LEBANON, Ill. (Aug. 22, 2022) – McKendree University Athletics Director Anthony Francis has announced the addition for former Bearcat women's bowler Brandi (Branka) Kordelewski to his athletics administrative staff as the school's first-ever Assistant Athletics Director for Development. Kordelewski will begin her new position at McKendree on Sept. 12.

"Words cannot begin to describe how excited I am to have Brandi serving as our first Assistant AD for Development," Francis said. "Welcoming back such a personable, hardworking, and respected alum to be involved in this capacity is the best-case scenario for our department. Brandi has all the attributes we were searching for so I'm certainly looking forward to having her back in the McKendree community, helping us cultivate and enhance relationships with new and existing Bearcat supporters."

In her role with McKendree Athletics, Kordelewski will be responsible for promoting and advancing McKendree Athletics to the broader community. Working in close partnership with McKendree's Vice President for Institutional Advancement Stephen Kull, she work to increase the Bearcat Club membership and philanthropic gifts from among the University's 21,000 alumni, its community friends, and corporate sponsors. The position will have three different roles and responsibilities – Fundraising/Revenue Generation, Engagement Activities and Departmental Operations.

Kordelewski returns to her alma mater after spending the past seven years (2015-22) as the head women's bowling coach at McKendree's fellow Great Lakes Valley Conference member Maryville University. Along with serving as the Saints' women's bowling coach, Kordelewski also spent five years (2017-22) as the Event Coordinator for the annual Maryville Athletics Golf Classic.

"I would like to thank McKendree Athletics Director Anthony Francis and the entire search committee at McKendree University for this opportunity," Kordelewski said. "I am beyond excited to be back at my alma mater and work with the athletic programs. I have a special passion for athletics and with being a former student-athlete and head coach; I am ready to hit the ground running and work with these programs."

In her time at Maryville, Kordelewski helped build the Maryville women's bowling team from the beginning as the school started the program in 2015 and within two years, the Saints were ranked in the Top 25 in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) Coaches' Poll. In addition, she led the program to two straight third place finishes in the GLVC Championships in 2021 and 2022 and back-to-back appearances in the USBC National Championships.

Thanks to her team's strong performances in both 2021 and 2022, Kordelewski was selected as the GLVC Coach of the Year and the team finished the 2022 season ranked 14th in the final NTCA rankings. The No. 14 ranking was the highest final ranking in the program's seven-year history.

In her role as the Event Coordinator for the annual Maryville Athletics Golf Classic, Kordelewski was in charge of all aspects of the event and helped obtain sponsorships ranging from $500 to $5,000. The tournament raised a total of $60,000 for Maryville's athletic programs. She was also a member of the Maryville Athletics Administration Team for six years and was the GLVC Chair for Women's Bowling the last two years.

Along with her coaching and administrative duties at Maryville, Kordelewski is also a member of the Professional Women's Bowling Tour (PWBA). She has been a member of the PWBA Tour since 2016. In her time on the PWBA Tour, Kordelewski has recorded a two career runner-up finishes as was the runner-up at the 2019 PWBA East Hartford Regional and was also the runner-up at the 2017 QubicaAMF PWBA Sonoma County Open. Additionally, tied for seventh place at the 2018 USBA Queens and posted a ninth place finish at the 2016 PWBA Greater Detroit Open. She also holds the Illinois state record for highest three game series (868) by a woman and was the 2020-21 USBC National High Series Award winner.

Prior to her collegiate coaching career, Kordelewski was a four-year letterwinner in women's bowling at McKendree University. In her time as a Bearcat student-athlete, Kordelewski, who was known as Branka, was a First-Team All-American in 2010-11 and 2011-12 and helped lead McKendree to a second place finish at the 2009-10 Intercollegiate Team Championships in El Paso, Texas. In 2010-11, she helped lead the Bearcats to an NAIA Women's Bowling Team Championship and earned the NAIA Championship MVP.

She earned multiple All-Tournament honors during her four-year career at McKendree with individual tournament wins at the Boilermaker Classic, Kegel ISBPA and the Leatherneck Classic. In 2011-12, she was an Intercollegiate Singles Finalist and made the All-Tournament Team at the Intercollegiate Team Championships.

Kordelewski graduated from McKendree in May 2013 with a Bachelor's degree in Health and Wellness and had a double minor in both coaching and sports psychology and she earned her Master of Arts degree in Management and Leadership from Maryville University in December of 2021. She is married to former McKendree University men's bowler Andrew Kordelewski, who lettered at McKendree from 2011-15, and the couple resides in Belleville, Ill.

TRANSACTION: McKendree University names former women's bowling student-athlete and Maryville University women's bowling coach Brandi Kordelewski as the school's first-ever Assistant Athletics Director for Development