ATHLETICS BOOSTER
GROUPS
BRAVES CLUB
2005-06 BRAVES CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Established in 1969, the Braves Club is the athletic
fund-raiser for Bradley University. The Club supplements
the operating budgets of all 14 team sports and sponsors
numerous social functions surrounding Braves Athletic
events. Along with this task comes the opportunity to
promote the image of Bradley Athletics.
Braves Club fund-raising activities have given the
Athletic Department the flexibility to expand and improve
the academic services offered to student-athletes. This body
also plays a major role in supporting the BU B.L.A.S.T. Life
Skills program that is designed to enhance the development
of the total student-athlete from orientation to graduation.
The need for a sound recruiting budget, improved
facilities and the continuation of academic services to
student-athletes remains as the primary focus of the Braves
Club. Through their support of the Braves Club, Bradley
fans are assisting in the continuation of a competitive
athletic program built on a solid academic foundation.
Membership in the Braves Club exists in eight levels
based on annual donations, which may be made through
a variety of methods:
Cash Gifts: More than 1,300 alumni and friends provide
immediate annual help to Bradley Athletics. Gifts may be
given in any amount with a minumum of $100 earning
membership into the Braves Club at the base Friend level.
Endowment Scholarship: An excellent way to provide
Front Row (from left): Craig Dahlquist, Nick Adkins, Sue Atherton, Dennis Kalina, Pam Borden, Ken Kavanagh, Diane Davis.
Second Row: Paul Heuerman, Harold Burdess, Denne Knell, John Wetzel, Susie Stockman, Pam Murrell, Larry Dunn, Doc Halliday.
Third Row: Pat McCarthy, Rick Gaa, Corkey Gray, John Kamin, Rick Vandeveer, Skip Schermerhorn, Brian Rowell.
Back Row: Tom Hammerton, Tony Schierbeck, Ray Picl, Daren Epley, Bill Ott, Mark Scott.
Not Pictured: Ronda Daily, Chris Dierker, Julie Dressen, Mitch Griffin, Rick Gustafson, Virnette House-Browning, Ken Kouri, Dan Maloof, Kim
Neible, Bill Riebel, Joe Runkle, Jim Sumner, Craig Thompson, Dennis Tompkins, Jim Wetherington.
ALUMNI B-CLUB
continued support for the future and honor specific
Comprised of former Bradley student-athletes, the Alumni B-Club is an important support group for
individuals. Gifts may be made to existing endowed
Bradley Athletics. Bolstered by more than 400 dues-paying members, the Alumni B-Club funds the tutorial
scholarships honoring Ron Ferguson, A.J. Robertson, Jake
program managed by the Center for Learning Assistance. The club also pays for the letter jackets awarded
Schoof, Leo Schrall, Jim Spink, Charley Steiner, Billy Stone
to student-athletes, donates monetary and staff support to Missouri Valley Conference and NCAA
and Joe Stowell or for the purpose of creating a new
Tournament events hosted by Bradley and helps fund the department’s Web Broadcasting Program.
endowment.
The B-Club also sponsors a pair of awards that are given out annually. The first is the B-Club Billy Stone
Gift-in-Kind: Approved gifts-in-kind may be counted
Service Award, which is named after one of Bradley’s finest former student-athletes, coaches and administrators. The alumni
toward the fulfillment of the maintenance requirement.
letterwinner’s service award was established in 1982 to honor the loyal volunteers who have supported Bradley’s athletic programs
Contact the Department of Athletics for further information
for many years with their time, energy and/or financial support. Coach Stone was a multiple letterwinner as a Brave and former
pertaining to gifts-in-kind.
top draft pick of the Chicago Bears. After his professional career, he returned to The Hilltop as Bradley’s longtime football coach
Gifts of Stock: Appreciated securities, gifts of real estate
and also served as assistant athletic director. His many duties included oversight of his beloved B-Club.
property and tangible personal property are all gifts which
The B-Club also sponsors the Most Outstanding Athlete Awards, presented annually at the conclusion of each school year. The
may be donated to the Department of Athletics.
2005-06 recipients were women’s golfer Meaghan LeBlanc and men’s basketball player Marcellus Sommerville.
Matching Gifts: These are offered by more than 1,000
2005-06 ALUMNI B-CLUB BOARD
companies and match an employee’s contribution to the
University. Gift credit is given for personal donations, as
well as the company’s matching gift. A list of companies
that provide matching gifts is available by calling the
Bradley University Development Office at 309/677-3156.
2006-07 BRAVES CLUB OFFICERS
President: Mark Scott
Past President: John Wetzel
Vice President of Activities: Joe Runkle
Vice President of Membership: Rick Vandeveer
Vice President of Special Projects: Daren Epley
Treasurer: Paul Heuerman
Secretary: Harold Burdess
Braves Club Office: 309-677-2667
Front Row (from left): Craig Dahlquist, Hon. Joe Vespa, Ron Harris (President), W.D. “Bud” Grimm, Ken Kavanagh.
Back Row: Bryce Unruh, Paul Moore, Brad Tilly, Daren Epley, Ted Jones.
Not Pictured: Ron Baurer, Ed Bradle, Teri Bell, Sue DuBois, Bobby Humbles, Phillip Lockwood, Wayne Thomas.
49
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS: 1998, 2005
NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES: 2000, 2002, 2005
BU
B.L.A.S.T.
BUILDING LEADERSHIP AND
SUPPORTING TEAMS
2006-07 BRAVES COUNCIL
Baseball
Women’s Golf
Program, BU B.L.A.S.T. (Building Leadership and
Justin Carr
Charlotte McGinnis
Supporting Teams) is designed to give Bradley student-
Peter Malinowski
Rikki Sobel
is not limited to workouts, practices and study halls --
Men’s Basketball
Soccer
while helping them reach their full potential as
Danny Adams
Drew DeGurian
individuals.
Sam Singh
Todd Reedy
student-athlete advisory group comprised of 26 student-
Women’s Basketball
Softball
athletes representing Bradley’s 14 varsity sports, was
Erika Nelson
Christine Cooney
established. It serves as a conduit to address student-
Amy Peters
Rebecca Bishop
the coaching and administrative staffs. Community
Men’s Cross Country
Men’s Tennis
services, promotions and other committees have been
Nathan Ahart
Wil Lofgren
formed within the B.L.A.S.T. programs, as well as an
Nathan Leech
Matt Metully
- which spreads positive messages to the Peoria-area
Women’s XC/Track
Women’s Tennis
youth.
Kim Martin
Kim Braun
Maya Monitto-Weber
Teri Chan
Established in 1996 as part of the NCAA Life Skills
athletes a more rounded college experience -- one which
As part of the program, the Braves Council, a
athlete issues and as a link between student-athletes and
outreach program -- a student-athlete speakers bureau -
Juniors Drew DeGurian
and Todd Reedy represent the
Katie Nowak
Bradley Soccer team on the
Sarah Westrick
As part of the BU B.L.A.S.T.,
the Bradley Soccer team routinely
conducts free clinics around
Drew DeGurian
Central Illinois. Team members
Volleyball
Amber DeBroux
Braves Council.
The Bradley men’s tennis team enjoyed working
with local youth during the Jack C. Sweney
Peoria Youth Tennis Program at the Markin
Tennis Courts.
Men’s Golf
Katrina Goncher
Brad Molitor
James Taylor
also participate in the Missouri
Valley Conference and State
Farm Insurance “Just Read”
Program and the Braves are
regular contributors to the
athletic department’s Speakers
Bureau.
Todd Reedy
The BU B.L.A.S.T. Life Skills
Program is directed by Senior Associate Athletics Director
and Senior Woman Administrator Virnette HouseBrowning. She is assisted by Katie Bonner, BU’s Life
Skills Coordinator.
Former Brave Adam Hage joined his Bradley teammates on the field prior to the 2004 Red-White
Scrimmage to sign autographs for the team’s young fans. The Braves routinely visit with area youth after
games and conduct free clinics throughout the year.
BRADLEY UNIVERSITY
BUILDING LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORTING TEAMS
50
BRADLEY BRAVES S OCCER
www.bubraves.com
LEARNING
ASSISTANCE
With an enrollment of just over 6,000 students, Bradley University offers an
environment rich in academic tradition. Faculty members at Bradley have long been
recognized for serving students first with excellence, distinction and a level of
expertise matched by few.
Bradley student-athletes are aided by the Center for Learning Assistance, located
in the Cullom-Davis Library. The center offers monitored study tables, tutoring
services, test files and computers.
Benefitting from the academic assistance program, Bradley’s student-athletes
posted a 3.12 semester grade point average (4.0 scale) during the 2005 Fall
semester, which was slightly better than the department’s overall 3.11 cumulative
GPA. During the most recent grading period, 102 student-athletes earned a spot on
the Bradley Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for posting a minimum 3.0 semester GPA
last spring, including 27 student-athletes who recorded perfect 4.0 semester marks.
The Learning Assistance Program is supervised by Academic Coordinator Jennifer
Jones, who works directly with the baseball team. Jones is assisted by Dr. Debbie
Fischer and Dr. Susan Rapp. The tutorial program is funded through donations to the
Bradley Alumni B-Club, the school’s alumni student-athlete organization.
Bradley Tops The Valley in Graduation Rate
Bradley University continues to lead the 10 full-time Missouri Valley
Conference members in graduation rates. Based on the four-year average of
student-athletes who entered school from the start of the 1995-96 academic
year through 1998-99, 77 percent of Bradley’s student-athletes graduated
within a six-year window. Creighton (70 percent) was the only other Valley
school that graduated at least 65 percent of its student-athletes during the same
time frame.
Bradley also remained ahead of the national averages as 62 percent of
student-athletes throughout NCAA Division I earned their degrees during the
same time frame. The average for Division I-AAA, which is comprised of
Division I programs that do not sponsor football, also was 62 percent, while the
graduation rate for Division I private schools was 73.4 percent.
In addition to the graduation rate numbers, Bradley also ranked seventh
among all NCAA Division I programs with a score of 990 in the initial
Academic Progress Rate (APR) report released by the NCAA in March 2005.
The APR measures the eligibility and academic progress of current studentathletes and a perfect score is 1000.
NCAA GRADUATION RATES REPORT
4-Class Average • Entering Classes 1994-95 through 1997-98
Jennifer Jones
Dr. Debbie Fischer
Dr. Susan Rapp
BRADLEY ATHLETICS ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS
• Bradley’s student-athletes maintained a 3.10 overall cumulative grade point
average following the 2006 Spring semester by posting a similar 3.09 semester
mark, which was highlighted by 27 student-athletes who turned in 4.0 semester
grades.
• The Bradley Athletic Department has produced 25 Academic All-Americans,
including 22 since 1995. The Bradley Soccer team added two players to that last
year: Chris Dunsheath was a first-team NSCAA Scholar All-American and
Adam Hage was a second-team ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American.
• Three Bradley teams were recognized by their national coaching organizations
for their accomplishments in the classroom during the 2005-06 academic year:
the women’s basketball team tied for 24th on the WBCA Academic Team Honor
Roll with a 3.298 GPA for the year; the women’s golf team ranked second
nationally with a 3.658 team GPA; and the track and field team was one of 75
programs listed as a United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches
Association All-Academic Team
• During the 2003-04 academic year, Bradley produced 18 Missouri Valley
Conference first-team scholar-athletes and a school-record seven CoSIDA
Academic All-District selections.
• Former men’s basketball player Marcello Robinson was one of four national
recipients of the 2004 Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award, which
is presented annually by the National Association of Academic Advisors for
Athletics and is intended to honor students who have overcome great personal,
academic and/or emotional odds to achieve academic success while participating
in intercollegiate athletics.
• Bradley student-athletes have won six Missouri Valley Conference Postgraduate
Scholarships in the last eight years, including former soccer player Shannon
Taylor, who won the league’s postgraduate scholarship for men in 2004. In
addition to the league award, four Braves have won NCAA Postgraduate
Scholarships in the last eight years, including former soccer star Chris
Dunsheath in 2006.
Institution
BRADLEY
Creighton
Drake
Evansville
Illinois State
Indiana State
Missouri State
Northern Iowa
Southern Illinois
Wichita State
Men
All
67
69
67
57
53
34
43
63
37
30
S-As
73
63
52
52
53
55
49
53
51
37
Women
All
S-As
73
80
73
74
72
71
64
70
62
69
42
61
49
68
66
74
46
72
38
63
MVC Average
NCAA Average (318)
I-AAA Average (91)
Div. I Privates
52
56
50
66.7
53.8
55
55
66.2
58.5
62
56
72
70.2
70
69
78.9
Total
S-As
All
70
77
71
70
70
64
61
61
58
61
39
57
47
57
65
62
41
61
34
51
55.6
59
53
69.7
62.1
62
62
73.4
BRADLEY RANKS AMONG NATION’S ELITE
Bradley University tied for seventh nationally in the initial Academic Progress
Rate (APR) Report, a new NCAA tool used to track academic progress of
student-athletes at all 328 NCAA Division I institutions, which was released in
March 2005.
The Bradley athletic department’s overall APR score for the 2003-04
academic year was 990, just 10 points shy of the perfect 1000 and 65 points
greater than the 925 threshold established by the NCAA to avoid penalty. The
Academic Progress Rate is a formula based on the eligibility of student-athletes
and graduation rate and the 925 threshold equates to a 50 percent graduation
rate. While the penalty phase of the APR program will not go into effect for
another year, future teams that fall below the 925 mark will be subject to
scholarship restrictions. Eight of Bradley’s 14 team sports achieved the perfect
1000 score and the lowest team score was 967.
In the intial APR report, Bradley’s overall rating trailed only Yale (999),
Princeton (994), Pennsylvania (993), William & Mary (992), Loyola Marymount
(991) and Villanova (991). Bradley was tied for seventh with Harvard, the
United States Naval Academy and Samford. At the bottom end of the list, 67
schools had overall APR figures below 925. Visit the NCAA’s official website at
www2.ncaa.org to view the APR data.
51
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS: 1998, 2005
NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES: 2000, 2002, 2005
PHYSICAL
SUPPORT
The primary focus of the 2004 renovation of Robertson Memorial Field House was the construction of a new student-athlete strength and conditioning area,
which tripled the size of the former weight room.
STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING
SPORTS MEDICINE
Bradley is committed to providing the finest facilities possible to benefit its student-athletes.
That commitment was showcased two years ago when the University converted Pete
Vonachen Stadium at Meinen Field into Shea Stadium, one of the finest college soccerspecific stadiums in the country.
The latest upgrade to Bradley’s student-athlete facilities occurred in the summer of 2004
when the inside of Robertson Memorial Fieldhouse was reconfigured to accommodate a
strength training facility, a satellite athletic training room, a study/media center, a studentathlete lounge and new women’s basketball offices. The featured area of the project is the
new weight room, which is available only to Bradley student-athletes and has tripled the
amount of space previously available in the old weight room.
Monitored by strength and conditioning coach Ronnie
Wright, the new weight room is equipped with the latest in
strength and cardiovascular training equipment, as well as
television monitors and a stereo system.
Wright is in his sixth year as Bradley’s strength and
conditioning coach after working the previous four-and-ahalf years as the assistant strength coach at Wichita State
University. Since coming to Bradley, Wright has overseen all
aspects of the Braves strength and conditioning program,
Bradley’s Sports Medicine Office is actually a multi-disciplinary team of health
care professionals dedicated to the health and well-being of the student-athlete.
Housed in Haussler Hall, the University’s physical education complex, the
office staff uses the latest and most sophisticated equipment to diagnose and treat
athletic injuries. A satellite training room located in Robertson Fieldhouse was
added during the summer of 2004.
The University also is indebted to the significant contribution of medical experts
located off campus. Those individuals include, but are not limited to: team
physicians Dr. Stan Bugaieski, Dr. James Bauer and Dr. Dean Gravlin; orthopedic
consultants Dr. Steve Below; Dr. James Maxey and Dr. Mark Phillips;
opthamologist Dr. John Nelson; dentist Dr. John Donlan, sports psychologist Dr.
Kathy Buchko and chiropractor Dr. James Hender.
In addition, the Bradley Sports Medicine staff has used the services of Great
Plains Sports Medicine and Methodist Medical Center, the official health care
provider for Bradley Athletics. The Bradley Sports Medicine staff would also like
to thank the dedicated office staff members of Great Plains, Donlan & Lawless
Dental, Heyde Eye Center, the Bradley Student Health Center, Internal Medicine
Group of Peoria and Methodist for providing Bradley student-athletes with the best
care available.
including nutrition advisement and the preperation of annual
individual and team programs, as well as specific programs
Ronnie Wright
focused on strength, flexibility, speed and agility. Working with Wright, Bradley Soccer
players have improved their 40-yard sprint times and strength gains have steadily improved
throughout their careers.
Wright, who is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Specialists, earned
his bachelor’s degree in sports administration and exercise science from Wichita State in
1999 and he is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He won
the “Overall Body Building” title at the 2000 Kansas Regional Body Building Championship
and the “Overall Novice Body Building” title at the Powershack Classic 2000 in Kansas City,
Kan. Wright resides in Peoria with his wife Shellee and their children Allie (7) and Blake (4).
52
BRADLEY BRAVES S OCCER
www.bubraves.com
PEORIA,
ILLINOIS
PEORIA, ILLINOIS
BIG CITY AMENITIES WITH SMALL TOWN CHARM
The city of Peoria has the unique ability to combine the amenities often
associated with big cities with the small town charm that is a staple of America’s
heartland.
Located on the banks of the Illinois River in Central Illinois, Peoria boasts a
metropolitan population of nearly 350,000 and is home to the world headquarters
for Caterpillar, Inc. The River City also serves as the banking and health care hub for
Central Illinois. The redeveloped downtown offers the community endless dining and
entertainment options, highlighted by the River Front Pavilion (left).
Divided by Interstate 74, Peoria is located within a three-hour drive of Chicago,
Indianapolis and St. Louis. Peoria also is serviced by five major airlines -- Allegiant,
American, Delta, Northwest and United -- at the Greater Peoria Regional Airport.
PEORIA AT A GLANCE
PEORIA, ILLINOIS -- A CHAMPIONSHIP CITY
The sports scene in Peoria is flourishing and the
Population
games during their two seasons in the Indoor
city really should bill itself as Illinois’ “Championship
Football League, then claimed their first af2 league
City.”
championship in 2002. The Chiefs, which won the
Bradley Athletics has long been the city’s sports
2002 Midwest League championship, retired former
Average Temperatures
jewel, but the city’s athletics success extends well
Cubs and Diamondbacks first baseman Mark
beyond The Hilltop. On the professional level,
Grace’s number during the 2000 season and also
Peoria is home to the Chicago Cubs Midwest League
claim Greg Maddux (Chicago Cubs), Rafael Palmeiro
affiliate Peoria Chiefs, the St. Louis Blues American
(Baltimore), Albert Pujols (St. Louis) and Jack Wilson
Hockey League affiliate Peoria Rivermen and the
(Pittsburgh) among their alumni.
Peoria Rough Riders indoor football team.
The population of the city of Peoria is 113,700
with a metro population greater than 350,000.
Temperatures are listed in degrees Fahrenheit:
Spring 50; Summer 77; Fall 51; Winter 28.
Location
Bradley no longer owns a monopoly on the
Peoria is located in Central Illinois. The main
Then a member of the International Hockey
Peoria basketball scene as the city has turned the
interstate into the Peoria area is I-74 which
League, the Rivermen still boast the longest unbeaten
Illinois High School Association boy’s basketball
connects with I-474, I-55, I-155 and I-39. Only
streak in United States professional hockey history --
tournament into a major March event. The annual
154 miles from Chicago and 165 miles from St.
18 games in 1990-91. More recently, the Rivermen
Peoria sporting event calendar also is filled with the
Louis, Peoria is a full-fledged city complete with
won the 2000 East Coast Hockey League Kelly Cup,
Steamboat Classic, an international running road
towering, gleaming buildings rising from the lands
then backed up their championship run by producing
race; the Par-A-Dice River Rage, an APR Powerboat
that stretch from the banks of the Illinois River. With
the league’s best record in 2001.
Super League Tunnel Boat race; and a number of
something going on every single day of the year,
local and regional bowling, golf, softball and tennis
Peoria is definitely you’re place to stay!
Formerly the Peoria Pirates, Peoria’s indoor
football team won 25 of 26 regular-season
championships.
For more information on Peoria, visit the Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau website at: www.peoria.org.
53
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS: 1998, 2005
NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES: 2000, 2002, 2005
MISSOURI VALLEY
CONFERENCE
In 2006-07, the Missouri Valley Conference celebrates a
century of excellence as the nation’s second-oldest NCAA
Division I conference begins its second centennial as a
leader in college athletics.
In the league’s first 100 seasons, 32 members combined
for 25 national championships, while 55 Valley studentathletes captured NCAA individual titles. In addition, Valley
student-athletes and coaches earned 48 National Player- or
Coach-of-the-Year honors in their respective sports. And the
league had a myriad of student-athletes who collected AllAmerica honors and earned national academic distinction
in The Valley’s first century.
The Missouri Valley Conference continues to lead by
example as one of college athletics’ most progressive
conferences. The Valley emphasizes the importance of the
student-athlete and is aggressive in its approach to provide
opportunities for its member institutions.
While the success of men’s basketball has received the
greatest attention, the overall performance of league teams
in virtually every sport continues to raise the national profile
of the conference.
The 2005-06 men’s basketball season was truly one of
the most memorable in the first century of competition in the
Missouri Valley Conference. A record six teams competed in
post-season play and combined for seven post-season wins.
Bradley and regular-season champion Wichita State
represented the league in the Sweet 16 in the NCAA
Tournament, marking the first time that two Valley teams had
reached the Sweet 16 in the same season. Tournament
champion Southern Illinois and UNI also represented The
Valley in the NCAA Tournament, giving the league four
teams in the Big Dance for the first time in conference
history. The league finished sixth in the final Ratings
Percentage Index (RPI) – an all-time best. Attendance marks
were set as more than 1.2 million fans attended home
games in league cities while the State Farm MVC Men’s
Basketball Championship established an all-time attendance
mark for the four-day event. And for the first time in history,
CBS Sports carried The Valley title game to a national
audience.
In men’s soccer, Creighton won the tournament
championship and gained a spot in its 14th consecutive
NCAA soccer tournament, advancing to the quarterfinals for
a fourth time in six seasons. Bradley won the regularseason championship to join Creighton in the NCAAs,
marking the 10th-straight multi-bid season for The Valley.
Wichita State captured a third-consecutive MVC All-Sports
Trophy behind a balanced performance by its programs,
winning a record seven Valley championships during the
2005-06 school year. It was the Shockers’ 15th overall AllSports Trophy, the highest number for any Valley institution.
Notably, every Valley school captured either a regularseason or tournament championship in at least one sport in
2005-06, with every institution participating in post-season
play in a team sport.
Based in St. Louis since 1985, the league is assertive in its
approach to hosting NCAA basketball championship events,
operating a revenue-producing in-house television network,
bidding out the right to play host to sport championships
and landing title sponsorships for those events.
During the tenure of Doug Elgin, The Valley’s ninth and
longest-tenured commissioner, The Valley has been
aggressive in hosting NCAA events in St. Louis. That role
came to a spectacular climax in April 2005 as the
conference collaborated with local partners to stage the
Men’s Final Four at the Edward Jones Dome.
This continuing involvement of the MVC in hosting
NCAA events represents one of the most concentrated
stretches of host opportunities for any university or
conference in the 68-year history of the national
championship tournament. The 2005 host opportunity was
the sixth in eight years for The Valley in St. Louis. The
league had previously hosted men’s regionals in 1998,
1999 and 2004; a men’s first/second round event in 2002
and the Women’s Final Four in 2001. The Valley will host
a men’s basketball regional in 2007 and a Women’s Final
Four in 2009. Additionally, Creighton and The Valley will
co-host a men’s basketball first and second round in 2008
in Omaha.
The seeds for this vision were planted by eight
administrators representing five institutions, who met at the
Midland Hotel in Kansas City, Mo., on Jan. 12, 1907. The
five schools which formed the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate
Athletic Association were Washington University of St. Louis,
and the state universities of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and
Nebraska. Two months after the initial meeting, two more
schools — Drake University and Iowa State College — were
admitted.
In the fall of 1907, basketball became the first competitive
sport. Today, the Missouri Valley Conference sponsors the
following sports: baseball, men’s and women’s basketball,
men’s and women’s cross country and track & field (indoor
and outdoor), men’s and women’s golf, men’s and
women’s soccer, softball, women’s swimming and diving,
men’s and women’s tennis, and women’s volleyball.
This season, the league will conduct its 96th outdoor track
and field championship, its 89th tennis championship, its
53rd baseball tournament, and its 69th golf championship
for the men. Those programs, plus other current sponsored
sports of cross country (48 years), indoor track (40), soccer
(16) and swimming and diving (13), have helped solidify the
Missouri Valley Conference as one of the most respected
conferences nationally.
Athletic accomplishments on the men’s athletics side
include 10 national basketball championships, 16 trips to
the NCAA Final Four, four NCAA Soccer College Cup
appearances, a 1989 national baseball championship and
19 College World Series qualifiers. In 2001, Missouri State
added to The Valley women’s accomplishments, as the Lady
Bears advanced to the Women’s Basketball Final Four in St.
Louis. Creighton (2004) and Missouri State (2005) have
claimed national championships (WNIT) in women’s
basketball, while MSU also has a 1992 NCAA Women’s
Final Four appearance, and Creighton (2003) and Drake
(1999) have made semifinal trips to the WNIT postseason
tournament.
Indeed, the inclusion of women’s programs under The
Valley banner has provided a boost. The Gateway
Collegiate Athletic Conference — which began in 1982 —
merged with the Missouri Valley Conference and was
unveiled as part of the new conference on July 1, 1992.
League members include Bradley University, Creighton
University, Drake University, the University of Evansville,
Illinois State University, Indiana State University, Missouri
State University, the University of Northern Iowa, Southern
Illinois University, and Wichita State University. Affiliate
men’s soccer members include Eastern Illinois University and
Western Kentucky University.
1818 Chouteau Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63103
314/421-0339
314/421-3505 or 0620 (FAX)
Doug Elgin -- Commissioner
Patty Viverito -- Senior Associate Commissioner
Joe Mitch -- Associate Commissioner
Dave Biancamano -- Director of Operations
Maxine Day -- Executive Assistant
Carla Fight -- Assistant to the Commissioner
Erica Fricke -- Director of Communications
SuMeyko Jones -- Secretary/Receptionist
Mike Kern -- Associate Commissioner for
Communications
Matt Marchal -- Assistant Commissioner for
Corporate Relations
Mary Mulvenna -- Director of Compliance and
Community Relations
Rich Steed -- Chief Financial Officer
Jack Watkins -- Associate Commissioner for
Marketing and Television
2006-07 CHAMPIONSHIPS
S 28-O1
Individual Tennis (W)
Oct. 28
Cross Country (M/W)
Omaha, Neb.
Nov. 3-5
Soccer (W)
Omaha, Neb.
Nov. 1-3-5 Soccer (M)
Omaha, Neb.
Peoria, Ill.
Nov. 24-25
Volleyball
Normal, Ill.
Jan. 26-28
Individual Tennis (M)
Des Moines, Iowa
Feb. 8-10
Swimming (W)
Carbondale, Ill.
Feb. 24-25
Indoor Track & Field (M/W)
March 1-4
Basketball (M)
Terre Haute, Ind.
March 8-11 Basketball (W)
St. Louis, Mo.
Des Moines, Iowa
April 15-17
Golf (W)
Peoria, Ill.
April 23-24
Golf (M)
Kansas City, Mo.
Des Moines, Iowa
April 27-29
Tennis (W)
April 27-29
Tennis (M)
Normal, Ill.
May 10-12
Softball
Normal, Ill.
May 11-13
Outdoor Track & Field (M/W)
May 23-26
Baseball
Des Moines, Iowa
Springfield, Mo.
Doug Elgin
Patty Viverito
Gary Huber
Mike Kern
Commissioner
Sr. Assoc. Commissioner
Coordinator of Officials
Associate Commissioner
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BRADLEY BRAVES S OCCER
www.bubraves.com