Bradley University Athletics

Michael Ward Named Valley Dr. Charlotte West Award Recipient

Track & Field 6/7/2019 10:00:00 AM

Michael Ward of the Bradley cross country and track teams was named the male recipient of the Missouri Valley Conference's Dr. Charlotte West Scholar-Athlete Award, announced on Friday. The award recognizes the top all-around student-athlete in the conference in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence and service and leadership.

On the cross country course and track, Ward is one of the most successful runners in school history. He is a six-time conference champion with 14 combined all-conference performances between cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. In each of the last two seasons, Ward swept the distance events at the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Track Championship, becoming just the third runner in conference history to win both the 3,000m and 5,000m titles in back-to-back seasons.

On a national level, Ward became the first Brave to qualify for the NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship in 2016, while competing at the NCAA West Track Preliminary in each of his four seasons.

Ward has also led the Braves to unprecedented team success during his time on The Hilltop. The men's cross country team won its first four Valley titles in school history in the last four seasons before becoming the first BU team to qualify for the NCAA Championship as a team this past season, finishing the season as the nation's 24th-ranked school. Bradley has also set team records for points scored at both the conference indoor and outdoor championships.

In the classroom, Ward earned his bachelor's degree in biochemistry with a 3.86 grade point average and is currently completing his master's in business administration while pursing entry into dental school. Among his service activities, Ward joined several of his teammates for a week-long trip to Clarksdale, Mississippi, to assist Habitat for Humanity projects. He has assisted with young children at the Hult Center's Healthy Heroes program, while also assisting veterans with labor intensive work through the Illinois Valley Fuller Center, as well as the Mission of Mercy free dental clinic.

Ward is the fifth Brave to receive the accolade from the Missouri Valley Conference and the first since Eitan Barbalat of the baseball team was honored in 2008.

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Players Mentioned

Michael Ward: Senior

Players Mentioned

Michael Ward
: Senior