After a thrilling, record-breaking season in Baker athletics, the sports writers of The Baker Orange gathered to vote on the “Best of the Best.”
Arguments surfaced as writers lobbied for various candidates, but eventually, someone had to come out on top. No individual category featured a landslide victory because numerous Wildcats made their mark on Baker history in 2008-2009. The winners’ bios are listed below.
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The men’s soccer team won the 2008 Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship and the first ever national tournament game in program history, while the women’s track team placed second at HAAC and had multiple athletes qualify for nationals.
Men’s MVP winner Richie Bryant rushed for more than 1,300 yards and 22 touchdowns and broke three school records last season. Women’s winner Ashlee Miller is an All-American who also holds 16 school records.
Coach Mike Grossner led the football squad to its first national tournament appearance in 15 years and finished the season ranked No. 16 in the NAIA. Women’s basketball coach Susan Decker nearly upset No. 3-seeded Avila in the HAAC Tournament after finishing sixth in a difficult conference.
Freshmen Steven Stewart and Brooke Allen each played two sports in their first year at Baker. Stewart was a member of the soccer team that went to the national tournament and scored the winning goal with 30 seconds left against William Jewell. He was also named the HAAC Player of the Week in baseball on April 6. Allen was a HAAC All-Conference Honorable Mention selection in volleyball and a HAAC Second Team All-Conference selection in softball.<br/>&#160;