BRUNER

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Looking back on the past two years, Bruner says he better appreciates how much the college does to help its students and student-athletes succeed.

While coaching and spending time with the players, Bruner saw the academic barriers some student-athletes shoulder. Roadblocks like lack of accessible home internet, working full time to help with family expenses and speaking English as a second language.

He appreciates the college's support of his team and the athletic department.

"I was floored by how regularly we had check-ins and the genuine care behind the student success and pathway," he said.

But the real highlights of Bruner's career have been his relationship with his athletes.

He singles out the end-of-season

Softball

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15. Waubonsee scored twice in the first inning and twice in the second to secure the victory. Paulsen had two hits to lead the WolfPack and was the only player with multiple hits in the game.

Waubonsee College 13, Madison College 3

Waubonsee handed Madison College a rare 10-inning loss in the second game of the doubleheader, posting a 13-3 victory over the WolfPack. Madison College was led by Paulsen and Jenna Redders, both who doubled and scored in the game. Sophie Rivera added a triple.

Madison College 11, Highland Community College 7

After falling behind early, Madison College rallied to victory with eight runs in the final two innings, beating Highland Community College, 11-7, on April 14 in the first game of a doubleheader. Makkena Gish, Briar Armatoski and Chariell Butler each had two hits to lead the WolfPack offensive attack. Paulson added a double and two RBIs.

Madison College 8, Highland Community College 6

Another late rally gave Madison College an 8-6 victory in the second game against Highland Community College. The WolfPack turned a 4-3 deficit into a 7-4 lead by scoring four runs in the fifth inning. Kaina Patterson had three hits to lead the WolfPack, while Nelson and Jenna Redders both had two hits. Patterson pitched a complete game victory with seven strikeouts.

Madison College 12, Harper College 4

A five-run first inning helped boost Madison College to a 12-4 victory over host Harper College in the first game of a doubleheader on April 6. The WolfPack had 10 hits in the game, led by Brooke Cimler and Hailey Richter who each had two hits. Cimler’s hits included a triple, while Richter had a double. Addison Warner pitched the win, allowing four runs on four hits with six strikeouts.

Harper College 11, Madison College 8 evaluations, where the players give anonymous feedback to the athletic department about his performance as a coach.

An 11-run fourth inning enabled Harper College to reverse its fortunes and beat Madison College, 11-8, in the second game of a doubleheader, a game that ended after five innings due to a time limit. Harper scored its runs on four hits, four walks and five errors.

Bruner received outstanding scores and enjoyed reading the responses to whether the team's coach cared about them (where they overwhelmingly responded “yes”). His relationships with the student-athletes are the most important to him.

"I want those relationships to be authentic, and based on the feedback from that survey, that was achieved as well," he said.

During his two seasons, Bruner saw the difficulty of players carrying a full calendar of academics and athletics. He was often in the position of helping players handle the balance between being an athlete and a student.

He believes it begins at the school.

"If they're taking care of things in the classroom, then they're probably doing an appropriate job of managing and

Baseball

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 inning. Ross led the WolfPack with two hits, while he and Roessler both had doubles.

Madison College 11, Sauk Valley 10

After an early slugfest, it took an error, a wild pitch and a passed ball for Madison College to claim an 11-10 victory over Sauk Valley College in the first game of a doubleheader on April 14. The two teams scored 10 runs each in the first two innings, then didn’t score again until Grant Ross scored the winning run on a passed ball. Kirchberg led the WolfPack with three hits and two runs scored, while Dayton Rozinski-Hicks had two hits and scored three runs.

Madison College 15, Sauk Valley 8

Madison College scored three or more runs in four different innings to beat Sauk Valley, 15-8, in the second game of the doubleheader. The WolfPack had 18 hits in the game, led by Johannes who had three hits and four RBIs.

Bryant & Stratton College 3, Madison College 2

A two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning gave Bryant & Stratton College a 3-2 victory over visiting Madison College on April 12. The loss marred an excellent outing by freshman pitcher Michael Carpenter, who allowed just three runs on seven hits.

Coach

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Over the past seven years, he has served in several coaching roles with Elmbrook United in Brookfield. In addition, he has been the Olympic Development Team coach with the Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association.

In a news release, Fye said he is “thrilled to accept the role of head men’s soccer coach at Madison College as it is truly an outstanding opportunity for myself and my family.” prioritizing that life balance, and then they're succeeding on the field," Bruner said.

Bruner and his staff emphasized the routine and structure of succeeding academically. He noted they must have and be willing to ask for help when needed. Asking for help is challenging for some student-athletes. Bruner and his staff made it a priority to identify those at risk and for students to be aware enough to use the resources around them.

Reflecting on his two seasons, Bruner said the time he coached at Madison College was well spent for him and his career. The school taught him aspects of running an athletic program, allowing him to gain perspective for the student-athletes.

"I can't thank Madison College enough for the knowledge they've passed along. I'm a much better coach now after having spent time there," Bruner said.