PEORIA, Ill. – Bradley Athletics celebrated the achievements and successes of its student-athletes and programs on Monday night with the annual Kaboom! Awards hosted inside Renaissance Coliseum.
Student-athletes and staff members were invited to the annual awards show where student-athletes were recognized for their athletic achievements, service recognition and inspiration they have brought to the university.
Gallery: (5-1-2024) Kaboom! Awards 2024
Board of Directors Academic Excellence Award
The night led off with the recognition of the prestigious Missouri Valley Conference Board of Directors Academic Excellence Award.
The MVC Board of Directors Academic Excellence Award is presented to student-athletes who are within 18 hours of graduation, have been a member of an athletics team at least two seasons, and who have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.80.
10 Bradley student-athletes were selected for the award, as listed below:
Timmy O'Brien - Baseball
Max Dieterich - Men's Cross Country/Track & Field
Mason Jones - Men's Cross Country/Track & Field
Eli Rieker - Men's Cross Country/Track & Field
Jackson Fyda - Soccer
Alex Grow - Soccer
Ruba Abo Hashesh - Women's Basketball
Ashley Maguire - Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
Angela Cirone - Softball
McKenna Scheib - Volleyball
Joe Stowell Award
Introduced in 2007, the Coach Joe Stowell Award is presented annually to recognize the male and female student-athletes who best exemplify Stowell's love for Bradley Athletics, as well as dedication to their teams. Stowell served Bradley Athletics for over 70 years, first as a Bradley Basketball student-athlete, then as a Men's Basketball Assistant Coach, and eventually becoming the second-winningest Men's Basketball Head Coach in program history. He also served as an Assistant Athletic Director, Head Women's Basketball Coach and a Bradley Basketball Radio Analyst.
The female finalists included Grace Aromando (Women's Golf), Tori Meyer (Softball), Ashley Maguire (Women's Cross Country/Track and Field) and Maddie Peterson (Volleyball).
The male finalists included Goanar Biliew (Men's Basketball), Max Dieterich (Men's Cross Country/Track & Field), Jackson Fyda (Soccer), Taylor Catton (Baseball) and John Stillman (Men's Golf).
The winners were Ashley Maguire and John Stillman.
Carl Grose Service Award
The Carl Grose Service Award was established in honor of Mr. Grose, Bradley's long-time equipment manager and "Jack-of-all-trades." This award recognizes a student-athlete who is committed to volunteerism on campus and in the community.
The finalists included Duke Deen (Men's Basketball), Lauren DeRolf (Softball), Isis Fitch (Women's Basketball), Karina Simatos (Volleyball), Mara Flaherty (Women's Golf), Camden Kowalski (Soccer) and John Stillman (Men's Golf).
For the second year in a row, the winner was Mara Flaherty.
Individual Performances of the Year
The individual performances of the year recognized student-athletes' athletic accomplishments, presented to a men's and women's recipient.
The winners were Jack Crull for breaking the four-minute mile in indoor track and Julia Nielsen for winning Most Outstanding Athlete at the MVC Championships for indoor track.
Megan C. Fong Inspiration Award
The Megan C. Fong Inspiration Award was created in 2003 in memory of our Women's Tennis student-athlete who passed away in August of 2002, her sophomore year, as a result of complications following her eight-month bout with leukemia. This award is presented to individuals associated with the Bradley Athletics department who have displayed perseverance, dedication and determination when confronted with a life-altering event, while also serving as a role model and inspiration to others.
John Stillman of Men's Golf was presented with the award after his mom passed away from cancer in 2018.
Special Recognition Award
Each year, the Athletic Department awards one person the Special Recognition Award for their dedication and support of Bradley Athletics. This year's recipient of the Special Recognition Award was Bobby Parker. Parker spent 25 years with Bradley and spent the majority of his time serving as the main sports information contact for baseball, men's basketball and soccer. He was named the national SID of the Year by the College Soccer Weekly website in 1998 at Creighton University. Parker now serves as a consultant in the Bradley athletic department.
Men's and Women's Team Performances of the Year
The last award of the evening was presented to the best men's and women's team performance throughout the season. This year's winners were Men's Basketball in their largest comeback in school history at Southern Illinois and Women's Golf for earning first place at the Redbird Invite.
Charles Orsborn Award
Formerly known as the Watonga Award, 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.
A letterwinner in four sports as a student-athlete (baseball, basketball, football and track & field), Charles Orsborn helped put Bradley Athletics on the national map as a member of the Famous Five men's basketball teams that played in the first two National Invitation Tournaments in 1938 and 1939 and earned an invitation to the inaugural NCAA Tournament in 1939.
This year's winner was Malevy Leons of Men's Basketball.
