MONROE - If the impact that Monroe Badger Days has on University of Wisconsin athletics wasn't apparent before, it became crystal clear after Colony Brands President and CEO John Baumann announced the annual event will fund a $1 million scholarship for UW-Madison athletes over the next five years.
The scholarship will got to junior volleyball player Lauren Carlini for the next two years.
"If you really want to make a meaningful impact, there is really no better way to do that than supporting a student athlete," Baumann said Tuesday at the Badger Days banquet. "She's a tremendous student-athlete. We are very proud to be associated with her."
Carlini, of West Aurora, Illinois was named an All-American last year. She's the only first-team All-American in the history of the program.
The scholarship pledge was just one of the highlights of the 62nd annual Monroe Badger Days Tuesday at Ludlow Mansion. The culmination of the two-day Badger bash included a visit with UW coaches and updates on recruits; highlights of the 2014 seasons; and previews of upcoming seasons from five University of Wisconsin coaches: men's basketball coach Bo Ryan, football coach Paul Chryst, women's hockey coach Mark Johnson, men's hockey coach Mike Eaves and women's basketball coach Bobbie Kelsey.
Johnson guided the Badgers' women's hockey team to a 29-6-4 mark and its eighth Frozen Four appearance last season. Johnson lauded Colony Brands' Pat Kubly and the Badger Day supporters for their contributions. All of the money raised goes toward supporting Wisconsin's athletic programs.
"Everyone here is part of the Badger family," Johnson said. "Without your support, there are things on campus we couldn't do. Monroe Badger Days has certainly made an impact on campus and student-athletes."
Johnson cited the examples of a former Badger hockey player Bob Suter in Madison to develop hockey players by building the Capitol Ice Arena in Middleton.
"It's all about giving back to the community with a passion," he said.
He also cited a former player who started a soccer program in Kenya.
Ryan drew a resounding ovation from the Badger Days crowd for guiding the Badgers to back-to-back Final Four appearances and a national runner-up finish in March.
Ryan gave credit to the Kubly family for starting Badger Days more than a half century ago.
"You have been doing this for so long in the grass roots," Ryan said. "Everything that you do has helped out student-athletes. It's a way of giving back and making a statement."
Ryan was honored to make a national championship run with key senior players like Frank Kaminsky, Josh Gasser, Traveon Jackson and Sam Dekker.
"I had the best seat in the house," he said. "For the next 25 to 30 years, I don't think you will see someone make it to the national championship without a high school all-American, a one-and-done player or a rent-a year player."
With the NBA draft coming Thursday, Ryan knows that he will lose two all-time greats in Kaminsky and Dekker.
"It (the national championship mission) all started with Frank saying he would come back," Ryan said. "I thought I might be able to say that again with Sam. They will have a lot of fun Thursday night."
Eaves updated the crowd on the men's hockey team that finished 4-26-5 last season. The Badger played 13 freshman and had one of the worst seasons in the history of the program.
"We always talk about the 10/90 program," Eaves said. "Life is 10 percent adversity and 90 percent how you respond to it."
The Badgers women's basketball team had one of the most prolific 3-pointer shooters in the country last year in Nicole Bauman. Bauman had the best 3-point shooting percentage in the Big Ten (48 percent) and was second in the country. The women's basketball team finished 9-20 last year, but had its best offensive output as a team in eight years for 3-point shooting (37.4 percent), rebounds (37.7 per game), assists (426) and field goal percentage (42.5 percent). The team dealt with five players being injured, including two to torn anterior cruciate ligaments.
"We had a tough season," Kelsey said.
She recalled what it meant to receive a scholarship herself when she was a college athlete. Kelsey was a three-time national champion as a college player at Stanford and coached as an assistant coach in the national championship four times for Stanford.
"When I was a player at Stanford, I got an endowed scholarship and I met the organization that gave me the scholarship. It was amazing to know these people paid $200,000 for my scholarship."
"I know how hard it is to get there," she said. "You had a great season Bo (Ryan). This program can be great and it's our intention to do that."
The scholarship will got to junior volleyball player Lauren Carlini for the next two years.
"If you really want to make a meaningful impact, there is really no better way to do that than supporting a student athlete," Baumann said Tuesday at the Badger Days banquet. "She's a tremendous student-athlete. We are very proud to be associated with her."
Carlini, of West Aurora, Illinois was named an All-American last year. She's the only first-team All-American in the history of the program.
The scholarship pledge was just one of the highlights of the 62nd annual Monroe Badger Days Tuesday at Ludlow Mansion. The culmination of the two-day Badger bash included a visit with UW coaches and updates on recruits; highlights of the 2014 seasons; and previews of upcoming seasons from five University of Wisconsin coaches: men's basketball coach Bo Ryan, football coach Paul Chryst, women's hockey coach Mark Johnson, men's hockey coach Mike Eaves and women's basketball coach Bobbie Kelsey.
Johnson guided the Badgers' women's hockey team to a 29-6-4 mark and its eighth Frozen Four appearance last season. Johnson lauded Colony Brands' Pat Kubly and the Badger Day supporters for their contributions. All of the money raised goes toward supporting Wisconsin's athletic programs.
"Everyone here is part of the Badger family," Johnson said. "Without your support, there are things on campus we couldn't do. Monroe Badger Days has certainly made an impact on campus and student-athletes."
Johnson cited the examples of a former Badger hockey player Bob Suter in Madison to develop hockey players by building the Capitol Ice Arena in Middleton.
"It's all about giving back to the community with a passion," he said.
He also cited a former player who started a soccer program in Kenya.
Ryan drew a resounding ovation from the Badger Days crowd for guiding the Badgers to back-to-back Final Four appearances and a national runner-up finish in March.
Ryan gave credit to the Kubly family for starting Badger Days more than a half century ago.
"You have been doing this for so long in the grass roots," Ryan said. "Everything that you do has helped out student-athletes. It's a way of giving back and making a statement."
Ryan was honored to make a national championship run with key senior players like Frank Kaminsky, Josh Gasser, Traveon Jackson and Sam Dekker.
"I had the best seat in the house," he said. "For the next 25 to 30 years, I don't think you will see someone make it to the national championship without a high school all-American, a one-and-done player or a rent-a year player."
With the NBA draft coming Thursday, Ryan knows that he will lose two all-time greats in Kaminsky and Dekker.
"It (the national championship mission) all started with Frank saying he would come back," Ryan said. "I thought I might be able to say that again with Sam. They will have a lot of fun Thursday night."
Eaves updated the crowd on the men's hockey team that finished 4-26-5 last season. The Badger played 13 freshman and had one of the worst seasons in the history of the program.
"We always talk about the 10/90 program," Eaves said. "Life is 10 percent adversity and 90 percent how you respond to it."
The Badgers women's basketball team had one of the most prolific 3-pointer shooters in the country last year in Nicole Bauman. Bauman had the best 3-point shooting percentage in the Big Ten (48 percent) and was second in the country. The women's basketball team finished 9-20 last year, but had its best offensive output as a team in eight years for 3-point shooting (37.4 percent), rebounds (37.7 per game), assists (426) and field goal percentage (42.5 percent). The team dealt with five players being injured, including two to torn anterior cruciate ligaments.
"We had a tough season," Kelsey said.
She recalled what it meant to receive a scholarship herself when she was a college athlete. Kelsey was a three-time national champion as a college player at Stanford and coached as an assistant coach in the national championship four times for Stanford.
"When I was a player at Stanford, I got an endowed scholarship and I met the organization that gave me the scholarship. It was amazing to know these people paid $200,000 for my scholarship."
"I know how hard it is to get there," she said. "You had a great season Bo (Ryan). This program can be great and it's our intention to do that."
