PEORIA, IL – The Bradley Department of Athletics will honor the best of its best from the 2017-18 school year during its annual Kaboom! Awards Monday night at Renaissance Coliseum. The evening's program will culminate with the presentation of the department's most prestigious honor, the Charles Orsborn Award.
The three finalists for the 65th Charles Orsborn Award are men's cross country/track runner Daniel Gagne (Wauwatosa, WI/East H.S.), women's golfer Ally Scaccia (Arlington Heights, IL/Prospect H.S.) and Jacob Taylor (Dunlap, IL/Dunlap H.S.).
Following a "red carpet" social hour beginning at 6 p.m. Monday, the Kaboom! Awards program will include the presentation of framed "B's" to all of the senior student-athletes, cheerleaders and team managers with season highlight videos for each team; as well as the announcement of 13 annual awards.
Tickets are available for the general public for $20 by contacting the Bradley Athletics Ticket Office at Renaissance Coliseum (309-677-2625). The awards program of Monday night's event also will be streamed live on the Bradley Athletics YouTube channel, beginning at 7 o'clock.
2018 Bradley Athletics Kaboom! Awards | Watch Live | Monday, April 30, 2018 | 7:00 p.m. CT
Named in honor of the former Bradley four-sport student-athlete, men's basketball coach and athletic director, the Charles Orsborn Award is the highest honor Bradley University bestows upon a graduating senior student-athlete and recognizes the ability of the winner to combine athletic and academic success with community service.
Orsborn was a member of the Bradley Basketball's "Famous Five" that played in the first two National Invitation Tournaments in 1938 and 1939 and earned an invitation to the first NCAA Tournament in 1939. He went to coach the Braves to three NIT championships during his 9-year tenure from 1956-65, earning the distinction of Bradley Basketball Coach of the Century during the celebration of the program's first 100 seasons, and he served as Director of Athletics from 1965-78.
The finalists for each of the awards to be presented Monday night have been announced:
12th Coach Joe Stowell Awards
Male
Ian Kristan, Baseball
Matthew Specht, Men's Golf
Jacob Taylor, Soccer
Female
Kellee Clay, Women's Basketball
Abby Jockisch, Women's Cross Country/Track
Ally Scaccia, Women's Golf
35th Carl Grose Service Award
Madison Dellamuth, Women's Basketball
Taylor Thiele, Volleyball
Malini Wijesinghe, Tennis
Individual Performances of the Year
Male
Drake Bushong, Men's Golf
Jake Hoffert, Men's Cross Country/Track
Nate Kennell, Men's Basketball
Michael Ward, Men's Track
Female
Allison Apke, Softball
Gabi Haack, Women's Basketball
Erica Haslag, Volleyball
Frankie Saban, Women's Golf
16th Megan Fong Inspiration Award
To be announced Monday night
20th Special Recognition Award
To be announced Monday night
18th Orville Nothdurft Lifetime Achievement Award
Gene Morse '59, Men's Basketball
Team Performances of the Year
Men's
Baseball 10-8 win at Georgia Tech
Basketball Jan. 31 win versus Loyola Chicago
Golf MVC Championship
Men's Track at 2018 MVC Indoor Track Championship
Women's
Basketball 117-59 win at Evansville
Cross Country MVC Championship
Volleyball CEFCU Invitational Championship
Highlight of the Year
To be announced Monday night
65th Charles Orsborn Award
Daniel Gagne, Men's Cross Country/Track
Ally Scaccia, Women's Golf
Jacob Taylor, Soccer
