Humans of Hillsdale is an ongoing series spotlighting Hillsdale College student-athletes, spotlighting the people behind the uniforms.
Next in the series is Charger men's track athlete Levi Wyse
WORDS: Calli Townsend
PHOTO: Carmen Botha
Levi Wyse — The People
Class of 2019 | Men's Track & Field | Archbold, Ohio
Levi Wyse chose Hillsdale for the people, but little did he know just how important these people would become.
It was at Hillsdale he met fellow track teammate Chloe Ohlgren `18. They both attended a mutual teammate's birthday party and began to talk and get to know each other.
"We were talking from then on out," he said. "We started dating in the spring of my freshman year."
There were times Levi struggled with balancing his social life, academics, athletics, and work, but through it all he had Chloe.
"But when I was with Chloe she really started building my faith up more," he said. "She was my rock to make Jesus my rock. She was kind of the one that led me there and I've been progressing after that."
Chloe also helped Levi get an on-campus job in the college's mailroom. Last summer he was able to stay on campus and work with a few other teammates. During their free time, they would head out to Hillsdale's Hayden Park where they took up a new hobby: disc golf.
"When we weren't out there playing it, we'd be watching videos at home, looking up different discs, learning the lingo and watching the pros," Levi said. "The course is pretty tough. A professional disc golfer helped coach Lundberg design the course."
Levi said he got to meet that professional disc golfer a couple of times while he was in Hillsdale.
"I have one of his discs," he said. "I found it on the course after he lost it, so I brought it back to him. He took it back and gave me another one of his that was just a little bit different and it was signed."
Disc golf gave them an opportunity to relax and try something new.
"It's a weird little sport different from track," he said. "It's a nice recovery to go out and walk a few miles and not have to worry about school."
When the disc golf course is too cold and covered in snow, Levi likes to pass the time indoors with board games. One night Levi and Chloe were supposed to board a flight but because of the snowy conditions, they missed it. Fortunately, Chloe's college roommate had family in the area so they were able to stay the night at their house. Levi said that although he is friends with Chloe's roommate and her two younger siblings, he is probably closest to their dad after they were able to bond over board games.
"We just got to hang out with Mr. Malcom and play board games," he said. "He had a basement full of them. We said that was our favorite missed flight ever."
The couple even added a couple of board games to their wedding registry. Levi said he and Chloe aren't wasting any time getting married.
"We're getting married five days after graduation," he said. "I told my dad when I knew Chloe and I were getting serious that we wouldn't get married in college and that we would wait a month or so, but he asked, 'Why wait?'"
For Levi, the relationships he has formed at Hillsdale have been the most meaningful and impactful in his life. From teammates to play disc golf with to finding the girl he wants to marry, these are the relationships he will cherish the most.