Liz Wanless's list of athletic accolades is long and impressive. As a Bates volleyball player, she was a four-time All-NESCAC selection and one time All-American, while the Bobcats went a combined 105-41 over four seasons.

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But Wanless '04 stood out even more competing for then-head coach Carolyn Court as a track and field athlete at Bates in her specialty, the shot put.

As a senior in 2004, Wanless won the Division III shot put title in both indoor and outdoor competition. She even had a legendary Bobcat teammate in her friend Keelin Godsey '06, who also went on to win NCAA titles and played a pioneering role as a transgender athlete.

As it turned out, Bates was only the start of Wanless's rise as a shot putter. She won Division I All-America honors in her final year of eligibility at the University of Florida, then went on to compete in the World Championships for Team USA.