PEORIA, Ill. - Break-through performances, school records and national achievement are common themes for seven student-athletes under consideration for the 2015 Bradley Varsity Club Most Outstanding Female and Male Athlete awards and fans once again will be given an opportunity to decide the annual winners.
Each summer, Bradley University announces its annual Varsity Club Female and Male Most Outstanding Athletes from the previous school year and for the fourth consecutive year, the general public is being given an opportunity to weigh in on the decision. Voting will be available online at BradleyBraves.com from Monday, June 29 through Friday, July 3 and the winners will be announced Monday, July 6. The collective fan vote will be considered with votes cast by local sports media members and Bradley Athletics head coaches and staff to determine the 2014-15 Bradley Varsity Club Most Outstanding Athletes.
The four female candidates are Caitlin Busch (cross country/track), Ariel Dechter (tennis), Erika Hansen (softball) and Danielle Lemek (golf). All four female candidates will return for the 2015-16 school year. The three male candidates Elliot Ashbeck (baseball), Cody Lofgren (soccer) and Michael Ward (cross country/track).
Fans may click HERE to cast their votes for the 2014-15 Bradley Varsity Club Most Outstanding Athletes beginning Monday morning. Voting will continue through Friday and the fan totals will count as one-quarter of the overall vote, which also will include votes from local media (one-quarter) and Bradley Athletics staff and coaches (one-half). Only one ballot per voter will be counted and each day's voters will be entered into a daily Bradley-themed prize drawing.
2014-15 Bradley Female Most-Outstanding Athlete Candidates
Caitlin Busch | Cross Country/Track | Jr. | Waterloo, Ill. (Freeburg H.S.)
* 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Athlete of the Year (Individual champion)
* 2014 NCAA All-Midwest Region (12th)
* 2015 Indoor Track All-MVC (5,000 Meters)
* 2015 Outdoor Track All-MVC (5,000 Meters and 10,000 Meters)
* 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track Championship Participant (10,000 Meters)
* School record in the cross country 5K (17:04.43) and 6K (20:36.4)
Ariel Dechter | Tennis | So. | Mundelein, Ill. (Mundelein H.S.)
* 2015 All-Missouri Valley Conference (Select Team)
* MVC Player of the Week (March 10, April 15)
* Single-season program records for singles wins (29) and combined wins (47) - previous records were 19 and 38
Erika Hansen | Softball | Fr. | Fillmore, Calif. (Moorpark H.S.)
* 2015 NFCA All-Mideast Region (3rd team)
* 2015 All-Missouri Valley Conference (1st team)
* MVC Player of the Week (April 6)
* MVC Newcomer of the Week (Feb. 23, April 6, April 27)
* Led the MVC with 20 doubles, the most by a Valley player since 1999
* First player in MVC history to accumulate 30 runs, 55 hits, 20 doubles, 40 RBI's and 30 walks in a season
Danielle Lemek | Golf | Jr. | Doniphan, Neb. (Doniphan-Trumbull H.S.)
* 2015 Missouri Valley Conference Golfer of the Year
* MVC Golfer of the Week (Sept. 17, Oct. 1, Nov. 5, Feb. 24, March 25, April 8)
* League-leading 74.28 season stroke average was third-lowest in Valley history
* Three individual tournament championships
* Finished among the top 10 in seven of 11 tournaments and among the top 20 in all 11 tournaments
* School-record 32 consecutive rounds below 80
2014-15 Bradley Male Most-Outstanding Athlete Candidates
Elliot Ashbeck | Baseball | Jr. | Marshfield, Wis. (Marshfield H.S.)
* Top 10 finalist for John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award
* All-Missouri Valley Conference (2nd Team starting pitcher)
* MVC Pitcher of the Week (Feb. 23, March 30)
* Tied for eighth nationally with 11 pitching victories
Cody Lofgren | Soccer | Sr. | Kingwood, Texas (Kingwood Park H.S.)
* 2014 NSCAA All-Midwest Region (3rd Team)
* 2014 All-Missouri Valley Conference (2nd Team)
* 2014 All-MVC Tournament
* Second in The Valley in scoring (0.95 points per game) and goals (7)
Michael Ward | Cross Country/Track | Fr. | Cardiff, South Wales (Llanishen School)
* 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Freshman of the Year
* 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track Championship Participant (1,500 Meters and 5,000 Meters)
* 2015 Indoor Track All-MVC (3,000 Meters and Distance Medley Relay)
* Helped the Braves to the 2015 MVC Indoor Track Distance Medley Relay championship
* Set four school records in track: indoor mile; indoor 3,000 meters; outdoor 1,500 meters; outdoor 5,000 meters (he broke the 1986 record in the 5,000 meters by 40 seconds and was just the second MVC runner since 2007 to break 14 minutes)
