Special to BradleyBraves.com by Patrick Morey
The name Danielle Lemek is quickly filling up the Bradley Women's Golf record book, but her number one focus has always been on the team.
Lemek is having another great season, which comes to no one's surprise on The Hilltop. The defending MVC Golfer of the Year, Lemek already owned or was approaching many Bradley records after her record-setting sophomore season and this year she has continued to add to that list as a junior. The only player in Bradley history to win three tournaments in a season, she has done that each of her three years on The Hilltop and has a chance to add a fourth title next week when the Braves compete at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship in Burlington, Iowa, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
“I really don't pay attention to the records, honestly,” said Lemek. “My dad is actually the one who keeps track of all that and he lets me know after the fact.”
To go along with the school-record wins, Lemek also holds the top three spots in school history for top-10 finishes, the top three spots in season strokes average, two out of the top three spots for sub-80 in a season and the longest streak of consecutive rounds in the 70's or better (31).
Last year, she set the Missouri Valley Conference season stroke average and is threatening to top her own mark this season. Lemek owns the lowest career stroke average in MVC history at 74.29 and also has a school record 23 career top-10 finishes in her near three years of collegiate golf to go with nine career medalist titles.
A six-time MVC Golfer of the Week selection in 2014-15, Lemek has garnered the award 16 times in 31 chances and is one Valley Player of the Week award from tying the league mark held by Illinois State's Samantha Richdale.
“She is great for her team and her teammates,” Bradley women's golf head coach Mary Swanson said. “She is very competitive and has a great drive. She had one of her highest rounds last week (at Indiana State) and she felt like she let the team down. She has a fire and a passion. She really is the complete package.”
Lemek and the team are now focusing on making it to the NCAA tournament. To do that the team is going to have to win the upcoming Valley Championship. The Braves have been in contention each of the last two years only to come up short on the final day in their bid for a conference championship. Lemek, who was the individual medalist at last year's conference championship, has a shot for an at-large bid as an individual again this spring after missing the cut last year.
“I did think about it (an at large bid),” said Lemek. “I think it kind of got to me and I did not play very well. I just have to play my game.”
Lemek also has one more year to put her final stamp on the Bradley record book. She has a few individual goals laid out for herself as she nears her final season, including keeping her season stroke average at 73 or lower. Her ultimate goal will have to come after graduation though.
“I have the big goal,” stated Lemek. “I am going to take two years off from the world and try to make it on the pro level. If it doesn't work out I'll figure it out from there. If the itch is still there after a few years, I think I could try it again.”
She enters next week's MVC Championship with a school record 31 consecutive sub-80 rounds as she gets set to help the Braves compete for a team title and challenge for another individual conference title of her own.
