Beyond the Finish Line: Luke Woolard's Legacy of Involvement
by Sam Watson, BGSU Strategic Communications
8/18/2026
A Student Athlete Advisory Committee president, a Board of Trustees representative, a College of Engineering senator, a Euchre Club co-founder and a three-year graduate, Luke Woolard's time at Bowling Green has stretched far beyond the cross country course.
Ask Luke Woolard how he pictured his time at Bowling Green when he first stepped on campus, and he'll tell you he knew he would get involved. He just didn't know it would look like this.
"I knew I would end up involved, but definitely not to the degree I've gotten to at this point," Woolard said. "I'm really grateful for all the opportunities I've had so far to be able to be a student in the engineering program, be an athlete on the cross country team and be able to do so many other things outside of the classroom and outside of the course and still excel in so many of the areas. It's been pretty incredible."
The decision to become a Falcon came down to a rare balance. Bowling Green's systems engineering program, housed in a brand-new engineering building, caught his attention academically. The chance to compete in the Mid-American Conference caught his attention athletically. But it was the people who sealed it.
"I specifically remember my first visit on campus, and I remember seeing President Rogers walking around campus," Woolard said. "I got to talk to him, and I talked to all the people within admissions and athletics, and I knew the people here truly care about your experience. I think all those things combined made Bowling Green an easy choice for me, and it's made it the place to be."
Woolard didn't wait long to find his footing outside the classroom and off the course. Early in his freshman year, his resident advisor, who happened to be president of the Global Management and Leadership Society, pulled him into the group. Within six weeks, Woolard earned a spot on its executive board. That same semester, he took on an undergraduate research project in the engineering department under Dr. Sarder through BGSU's Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship.
"I think it was good as a freshman to get that experience of event planning and networking and those sorts of things. It was another opportunity to meet people and do things I wouldn't necessarily have been doing in the classroom."Luke Woolard
From there, the list grew. Woolard now serves as president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), sits as a Board of Trustees representative and serves as the College of Engineering's senator in undergraduate student government. All three roles are built around advocating for students at a higher level.
"What drew me into that role was again, coming into Bowling Green and having an amazing experience right out of the gate, and just the people that helped me," Woolard said. "I had such a great experience, and I wanted to give back. Bowling Green has become my other home, and there's been so many great opportunities, and I wanted to help other people have that same experience."
Woolard has also become one of the university's most visible storytellers, working as an admissions recruiter, a social media intern and in sales and marketing roles across campus. He said the version of Bowling Green he wants people to see doesn't always make it into the brochure.
"Bowling Green's great in the sense that it's a big enough school to where you're going to have a lot of opportunities to try new things and get involved with different programs, but it's small enough to where you can take advantage of it," Woolard said. "You're not competing with 60,000 students for those opportunities. You get to build relationships with your professors, build relationships with your resident advisors, build relationships with all the faculty around campus. That really helps it stand out."
"You can see social media videos and brochures, but once you step foot on campus and interact with the community we have here, that's when you know this is the place to be."Luke Woolard
Perhaps no organization captures that spirit better than the one Woolard built himself. He co-founded the Euchre Club with cross country teammates and roommates Bryce Weber and Josh Risko after years of playing the card game during team camp and after practice. What started as a way to pass time became a bridge between athletics and the rest of campus, drawing sponsorship from Bicycle playing cards and partnerships with faculty who help run its tournaments.
"It's helped the cross country team interact with people who might not necessarily be involved with athletics," Woolard said. "Even though we're student athletes, that's not our only bubble. It's been really nice for the cross country team, through Euchre Club, to meet other people and interact with students on campus and represent the team."
That mission collided with purpose last year when the Euchre Club partnered with SAAC on a tournament tied to the MAC food drive, raising more than $400 in canned goods. Woolard counts it, along with his social media work promoting the College of Engineering, among the projects he's most proud of.
"We were giving back to the community, but also giving back to our internal BG communities, helping student athletes meet other people," Woolard said. "It all comes back to the same idea that there's so many ways to get involved at BG."
Fitting all of it in required structure. Woolard, who completed his bachelor's degree in three years while running Division I cross country, described a routine built around discipline: mornings at Panera to knock out schoolwork before 9 a.m., classes and campus jobs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., practice and treatment from 2 to 6 p.m., and student organization meetings in the evening before being home by nine.
"I'm very routine oriented, which helps. I think that's something I've focused on as I've gotten more of these opportunities is ensuring I'm present in the moment and giving my all to whatever I'm doing right then and there."Luke Woolard
"There's been days and weeks where it's been tough and there's been a lot on my plate, and I have to work with the people around me to make sure I get everything done," Woolard said. "I just remind myself how blessed I am to have these opportunities, to be at such a great university where I get to run Division I cross country, be in a great academic program and be involved in so many cool things on campus."
For all the titles – Homecoming court, admissions ambassador, board representative – Woolard traces his sense of home back to a single week before his freshman classes even started.
"I remember my team camp freshman year, we hadn't even started classes yet, but I knew right then and there this was home," Woolard said. "I think that community I've built within athletics, within the cross country team, those relationships and the opportunity to compete at the highest level felt like home from day one. It sounds cliché, but it really did."
That sense of home is part of what drives Woolard's ambassador roles, where he's met visitors from California and beyond.
"Bowling Green has such a strong community in the city, but Bowling Green has reach and impact across the country. It's been impactful to see the reach we're having, and it's really neat to be a part of that to help Bowling Green showcase itself all around the world."
Woolard plans to start his career in the systems engineering industry after graduation before working toward leadership roles in the field. Long term, he hopes his path leads back to Bowling Green in higher education.
"No matter what I do in terms of working in the industry or working in higher education, I want to be involved with BG forever," Woolard said. "I want to be back here for all the events, and I want to do whatever I can to give back to Bowling Green and continue showcasing that experience."
Asked what he hopes people remember about him once he's gone, Woolard didn't mention a title or a role.
"I hope people say he was someone that would put a smile on your face and always brightened the room," Woolard said. "I want people to know that although I was involved in these different organizations and opportunities, I gave my all to each person in each moment. I was giving my all, I was present in the moment, and I was doing it with a smile on my face."
