PEORIA, Ill. ?- Junior women's golfer Meaghan LeBlanc (Calgary, Alberta/Western Canada H.S.) and junior men's basketball player Marcellus Sommerville (Peoria, Ill./Central H.S.) are the 2005 recipients of the annual Bradley University Alumni B-Club Most Outstanding Athlete Awards.
LeBlanc became the second women's golfer in school history to become a three-time All-Missouri Valley Conference performer when she won the individual title at this year's State Farm MVC Women's Golf Championship. LeBlanc led the team with a single-season school-record 77.3 scoring average, third-best in the Valley. Her score counted in every round the Braves played this past season and she earned three top 10 individual finishes.
“Meaghan had a better season than some All-Americans and certainly the best individual campaign by any golfer I have had the privilege to coach,” said Bradley women's golf head coach Bo Ryan. “Her competitive consistency in tournaments, her work ethic and her quiet, yet directive, leadership qualities are the cornerstone to the success of this golf program.”
Sommerville, who shared the 2004 Most Outstanding Male Athlete award with tennis player Marko Marevic, also was a repeat selection on the All-MVC first team following the 2004-05 basketball season. The 6-foot-7 forward finished third in the league in both scoring (17.5 ppg) and rebounding (7.5 rpg), marking the second consecutive season he was the only player in the Valley to rank among the league's top three in both major statistical categories. Sommerville also led the Valley by averaging 5.43 defensive rebounds per game and he scored in double figures in each of the final 19 regular-season games.
“Marcellus was the leader of an extremely young team and he set an amazing example for his teammates,” said Bradley men's basketball head coach Jim Les. “He was the defensive focus for every team we played this season, yet he improved his numbers in every statistical category. He is our hardest worker and he is a very deserving of the awards that come his way.”
In order to be eligible for the Alumni B-Club Most Outstanding Athlete awards, Bradley student-athletes must earn at least first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference notice during the current athletic year. LeBlanc was one of four female student-athletes to qualify for the award, while Sommerville was selected from a pool of eight male student-athletes.
