Published Friday, December 15th, 2023
The Norfolk native received the honor during winter commencement Friday, Dec. 15.
Norfolk native Nicole Brungardt received the Alumni Achievement Award during Wayne State College’s Winter Commencement ceremony held today (Friday, Dec. 15) in Rice Auditorium.
Brungardt graduated from Wayne State in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.
Brungardt was a standout student-athlete for the volleyball and track and field programs from 2008 to 2012. She was a four-year letter winner and defensive specialist on the Wildcat volleyball team, making the NCAA National Tournament four years in a row. Brungardt also competed in women’s track and field for two seasons (2011 and 2012), earning recognition as a four-time All-American, eight-time All-Region selection, and five-time NSIC champion.
After Wayne State, Brungardt pursued a dream in the summer of 2017 and qualified as a member of the United States Bobsled Team, competing with Team USA for five years (2017-2022). In her final year, she traveled to Beijing to train and compete on the Olympic track, just missing making the 2022 Olympic team.
Brungardt lives in Omaha and works as a project manager for Pearce Services, providing engineering services for CenturyLink. In addition to working full time, Brungardt also volunteers for two organizations: Rescue America, a national telephone hotline to help sex trafficking victims gain freedom, and Victory Riding Academy, an equine therapy academy that helps people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other disabilities.
The Alumni Achievement Award is given to an alumnus/alumna who has attained outstanding achievement in his or her career and/or through community service and has provided support to Wayne State. The award is presented at the May and December commencement exercises.