When a game was on the line, no member of the Chico State women’s basketball team wanted the ball more than Maddy Wong. The sharpshooting guard never shied away from an opportunity to put the Wildcats in the win column. She also applied that same “can-do” attitude to her studies, excelling in some extremely challenging course work during her four year college career. For distinguishing herself in her sport and in the classroom, Wong is one of two Chico State student-athletes to receive the 2020 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Dr. Hal Charnofsky Memorial Award. Her efforts also make Wong the latest Wildcat of the Week.
“I feel honored,” Wong said after learning she had received the award, named after the late Dr. Hal Charnofsky, a longtime Faculty Athletics Representative at Cal State Dominguez Hills, and presented to two student-athletes from each of the conference’s 13-member institutions.
“Not many people know how challenging it is to balance sports and academics,” Wong said. “But I’m always up for a challenge, and I was determined to give everything my very best effort.”
Wong averaged a team-high 11.9 points a game in 2019–20, earning First Team All-CCAA honors. She set a new Chico State single-season record with 87 3-point field goals, giving Wong 226 for her career—the most 3-pointers of any player in program history. Her career total also broke a CCAA 3-point record that stood for nearly 20 years.
The Elk Grove product has been just as successful in her academic career, earning five CCAA All-Academic honors and two Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Awards.
“Maddy is a dedicated student-athlete that is serious about everything she attempts,” Chico State women’s basketball coach Brian Fogel said. “She’s the epitome of what a Wildcat student-athlete strives for. We were extremely fortunate to have her in our program.”
Fresh off of earning a bachelor of science degree in chemistry, Wong will continue her studies this fall and pursue a doctorate at UC Santa Barbara.
