On Wednesday, Feb. 1, Wangerin, who made a verbal commitment to Wake Forest University 13 months ago, made it official by putting a pen to paper.
"I'm glad it's over," Wangerin said. "I've been smiling all day. I've known for awhile that I'm going to Wake Forest but to get it done is great. Anything could've happened. I'm glad it's over. I'm very excited."
Wangerin is the first Boonton field hockey player to receive a Division 1 scholarship. Bombers coach Deb Ballway hopes she is the first of many.
"As someone who wanted to play at that level, Krysta did everything right," Ballway said. "We do camps as a team but she went to others. The younger kids saw that and they've been participating more and playing club hockey. She paved the way as far as hard work and dedication go."
Ballway considers Wangerin an excellent example, a player who would do anything to make herself better.
The hours spent were well worth it. Wangerin, a midfielder, had 65 goals and 26 goals in her stellar career. She established school records in these categories as a senior: Goals in a season (28), career goals, points in a season (68) and varsity career points (156).
Despite her prowess as a scorer, Wangerin wasn't selfish.
"Krysta has plenty of skill and natural talent," Ballway said. "She has a great sense of the game. She is not stingy at all. Krysta would dish the ball off and give others a chance to score."
Part of the reason Wangerin chose Wake Forest is because she visited the college as a seventh grader when her brother, Erik, now at the University of Virginia, considered going there.
"I was getting antsy on that trip," Wangerin recalled. "We went and looked at the field hockey field because I was interested in the sport but had only been playing for a year or so. I saw all of the national championship banners and decided I wanted to go there."
Additional factors went into her decision.
"I like everything about the school," Wangerin said. "I love the coach (Jennifer Averill). The field is beautiful. The student body was very welcoming. Of course, I'm going to get a great education, too. It's just perfect."
Wangerin is undecided when it comes to a major. However, she did say she has an interest in several fields of sports medicine like kinesiology, occupational therapy and physical therapy.
The Deacons have excelled under Averill, winning NCAA Championships in 2002, 2003 and 2004. From 2000 through 2008, Wake Forest made nine consecutive appearances in the NCAA semifinals.
