Bradley University Athletics

Having chased her dream as a touring professional, former Yale University women's golf coach Mary Swanson was appointed the head coach of the Bradley University women's golf program June 21, 2010 and is entering her ninth season as head coach of the Braves in 2018-19.

During her eight-year run with the Braves, BU individuals have claimed four MVC Golfer of the Year awards (Kelly Amundrud in 2010-11 & three-time MVC Golfer of the Year Danielle Lemek), 13 First-Team All-Valley selections and a trio of league Newcomer of the Year honors.

In 2017-18, Bradley finished the year with the team’s highest Golfweek.com ranking (151) since closing the 2010-11 season at 137 and the Braves were the highest rated squad in the Missouri Valley Conference.  Junior Frankie Saban finished second at the Valley Championship as Bradley boasted three All-MVC honoress for the first time in over a decade (2005-06).  In fact, senior Ally Scaccia and sophomore Taylor Ledwein were both repeat All-Valley honorees.  The trio all finished the year ranked among the top 700 in the Golfweek.com rankings, paced by Saban at 673, giving the Braves three top 700 players for the first time since 2008-09.  Scaccia opened the season with a pair of top-10 showings, including a medalist title at the season-opening Redbird Invitational.  The Braves, which finished fourth at the MVC Championship as a team, collected four MVC Golfer of the Week awards during the course of the season and tallied four top-four team finishes during 2017-18.  The season was also highlighted by the lowest team round in school history (284) in the first round of the Cardinal Classic along with two of the three lowest 54-hole team scores in school history.  The Braves fired a school-record 876 as a team to finish second at the 19-team Cardinal Classic, topping the previous school record for a 54-hole tournament by an impressive seven strokes. 

The 2016-17 season marked the second consecutive year Bradley finished third at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship as the Braves placed in the top three in back-to-back years for the first time since the 2006 (1^st) and 2007 (2^nd) campaigns.  Scaccia captured All-MVC honors, while fellow All-MVC honoree Ledwein also received the Valley’s Newcomer of the Year.  Ledwein paced the team with a 75.97 stroke average for the second lowest average by a Bradley freshman.  As a team, the Braves carded two of the three lowest team rounds in program history at the time en route to the lowest 54-hole score (883) in school history to win the Bradley Spring Invitational at WeaverRidge Golf Club. 

Swanson’s 2015-16 team captured back-to-back team titles at the Cardinal Challenge in Houston, Texas and the Bradley Invitational at WeaverRidge Golf Club to mark the first time the Braves won two team titles in the same season since 2006-07.  In addition, the Braves carded two of the lowest five rounds in program history, including a then school-record 290 in the second round of the Amelia Island Intercollegiate in the first outing of the spring season.  A third-place finish at the MVC Championship marked the team’s best performance at the league championship since 2013.

Individually, Lemek capped off her historic career in 2015-16 as the only three-time MVC Golfer of the Year. She earned the fourth All-MVC honor of her career, leading the league with a 74.09 average and closed her career with a Valley career stroke average mark of 74.37 to go with a conference record 19 MVC Golfer of the Week selections.   Scaccia missed All-MVC honors by one stroke, tying for sixth at the league championship.  

In 2014-15, Bradley had a pair of all-conference performers for the first time since 2010-11, with Lemek becoming the second individual in league history to earn Valley Player of the Year honors twice and junior Jenna Roadley tying for fifth at the Valley Championship to capture all-conference honors for the first time in her career.  In addition to the leadership of Lemek and Roadley throughout the 2014-15 season, Scaccia posted what was the fifth lowest season stroke average by a Bradley freshman (77.93) at the time.

Lemek continued to add to her already impressive career accolades during her junior season, winning three medalist honors and placing in the top 10 in seven of 11 tournaments.  

During the 2013-14 season, Swanson and the Braves were in the lead after each of the first two days of the 2014 MVC Women’s Golf Championship before eventually finishing fifth.  Bradley hosted the event at Panther Creek Country Club in Springfield, Ill.

Lemek, who was named MVC Golfer of the Year and was a repeat First-Team All-Valley performer, broke the Missouri Valley Conference season stroke average record with an impressive 73.61 average. 

Among the many record performances during the 2013-14 season, Lemek won three individual titles and garnered MVC Golfer of the Week honors after seven of 10 tournaments.  The individual medalist at the 2014 MVC Women’s Golf Championship, Lemek’s 212 tied her own record for the lowest 54-hole total in school history and is the best at the MVC Championship.  Lemek had nine top-10 finishes and also turned in the lowest round (66) in school history to help highlight the year. 

The 2012-13 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Swanson helped guide Bradley to a tie for third at the MVC Championship in Sunrise Beach, Mo., for the team’s best conference finish since a second-place finish in 2007.  Overall, the Braves finished in the top three in the final team standings in five of 11 tournaments and claimed the team title at the Bradley Invitational for the squad’s first tournament championship since the fall of 2010.

Lemek, who became the fifth freshman in program history to earn First-Team All-Valley honors in addition to her Newcomer of the Year award in 2012-13, led the MVC with a then school season stroke average record of 75.42 and also topped the Bradley season record for rounds in the 70’s with 28 sub-80 efforts.  She also tied a Bradley season mark with three individual medalist honors and seven top-10 finishes.  Lemek placed second at the MVC Championship as a freshman for the highest finish by a Brave since Bari Erais won the 2007 MVC Individual title.

Among her first recruits on The Hilltop, Thea Hedemann claimed MVC Newcomer of the Year honors in 2011-12 along with becoming the first Bradley freshman since Kelly Amundrud in 2008-09 to earn First-Team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors. Fellow classmate Christie Lin led the team with a then school freshman record 77.6 stroke average and her 26 rounds in the 70's ranked second among BU's season marks at the time.

Hedemann, who carded a then school-record 68 in the spring, finished her rookie season with a 77.9 stroke average. Amundrud battled injuries throughout the season and finished her career with the lowest stroke career stroke average in school history (77.11) and was a finalist for the Charles Orsborn Award after earning Academic All-District honors for the third consecutive year.

Among the many highlights of Swanson's first year at Bradley (2010-11), the Braves won the team title at the Butler Fall Invitational for BU's first team victory since 2008. In addition, Amundrud was voted the MVC Golfer of the Year; while Breanne Neufeld also earned all-league honors for the second consecutive year after posting a league-best and school season record 75.76 stroke average.

Amundrud was a two-time medalist in 2010-11, while Neufeld claimed the individual title at the Saluki Invitational. Combined the duo took home MVC Golfer of the Week honors following six of the team's 10 regular-season tournaments, with Amundrud earning the distinction four times and Neufeld garnering the award twice.

Now in her 14th season as a collegiate head coach, Swanson served as the head coach at Yale University from 2000-05, directing the Bulldogs to a pair of Ivy League championships (2002, 2003), in addition to nine regular-season tournament titles in her five seasons. Swanson's players at Yale combined for eight individual tournament championships, including the 2005 Ivy League medalist, 13 all-conference awards and five National Golf Coaches Association All-America Scholar honors.
 
During her collegiate coaching career, Swanson's players have combined for four conference player of the year awards, 24 individual tournament championships, 26 all-conference selections and three conference newcomer of the year honors.

She left her position at Yale, however, to pursue a full-time professional playing career, qualifying for the LPGA's developmental Duramed Futures Tour each of her last five seasons. As part of her qualification, Swanson boasts four professional wins on the Moonlight Golf Tour and a pair of top 10 finishes on the SunCoast Ladies Series, both headquartered in Orlando, Fla., as well as five top 10 finishes in various state Open tournaments, including a runner-up at the 2009 Massachusetts Women's Open. Prior to assuming professional status, Swanson won the 2004 Connecticut Amateur stroke play championship, as well as the 2004 Connecticut State Women's Golf Association match play title.

In order to support her playing career, Swanson raised support by building and maintaining sponsor relationships and she formed the Limited Liability Company MKM Golf, LLC to manage her career. Swanson also has worked as a Golf Shop Coordinator and Reservationist at TPC Sawgrass, serving members, guests, PGA Tour executives and PGA Tour players on a daily basis. TPC Sawgrass was recognized as a Golf World Magazine "100 Best Golf Shops" for the 2009 Resort category.

Swanson maintained her connection to Yale by serving as the Assistant Coordinator for Golf Outings and Outreach in 2007. In her role with outreach initiatives, Swanson developed teaching programs for Yale Golf Course members and juniors, in addition to assisting with the existing Special Olympic and First Tee programs in New Haven, Conn.

Following a standout playing career as a student-athlete at Princeton University and one year working as an administrative assistant for the United States Golf Association, Swanson began her coaching career as an assistant at the University of Florida from 1998-2000. In her final season assisting the Gators women's golf program, Swanson helped Florida to an 18th-place finish at the 2000 NCAA Championship. She also earned her master's degree in exercise and sport sciences with a concentration in sport management from Florida in 2003.

Swanson won 16 collegiate tournaments during her undergraduate playing career at Princeton, including the 1997 Ivy League championship, the 1996 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference title and the 1994, 1995 and 1997 New England Collegiate Championships. A 1997 National Golf Coaches Association All-American, Swanson was a three-time NCAA Regionals individual qualifier and advanced to the 1997 finals, while also earning a spot on the East team in the East/West Match Play competition. She earned her bachelor's degree in history with a certificate in American studies from Princeton in 1997.

A native of Far Hills, N.J., Swanson was recently named a Distinguished Alumni of The Pingry School, where she won the 1991 Philadelphia Junior Girls' Championship and was a 1993 American Junior Golf Association All-American.

In addition to her coaching duties at Bradley, Swanson, who is a Class "A" member of the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional division, is co-owner of Braves Golf Academy.  She holds membership in the Women's Golf Coaches Association and is site director for LPGA/USGA Girl's Golf in Peoria, Ill.

The former Mary Moan, Swanson resides in Peoria with her husband Darmon and their children Lauren and TJ.