Matching Donations Sought for Scholarship Fund Established to Honor WT’s Kimberly Dudley

Contact: Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — Donors may contribute to a scholarship fund established in honor of a West Texas A&M University athlete and coach turned administrator.

An anonymous donor has challenged donors to endow the Coach Kimberly Dudley Cross-Country Scholarship, offering to match contributions one-for-one up to $25,000. If the match is met in full, the endowment will provide $2,000 annually in perpetuity to assist members of the Lady Buff Cross-Country team.

During her 20-plus year career, Dudley led her athletes to four NCAA Division II national appearances and was named Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year in 2005, 2012 and 2014. Prior to coaching the team, she ran cross-country while pursuing her bachelor’s degree.

“I am humbled to be honored with this scholarship and want to express my appreciation to the donor who made it possible,” Dudley said. “I have spent my career investing in student-athlete success, and for them to now benefit financially in my name is truly a highlight.”

Dudley twice produced teams with 1-2-3 finishes at the Lone Star Conference Championship meet. She also coached a pair of All-Americans and an NCAA Elite 89 winner.

She currently coordinates the Buffalo Club, which raises funds for WT Athletics, advises the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, chairs the WT Hall of Champions committee and is the WT UIL Athletic Event Director.

Dudley graduated from WT with a bachelor’s degree in 1994 and earned her master’s degree in exercise and sports science in 1996.

Contributions to the scholarship can be made at give.communityfunded.com/o/west-texas-am-university/i/athletics/s/coach-kimberly-dudley-cross-country-scholarship or by mailing a check to the WT Foundation (note Kimberly Dudley Scholarship in memo line) at WTAMU Box 60766, Canyon, TX 79016.

Recruiting, rewarding and retaining excellent students, including through scholarship funds, is at the heart of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised nearly $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

—WT—