PEORIA, Ill. – Bradley Athletics celebrated the achievements and successes of its student-athletes and programs on Monday, May 4, with the annual Kaboom! Awards hosted inside Renaissance Coliseum. 

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 credit 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.

Eight Bradley student-athletes were selected for the award, as listed below:

• Anna Belogliadova - Tennis
• Corrie Brown - Volleyball
• Austin Comstock - Softball
• Elijah Lehrman - Baseball
• Caroline McConnell - Women's Golf
• Irene Mostardini - Volleyball
• Amy O'Hara - Women's Basketball
• Allison Pacocha - Women's Golf

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 Anna Belogliadova (Women's Tennis), Austin Comstock (Softball) and Irene Mostardini (Volleyball). The male finalists included Ahmet Jonovic (Men's Basketball), Brandon Kamp (Men's Cross Country/Track & Field) and Drew Politte (Baseball).

The winners were Anna Belogliadova and Brandon Kamp!

Orville Nothdurft Lifetime Achievement Award

The Orville Nothdurft Lifetime Achievement award is presented to a former Brave student-athlete who, through their post-Bradley days, has achieved success in their chosen profession and has continued to serve in such a manner as to bring honor to oneself, Bradley Athletics in general, and the University as a whole. 

This year's recipient was Joe Vespa, a former Peoria Central graduate who went on to play baseball at Bradley, where he was named team captain in 1973. After graduation, became the first elected president of Vietnam Veterans of Illinois and established Operation Home Shield to provide free legal services to military personnel and their dependents during the Persian Gulf War. Additionally, he served as president of the Bradley University National Alumni Association and as a board member of the Peoria County Bar Association. He later became an Illinois Supreme Court–trained mentor, overseeing the training and mentorship of new judges.




Community Service/Outreach

Take a look at our Braves in the community! Bradley student-athletes volunteered over 3,000 hours to the community to date over the 2025-26 academic year!

Carl Gross Service Award

The Carl Gross Service Award was established in honor of Mr. Gross, 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.

This year's finalists included Drew Berry (Soccer), Austin Comstock (Softball), Brandon Kamp (Men's Cross Country/Track & Field), Caroline McConnell (Women's Golf), Claire McDougall (Women's Basketball), Allison Pacocha (Women's Golf), Sohrab Rezaei (Baseball), Ella Shafer (Softball), and Hailey Webb (Softball). 

The winner was Allison Pacocha!





Individual Performances of the Year

The individual performances of the year recognized student-athletes' athletic accomplishments, presented to both a men's and women's recipient. The winners were Kaitlyn Sheppard for winning the individual title at the MVC Women's Cross Country Championship and JD Rosslee for punching his ticket to the NCAA Championships!






Special Recognition Award

Each year, the Athletic Department awards the Special Recognition Award for dedication and support of Bradley Athletics. This year's recipients of the Special Recognition Award were Steve and Patti Shaw. Steve was a 1972 graduate of Bradley and is currently a Braves Club board member who has been supporting Bradley Athletics for decades. Patti was closely involved in supporting the Womens Tennis program during the 2025-26 academic year.




Team Performances of the Year

The last team award of the evening was presented to the best men's and women's team performance throughout the season. This year's winners were the Men's and Women's Cross Country teams for winning the Missouri Valley Conference Championships in Evansville, Ind.





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 Kaylen Nelson of Women's Basketball! 

Other nominees included Caroline McConnell (Women's Golf), Trixie Wraith (Women's XC & Track and Field), and Kierston McCoy (Softball).