2017 Women's Varsity Club Most Oustanding Athlete Nominees

Fans are encouraged to help select the 2017 Bradley Women's Varsity Club Most Outstanding Athlete from a list of five candidates

Click Here to Vote

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications General 7/11/2017 2:00:00 PM

Each year, the Bradley Department of Athletics recognizes the athletic accomplishments of its top performing student-athletes by announcing the annual Bradley Varsity Club Men's and Women's Most Outstanding Athlete Awards. At the conclusion of each athletics year, a list of finalists is developed and votes are solicited from fans, media, head coaches and senior athletics staff to determine the winners.

The selection of the 2016-17 Men's and Women's Most Outstanding Athletes will include a three-day, online fan vote for five finalists in each gender. Please find below the support information for each of the five 2016-17 Bradley Varsity Club Women's Most Oustanding Athlete Award finalists, review the information and then click the voting link in the red box above or at the bottom of the page to cast your vote. The poll will remain open until midnight Thursday night and one randomly-selected voter will receive a free Bradley t-shirt. Voting for the men's finalists will be conducted next week and the 2016-17 Varsity Club Men's and Women's Most Outstanding Athletes will be announced Saturday, July 22.

2016-17 Bradley University Varsity Club Women's Most Outstanding Athlete Finalists

Ariel Dechter, Tennis, Sr., Mundelein, IL (Mundelein H.S.)

Missouri Valley Conference All-Select Team
MVC Women's Tennis Player of the Week (Jan. 30 and Feb. 14)
Teamed with Aimee Manfredo to set the program records for #2 Doubles wins in a season, both individually and as a pairing

Kelly Kapp, Softball, Sr., Freeburg, IL (Gibault Catholic H.S.)

NFCA All-Mideast Region (First Team)
All-Missouri Valley Conference (First Team)
Led The Valley and finished ninth nationally with a school season record .438 batting average
Set the MVC and school records with 41 stolen bases, eighth-most in the nation this season
School-record 78 hits rank as the fifth-best single-season total in Valley history

Taylor Ledwein, Golf, Fr., New Prague, MN (New Prague H.S.)

Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year
All-MVC (First Team)
MVC Golfer of the Week (Feb. 22)
Led the Braves with a 75.97 stroke average
Six tournament top 10 finishes
Season-best 68 in the opening round of the Bradley Spring Invitational equalled the second-best round in program history

Leti Lerma, Basketball, Sr., Muscatine, IA (Muscatine H.S.)

All-Missouri Valley Conference (First Team)
MVC All-Defensive Team
MVC Player of the Week (Jan. 30)
Led The Valley in rebounding and finished the year 12th nationally by averaging 10.8 rebounds per game
One of four players in the nation to collect 350 points, 320 rebounds, 65 assists, 15 blocked shots and 40 steals
School-record 324 rebounds are 11th-best all-time in MVC women's basketball history
11 points, 22 rebounds and 7 assists in the season-opener versus Detroit, marking the first time in school history and the first time in the MVC since at least 1985-86 a player reached all three totals in the same game

Hannah Witczak, Cross Country/Track, Jr., Chicago, IL (Resurrection H.S.)

Cross Country All-Missouri Valley Conference (First Team)
Indoor Track All-MVC (5,000m)
MVC Cross Country Athlete of the Week (Sept. 20)
Top finishing Bradley runner in all four of her cross country events, including a fifth-place showing in the MVC Cross Country Championship
Scored a total of 13 points in the 2017 MVC Indoor (10) and Outdoor (3) Track Championships