PEORIA, Ill. --  Soccer player Zach Bell (Rochester, Ill./Rochester H.S.), the team’s leading scorer each of the last two seasons and a Scholar All-American, was named the recipient of the 2007 Bradley University Watonga Award, capping the athletic department’s annual postseason awards ceremony Tuesday night in the Michel Student Center Ballroom.

The Watonga Award is the most prestigious honor Bradley University can bestow on a graduating student-athlete and has been awarded annually since 1951 to the senior(s) who best combines athletic ability with academic success and community service.  Bell becomes the third soccer player to win the award, but the first to claim it outright, joining co-winners Tim Regan in 2003 and Dan Thorstenson in 2001.

After originally beginning his collegiate career at Springfield College in Illinois so that he could position himself for a chance to pursue his soccer career at school that combined both a top Division I soccer program as well as a respected physical therapy academic program, Bell transferred to Bradley for the 2005 season.  While compiling 13 goals and six assists during his two seasons with the Braves, primarily playing in  a wide mifield position, Bell helped Bradley to back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championships, two appearances in the championship game of the State Farm MVC Tournament and one trip to the NCAA Tournament (2005). 

Boasting a 3.53 cumulative grade point average as a health science major, Bell was voted a second team National Soccer Coaches Association of America Scholar All-American last fall and recently was accepted into the physical therapy doctoral program at Bradley.  In addition to his soccer and academic performance, Bell has been heavily involved in the soccer program’s community service activities, while also volunteering to coach his younger brother’s youth soccer team in the Springfield area.

Several other annual awards were presented during Tuesday night’s ceremony:  women’s basketball senior Amy Peters (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township H.S.) was presented the Carl Grose Service Award; men’s basketball senior Zach Andrews (Rancho Cordova, Calif./Cordova H.S.) was presented the fifth annual Megan C. Fong Inspiration Award and former men’s basketball player Clarence Christe (Peoria, Ill./Manual H.S.) was presented the seventh Orville Nothdurft Lifetime Achievement Award.  In addition, Director of Athletics Ken Kavanagh introduced the inaugural Coach Joe Stowell Award, which annually will recognize the male and female student-athletes who best exemplify Stowell’s love for Bradley Athletics, as well as dedication to their teams and teammates.

Stowell has been directly associated with Bradley Athletics since he played basketball for the Braves from 1947 to 1950.  After a brief stint coaching and teaching in high school, Stowell served as Bradley Basketball’s assistant coach from 1956 through 1965 and head coach from 1965 through 1978.  His 197 victories during his 13 seasons at the helm of the program still rank second on Bradley’s all-time coaching list.  He went on to work as an assistant athletic director from 1978 through 1985, doubling as the women’s basketball head coach for two seasons during that time.  Since 1985 he has worked as Bradley Basketball’s radio analyst on WMBD AM 1470, making him a witness to 1,468 games in his five official capacities in 54 years.

Although surprised by the introduction of the award, Stowell was on hand to present the inaugural honors to soccer player Todd Reedy (Springdale, Ark./Springdale H.S.) and women’s basketball player Erika Nelson (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg H.S.).

Amy Peters Wins 24th Carl Grose Service Award

A four-year member of the Bradley Women’s Basketball team, Amy Peters has been heavily involved in service activities throughout he career and her list of volunteer work both on campus and within her hometown and Peoria communities is a lengthy one.  Among the highlights:  Peters has participated in eight different programs benefitting the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, as well as several other events that have either generated donations or raised awareness for breast cancer awareness, construction zone workers, multiple sclerosis, the Salvation Army and Peoria’s PBS television station WTVP.  She also volunteered for the “Splashersize” program last summer, teaching warm water therapy to children suffering from mental or physical disorders.

Andrews Earns Megan C. Fong Inspiration Award

A senior center on the Bradley Men’s Basketball team, Zach Andrews was the seventh recipient of the Megan C. Fong Inspiration Award in recognition of his ability to overcome his difficult upbringing.  Abandoned as a young child, Andrews lived in the California foster care system from age 3 until being taken in by Valerie Lopez, the single mother of a school friend, at age 14.

A transfer from Yuba (Calif.) College, Andrews helped the Braves to consecutive 22-win seasons for the first time since 1958-59 and 1959-60, as well as trips to the 2006 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 and the second round of the 2007 MasterCard National Invitation Tournament.  While averaging 8.4 points and 6.0 rebounds during his two-year Bradley career, Andrews set the school’s career record for field goal percentage by making 62.1 percent of his attempts.

Clarence Christe Earns Lifetime Achievement Award

A member of the men’s basektball team from 1947 through 1950, Clarence Christe was the seventh recipient of the Orville Nothdurft Lifetime Achievement Award, which is presented annually to a former Bradley student-athlete who has excelled in his postgraduate career.

A native Peorian who earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bradley in 1951 and his M.B.A. in 1952, Christe was a pilot in the United States Navy from 1952 through 1956, serving on the East Coast and in the Mediterranean.

Upon his discharge from the service, Christe worked then next 50 years for The Equitable Financial Companies, beginning as a sales representative and advancing to district manager and then to registered representative.  He has served on the Board of Directors for the Peoria Life Underwriters Association and the Central Illinois Chapter of CLU, as well as the Health Foundation Board of the United Way.

Christe also donated his time back to Bradley University, serving as the president of the school’s national alumni board in 1977-78 and as chairman from 1978 through 1980.  After receiving the Alumni Service Award in 1980, he later served on the Bradley University Board of Trustees from July 24, 1987 through Dec. 17, 1993.

2007 Alumni B-Club Most Outstanding Athlete Finalists

In addition to the awards that were presented Tuesday, the candidates for the annual Alumni B-Club Most Outstanding Male and Female Athletes were announced.  The list includes Bell and his teammate James Hedges; baseball players Brad Altbach, Justin Carr, Ryan Curry, Ryan Eigsti and Chris Wright; men’s basketball players Will Franklin and Daniel Ruffin; women’s golfers Bari-Lynn Erais and Rikki Soebel; softbal players Ashley Birdsong, Amanda Clack and Liz Wilson; women’s track and field thrower Jennifer Jenkins; and volleyball player Amber DeBroux.