Sports Wrap-up

By SARAH HALLSTEIN ’12

Women’s Basketball

Co-captain JENNY VAN KIRK ’10 was named MVP. She shared the Charles Orsborn Award (formerly known as the Watonga Award) with runner KATIE NOWAK ’10. SONYA HARRIS ’11 earned the MVC defensive player of the year award for leading the conference in blocked shots per game and ranking second in rebounds. RENEE FRERICKS ’10 received the Coach Joe Stowell Award for her dedication.

Men’s Basketball

The Braves defeated Creighton 81-62 in the MVC tournament, but then fell to Northern Iowa. SAM MANISCALCO ’11 was the team’s MVP, while RYAN PHILLIPS ’10 received the Coach Joe Stowell Award.

Baseball

The Braves donned pink jerseys to highlight breast cancer awareness on May 8. The team won both games of the home doubleheader (7-1), (3-2) against Edwardsville. The season ended on May 26 when Creighton defeated the Braves 6-5 in 12 innings at the MVC Tournament in Wichita.

Softball

The softball team ended its regular season on May 9 after falling to rival Illinois State. AMANDA CLACK ’10 had the best team batting average with a .331 throughout the year, and also led the team in hits, runs, and stolen bases.

Women’s Golf

BREANNE NEUFELD ’11 is tied for the second-best season total in program history and was ranked third in the MVC with an average stroke of 76.1. KELLY AMUNDRUD ’12 was ranked fourth in the MVC with a 76.64 stroke average, the third-best scoring average in school history. The team finished second out of 10 teams at the Hotels at Grand Prairie Collegiate Classic in April. Coach Bo Ryan, a 24-year veteran of Bradley Athletics, retired in May.

Men’s Golf

ZACH WANKEN ’10 posted five top-20 finishes this season, including 12th place at the State Farm MVC championship. COBY THOMPSON ’11 led the team with a 77.2 stroke average and finished 15th. The team tied its lowest round of the season at the Hawkeye Invitational in May.

Women’s Tennis

KENNEDY SCOTT ’14 scored the lone point at No. 5 singles for the Braves at the last home match of the season against Creighton, while KELLY DONOHUE ’10 and JESSICA BUTERBAUGH ’10 earned a win at No. 2 doubles.

Men’s Tennis

MILOS ROMIC ’10 was named to the MVC men’s tennis all-select team after posting a 15-7 record as Bradley’s No. 1 singles player. Romic and doubles partner CALLEN FRAYCHINEAUD ’10 achieved 10 doubles victories this season.

Women’s Track

MARY GOLDKAMP ’11 and KATIE NOWAK ’10 broke Goldkamp’s previous 800-meter school record at the Sun Angel Classic with a 2:11.33 and 2:11.70, respectively. Goldkamp also broke the 1500-meter school record set by MARY ELLEN HILL SCHUPBACH ’00 in 1998, allowing her to compete in the NCAA Track and Field West Regional in Austin, Texas. She finished 41st on May 27. Goldkamp was the first runner to advance to NCAA postseason competition since Schupbach in 1999.

Nominate an athlete

Nominations are being accepted for the Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame. They should be postmarked by July 31, 2010, and mailed to:

Bobby Parker
Associate AD for Communications
Bradley University
1501 W. Bradley Avenue
Peoria, IL 61625

For information about the Hall of Fame, visit bradleybraves.com and click on the Hall of Fame link in the Awards tab.

It’s a slam dunk

Chris Roberts '10 slam dunks

Photo by Bob Hunt

CHRIS ROBERTS ’10 finished second place in the State Farm College Slam Dunk Championship, held in Indianapolis in conjunction with the NCAA Final Four Tournament. Well known by Bradley fans for his dunking ability, Roberts stunned the audience and judges with his high-scoring shots, but eventually lost in the championship round by one point to Wake Forest’s L.D. Williams. This is not the first distinction for the talented senior guard. He also holds the college basketball record for the longest postseason game-winning shot in 2009 and has been featured several times on ESPN.

Postseason play for women’s basketball | Sports wrap-up | Nominate an athlete for Hall of Fame | CHRIS ROBERTS ’10 in slam dunk contest | B-Club award honors two athletes