The 'From The Heart' feature series takes an in-depth look at St. Bonaventure student-athletes and coaches. Named for the beloved Merton's Heart that overlooks campus, this series will tell the stories of Bonnies athletic programs on and off the field.
For Keronn Walker it all started in the inner city of Chicago. It is where his mother raised him and his little sister and where he found and fell in love with the game of baseball.
That love would take Keronn to the highest level where he was drafted in the 43rd round of the 1999 MLB draft by the Kansas City Royals. He played six years in the minors before retiring in 2004 hitting .247 with six homers and 20 RBIs.
Collegiate student athletes are typically known for the work and time they spend in the weight room or on the field. For many student-athletes, however, it's the impact off the field that not only benefits themselves, but also their community.
Baseball relies on numbers like no other sport. The national pastime has long built traditions on numbers - now many teams are using new technology to improve their standing on the field.
Dhavgely Mendoza overcame the challenges of coming to a new country mid-year to become a medalist at Atlantic 10 Championships in her first semester at Bonaventure.
After spending the summer preparing for cross country, student-athletes in the Bonnies running program undertake a transition from indoor to outdoor track seasons. It's a grind that many fans don't understand.
On the soccer field, Umechi Akuazaoku needs to have pinpoint accuracy with his dribbling and shooting skills. Off the field, he relies on his precision to help others look their best.
St. Bonaventure men's cross country/track junior Aiden Scattergood and women’s lacrosse freshman Brooke Sumner both share a unique past: Both athletes are following in the footsteps of their mothers who are members of the Bonaventure Athletics Hall of Fame.
When Chiara Gottinger graduates this spring, she will sit highly on the leaderboard of many of the major goalie stats. Gottinger came to St. Bonaventure in 2021 to play soccer but fell in love with the community.
When the Bonnies men's and women's swim and dive programs were honored with the Donald L. Korben Community Service Award in 2023, they were recognized for going “beyond the call of duty” in volunteering their service to the surrounding community.
Two St. Bonaventure women's lacrosse players,
Brooke Piper and
Brit Colangelo, return to campus this fall as silver medalists after competing with Team Canada at the U20 World Championship in Hong Kong during the summer.
When it was time for her older sister, Mika, to leave for college, Maya Marolly thought their chance to play together was over. Mika had decided to play her freshman year at the University at Buffalo. However, because of the transfer rules in collegiate sports, Mika was able to keep the dream alive.
St. Bonaventure Director of Strength and Conditioning Darryn Fiske has helped raise over $500,000 for CF research through his annual walk supported throughout the years by hundreds of Bonnies student-athletes, coaches and staff.
