Player of the year Lemek thankful for family, friends

Children form the craziest dreams when they are young, and Bradley’s Danielle Lemek is well on her way to fulfilling her childhood dreams.

Lemek’s dreams are to play on the LPGA Tour, and her résumé looks promising after just two years at Bradley.  She holds the record for most wins in a career at Bradley with six and the lowest 54-hole total with a 212.

She also holds the Missouri Valley Conference Golf Championship’s 54-hole record with a 212.  Lemek broke the MVC season stroke average this year with an average of 73.6.

Lemek admits that the recruiting process is “not the easiest thing around.”  She had interest from Iowa State and Oklahoma, but she did not receive any offers.  She was ready to go to a community college for two years and then transfer to a large school, but then she received a call from Bradley coach Mary Swanson.

Swanson watched her at a tournament and asked her to come visit campus and Lemek accepted the invitation.  Lemek accepted a scholarship offer from Bradley while on her visit.

“It was a perfect fit,” Lemek said.  “I met President Glasser on my official visit.  Everything just felt right.”

Lemek won MVC Newcomer of the Year after winning three tournaments during her freshman season.  She said she knew that playing with former Brave golfer Thea Hedemann would take some pressure off her shoulders and allow her to fly under the radar.

“She showed great glimpses of her ability,” Swanson said. “She definitely exceeded my expectations for her.”

Lemek continued exceeding expectations by winning three more tournaments her sophomore season, including the MVC Golf Championship.  Lemek also set a school record for the lowest round with a 66 in the spring half of the season, Swanson’s favorite moment of her young career.

“It was about the way she finished, not the number,” Swanson said.  “She ended with more energy and momentum.”

Some of Lemek’s favorite moments involve her family being right at her side. One of those moments would’ve been the Florida International tournament, where she broke the school’s 54-hole record, because it was her birthday weekend and her dad was there to watch.

Winning her first tournament was great for her whole family because her sister was also playing in her high school state tournament the same weekend. Winning the MVC tournament was also special because her family was there and they got to witness her break 70 for the first time in person.

“I’m thankful and blessed to have a supportive family,” Lemek said.

Freshman Paige Jordan said she believes that Lemek is a good leader.

“She leads by example,” Jordan said.  “She will help you relax in really tense times.  Her competitive drive at practice pushes all of us.”  Two years away from graduation, Lemek is excited about her future.  She plans to practice and attempt to qualify for the LPGA tour in the two years after graduation.

“I’m very competitive and it’s been a dream since I was little,” Lemek said.  “I really want to pursue it, I know I can do it.”

Swanson played on the LPGA Tour and believes that Lemek has the potential to perform well.

“She has the grittiness and guts to have longevity on the [LPGA] tour,” Swanson said.

Lemek had an opportunity to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament due to her successful year, but she was not selected.  She believes that the team could win the MVC conference in one or both of her next two seasons and receive a berth to the tournament as a team.

“We have built something special this year,” Lemek said.  “We are strong enough to face adversity.”

Aaron Ferguson is the Scout’s sports reporter. Questions, comments and concerns can be sent to him at aferguson@mail.bradley.edu. Follow him on Twitter @Sports_Aaron.