 3x First-Team All-SLIAC selection (2019, 2020-21, 2021) that earned a NCAA All-Region Top-35 finisher. 

On the indoor track, Schultz stands alone at the top with the best-overall recorded times in the 800-meter run for the SLIAC with times of 2:15.69 and 2:16.87 respectively. Her dominance carried over to the mile run as she was named the SLIAC 1-Mile Run Champion in 2020 and 2022 with times of 5:35.46 and 5:31.59 which is an all-time SLIAC records in each event. In the 2021 season, Schultz earned eight top-5 finishes that lead to an appearance in the Wartburg Qualifier which where she placed ninth in the 800m with a time of 2:16.87 that advanced her to the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships.

In addition, she was a member of the all-time SLIAC 4x400 Meter Relay record team that produced a time of 4:16.27 and the 2020 Indoor Championship team that collected 212 points. At the conclusion of the 2022 season, Schultz was named the SLIAC Track Athlete of the Year and ultimately left the SLIAC ranked in a tie for third all-time with three career Gold Medals. 

On the outdoor track, Schultz continued to be excellent as she is still the current all-time SLIAC Championship record holder in the 1500 Meter run with a time of 4:55.41. At the 2021 SLIAC Outdoor Championships, Schultz placed first in three different events; 800m (2:21.98), 1500m (4:55.41) and was a member of the 4x400 relay team that recorded a time of 4:16.77. At the conclusion of the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Schultz was named the SLIAC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year. During the 2022 season, Schultz placed seventh at the University of Central Missouri Mule Relays and eliminated nearly four seconds in the 800m race with a time of 2:16.30. In her final collegiate race as a member of the Gorloks, Schultz earned a spot at the Augustana College Twilight Qualifier as she competed in the 800m event and claimed 10th overall spot with a time of 2:15.78
In a dialogue with Schultz about her progression while at Webster, she said "Despite the challenges, I committed to showing up to practice every day. My coaches provided unwavering support as they stood by me regardless of my performance times, adapting their approach to meet my evolving needs. I placed full trust in them and the process, persevering until the results showed. When the results didn't show, I didn't give up". 

During the 2022 season, Webster University's Director of Athletics Scott Kilgallon stepped up and coached the middle and long-distance runners and helped Schultz push to become the best student-athlete she could be. In the middle of the uncertainty of the head coach search, "Given the challenges our team was experiencing, it would have been convenient for Scott to discontinue the track and field program. However, despite his role as director of athletics, Scott attended our practices daily and accompanied us to both indoor and outdoor track meets. His dedication was truly evident when I qualified for the 2022 NCAA Track and Field Indoor National Championships; Scott was by my side throughout the entire journey" said Schultz. 

The incredible success-story of a true competitor could not have been done alone as she had several fantastic coaches at Webster that pushed her to her maximum abilities. In the same dialogue, Schultz mentioned that her Gorlok coaching staff influenced her to achieve new heights by utilizing different mental preparations of running while practicing advanced form techniques. 

At the beginning of her transfer transition to WashU, Schultz had to adjust to her new environment, new coaches, new class schedules, and new goals. As a student-athlete at WashU, Schultz had a much different experience both on the track and in the classroom. As time progressed, Schultz became the ultimate team leader and built a fantastic connection with her new team. 

While at WashU, Schultz had a very rigorous class schedule that prevented her from training in the normal team setting where she arrived at the end of team practices. Many times, she would train after hours or during classes to make sure she was ready for race days. The way Schultz overcame these obstacles was staying dedicated to her consistent training routines on her own and setting personal goals. 

In her first collegiate season at WashU during the 2022-23 season, Schultz was a member of a deep 4x400 training group that featured four All-Americans that improved her times tremendously. In her first 4x400 relay with WashU, Schultz and her teammates captured a second-place finish at the 2023 FNS Opener with a time of 4:12.14. As the season progressed, Schultz and her relay team improved their time each race which led to an appearance at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. At the championships, Schultz and her relay teammates recorded a finals time of 3:45.86 which was 27 seconds faster than the first meet of the season. 

In the summer of 2023, Schultz elevated her training in the 800m and 4x400 that prepped her for her final collegiate season for the 2023-24 academic year. Schultz spent countless hours that summer training on the track mastering many different techniques to be elite in the sport. 

For the 2023-24 season, Schultz had a more flexible class schedule that allowed her to be present in more team activities and team training sessions. In her final collegiate season at WashU, Schultz dominated the track and recorded the best times of her career in the 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, and the mile run. This incredible year for Schultz started on the indoor track where she posted a career-best 5:08.36 mile run that earned a fourth-place finish at the IWU Keck Select Indoor Invitational.
In the third outdoor event of the season, at the WashU Invite, Schultz captured her all-time personal best 1500m time with a final time of 4:42.99 which earned a second-place finish. The following weekend on April 6, 2024, Schultz blazed the 200m race with a personal-best finals time of 26.48 which earned a fifth-place finish. In the month of May of that season, Schultz capped out her collegiate career with two, top-2 NCAA Championship times in the 800m and 4x400 relay. 

Back on May 15-16, 2024 at the Augustana College Midwest Final Qualifier, Schultz dominated the race and beat all the competitors with a time of 2:08.63 that granted a berth at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. 

At the NCAA Championships On May 22-24, Schultz earned a personal-best time in the event with a finals time of 2:08.25 which placed second overall in the event. On that same weekend, Schultz and her 4x400 relay team of Kylie Spytek, Catherine Christopher, and Emma Kelley entered the event as a top national team in the country. For the 4x400 relay team, Schultz ran mainly in the second position and was tasked to have a lead upon handing the baton to the next runner. 
Schultz and her teammates lined up on the track for the final time of year for the biggest race of their careers. As the starting gun went off, Schultz was ready for the baton and blazed around the track fighting heel-to-heel with the competition. After her 400 leg, all Schultz could do was cheer on her teammates and watch. When Emma Kelley (final leg) got the baton with the lead, Schultz and her fellow teammates paced Kelley for the final 50m to the finish line where the team captured a first-place finish and a National Champion title with a time of 3:44.69. 

With a first-place and second-place finish at the 2024 National Championship, Schultz individually collected 18 points for WashU which was the most points she has recorded in her career.  

In a dialogue from Jeff Stiles (Head Women's Track & Field Coach at WashU), he said "Schultz was consistent, dependable, reliable, a fighter, and a winner that never gave up on her goals. She was the ultimate teammate that wanted the best for her teammates and for herself. She was a fantastic, driven athlete that strived for greatness".

As Schultz's career on the track is officially over, her advice to younger athletes is to find a bigger purpose in the sport by diving deeper on why you started, setting personal and team goals, and training hard. 

Schultz's legacy at Webster and at WashU is a testament of hard work, dedication, and grit. Schultz's resume on the track shines bright and is one-of-the best to ever do it at both institutions. 

 

All-Time Career Bests:

 

Event	Time	Location / Date	University
200 Meters	26.48	Illinois College / 4/6/2024	WashU
400 meters	57.55	University of St. Francis / 5/14-15/2023	WashU
800 meters	2:08.25	Coastal Carolina University @ NCAA Div. III Outdoor Championships / 5/23-25/2024	WashU
1,000 meters	3:15.85	Principia College / 02/19/2021	Webster
1,500 meters	4:42.99	Washington University / 3-29-30/24	WashU
MILE	5:08.36	Illinois Wesleyan University / 02/02-03/2024	WashU
5k	19:33.5	Columbia College / 09/18/2021	Webster
6k	22:28.7	NCAA Div. III Midwest Regional Cross Country Championships / 11/13/2021	Webster