PEORIA, IL – The Bradley Department of Athletics will honor the best of its best from the 2018-19 school year during its annual Kaboom! Awards, presented by RE/MAX Traders, Monday night at Renaissance Coliseum. The evening's program, supported by PNC Office Max Office Depot, will culminate with the presentation of the department's most-prestigious honor, the Charles Orsborn Award.
The six nominees for the 66th Charles Orsborn Award are men's golfer Drake Bushong (Pekin, IL/Pekin HS), volleyball player Erica Haslag (Jefferson City, MO/Helias Catholic HS), women's golfer Frankie Saban (Orland Park, IL/Carl Sandburg HS), baseball player Andy Shadid (Peoria, IL/Notre Dame HS), men's cross country/track runner Michael Ward (Cardiff, South Wales/Llanishen School) and women's tennis player Malini Wijesinghe (Apple Valley, MN/Apple Valley HS).
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 12 annual awards.
Tickets are available for the general public for $15 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.
2019 Bradley Athletics Kaboom! Awards | Monday, May 6, 2019
6:00 p.m. CT Reception | 7:00 p.m. CT Awards Show | Watch Live on YouTube
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 nine-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:
13th Coach Joe Stowell Awards
Male
Austin Bell, Soccer
Peter Hanley, Men's Basketball
Michael Mounce, Men's Golf
Andy Shadid, Baseball
Female
Chloe Horton, Women's Golf
Julie Kestas, Softball
Yavianliz Rosado, Volleyball
Malini Wijesinghe, Women's Tennis
36th Carl Grose Service Award
Abby Ihrke, Volleyball
Nick Porter, Men's Cross Country/Track
Andy Shadid, Baseball
Malini Wijesinghe, Women's Tennis
17th Megan Fong Inspiration Award
To be announced Monday night
21st Special Recognition Award
To be announced Monday night
19th Orville Nothdurft Lifetime Achievement Award
Paul Unruh '50, Men's Basketball
Team Performances of the Year
Men's
Men's Golf, 3-Week Fall of Fire
Men's Cross Country NCAA Midwest Regional Runner-Up
Men's Indoor Track Dominates Distance Events at MVC Indoor Track Championship
Men's Basketball Rallies for the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference Championship
Baseball Earns First-Ever Sweep at Missouri State
Women's
Women's Cross Country Wins the 2018 MVC Championship
Volleyball Knocks Off I-74 Rival Illinois State in Regular-Season Finale
Women's Track Distance Medley Relay Team Wins First MVC Title
Softball Ties Home Run Records against San Jose State
Women's Tennis Earns First-Ever Win Against Drake
Individual Performances of the Year
Men's
Luke Hoffert, Men's Cross Country
Daniel Lensing, Men's Golf
Luqman Lundy, Men's Basketball
Luke Shadid, Baseball
Michael Ward, Men's Indoor Track
Women's
Chelsea Brackmann, Women's Basketball
Taylor Ledwein, Women's Golf
Lasha Petree, Women's Basketball
Yavianliz Rosado, Volleyball
Kealia Wysocki, Softball
Highlight of the Year
To be announced Monday night
65th Charles Orsborn Award
Drake Bushong, Men's Golf
Erica Haslag, Volleyball
Frankie Saban, Women's Golf
Andy Shadid, Baseball
Michael Ward, Men's Cross Country/Track
Malini Wijesinghe, Women's Tennis
