Western New England University has unveiled the Downes Hall of Fame Class of 2024. Bryan Brunk ‘98 (Men’s Wrestling), Jacquelyn Bailey ‘03 (Women’s Soccer), Marissa Bonitatibus ‘11 (Women’s Lacrosse), and Mike Theulen (Head Coach/Athletic Director) will be honored for their contributions to Western New England University Athletics at an induction ceremony and dinner event during Golden Bear Weekend on Friday, October 18.
2024 Hall of Fame Inductees:
Mike Theulen: One of the most influential individuals in the history of Western New England University Athletics, Mike Theulen, served as the director of athletics from 1998-2017 while also heading the WNE men’s basketball team from 2004-2008, and again from 2011-2015. Theulen’s career can be highlighted in many different ways, including the transition from the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) into the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) in 2007-2008.
Under the direction of Theulen as the leader of the department, Western New England and the Golden Bears appeared in 51 Division III tournaments while capturing 63 conference championships. 15 of 19 varsity sports programs had teams and/or individuals participate on the national stage under the direction of Theulen. During Theulen’s tenure, 42 student-athletes achieved All-American status while at Western New England, while 18 others were recognized as Academic All-Americans.
Countless other student-athletes gained accolades for their accomplishments inside and outside of the classroom. Theulen served on many committees with his student-athletes while being a tremendous advocate for special events, such as the Downes Hall of Fame, Girls and Women in Sports Day, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and Captains Council, among many other initiatives.
A leader on and off the court, Theulen served as the head coach of the Western New England men’s basketball team for eight seasons, compiling over 100 wins. Theulen is responsible for putting WNE men’s basketball back on the map and can be credited with helping the team succeed for many years after his coaching retirement. In his second-to-last season at the helm, Theulen’s Golden Bears left the GNAC in style, finishing the season with 22 wins, tied for the second-most single season wins in the program’s 57-year history. Theulen finished with 103 wins in his career while making the conference tournament in all eight seasons. Theulen led the Golden Bears to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England Championship in 2006-2007, the program’s first ever postseason crown.
Theulen built “The Western New England Way” and was committed to the department and its student-athletes in providing comprehensive excellence in academics, athletics, leadership, and service.
Bryan Brunk: Bryan Brunk, a powerhouse wrestler in the 142 and 150-pound weight classes during his time at Western New England, made an immediate impact on the wrestling program after transferring into the program during his junior season. Brunk quickly made a name for himself while donning the blue and gold, recording an 8-1 record on the mat in dual action in 1996-1997.
During his junior campaign, Brunk quickly rose to the top of the starting lineup at the 150 lb. weight class. He earned the team 40 total points in his first season, which sat third highest on the team. Brunk carried his momentum of brilliance on the mat into the New England Championships, where the junior won his first New England Championship, finishing atop the 150 lb. weight class. Brunk went on to qualify for the NCAA Championships in his first season at Western New England.
Brunk continued to roll on the mat as a senior. In his final season, Brunk went a perfect 12-0 at the 142 lb. weight class. The senior would record 54 team points for the Golden Bears, third most on the team for the second straight season. Brunk repeated as a New England Champion, this time recording the 142 lb. weight class crown. Brunk served as a team captain during his senior year, while also picking up the Most Valuable Player Award. Brunk ended his career as a Golden Bear by earning the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s Scholar All-American Award.
Brunk is well-known today in the wrestling community, having been inducted into the New England Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008. Currently, Brunk is the head coach of Messiah University’s men’s wrestling program where he has coached four NCAA Division III Wrestling National Champions, 35 All-Americans, five conference championships, six regional championships, and is a two-time Coach of the Year.
Jacquelyn Bailey: Jacquelyn (Jaquie) Bailey, a standout striker for the women’s soccer team from 1999-2002, was one of the most consistent and prolific scorers for the Golden Bears during her four seasons in blue and gold. A three-time Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) champion, Bailey was also named to the GNAC All-Conference First Team in 2001 and Second Team in 2002.
Bailey helped lead Western New England to a combined 57-31-3 overall record during her four seasons, playing in 88 of those 91 games. The Easthampton, Massachusetts, native began her career as a Golden Bear by helping to lead the women’s soccer program to the top spot in the GNAC, collecting a 14-8-1 overall record, including an 8-2 mark in GNAC play that helped the Golden Bears claim the GNAC women’s soccer title. Bailey recorded six goals and three assists during her first year with the Golden Bears, good for 15 points. Following a solid freshman year, Bailey tallied seven more goals to her name for the Golden Bears during her sophomore season, a season in which the Golden Bears recorded a 13-8-1 record and an 8-1-1 mark in GNAC play.
As a junior, Bailey helped lead the Golden Bears to another conference title, their second in three seasons. Bailey went on to score four goals while adding four assists during her third year as a Golden Bear, as WNE recorded a 9-1 GNAC play record while winning 14 games overall. Bailey would earn GNAC First Team All-Conference honors during her junior campaign while also being named to the GNAC Academic All-District Team.
Bailey capped off her prolific four-year playing career with an impressive senior season, collecting career highs in goals, assists, and points. Once again, Bailey led the way to Western New England’s third GNAC championship over her four-year career. Bailey recorded seven goals and 12 assists during her final season, being named to the All-GNAC Team for the second season in a row while also adding 2002 Academic All-American honors to her resume. Bailey ended her career in 2002, finishing in the top ten in program history in both goals scored and assists.
Marissa Bonitatibus: Marissa Bonitatibus, a goalkeeper for the WNE women’s lacrosse team from 2008-2011, was an integral part of the success of Western New England women’s lacrosse over her four years with the program. Bonitatibus set multiple goalkeeping records for the Golden Bears which still hold in today’s record books.
Bonitatibus jumped onto the scene for Western New England in 2008 as a first-year goalkeeper and made a terrific impact. The Yorktown Heights, New York, native opened her career by playing in all 22 games for the Golden Bears, making 20 starts. Bonitatibus made 187 saves in her first season with the Golden Bears, the second most in a single season by a Western New England goalkeeper. The first-year posted a 9.66 goals against average (GAA) while owning a career best .531% save percentage. Western New England women’s lacrosse rewarded Bonitatibus with a 17-5 overall record, a new program record in victories, while the Golden Bears would win the ECAC Division III New England Championship with an 18-10 win over Bridgewater State College.
Bonitatibus continued to roll for Western New England in between the pipes, making a tremendous impact on and off the field. In 2009, during her sophomore season, Bonitatibus earned the prestigious Unsung Hero Award while also eclipsing a new personal best at Golden Bear Stadium. Bonitatibus made 197 saves for the Golden Bears in the net in 19 games played, recording a .514% save percentage in the process. The 197 saves were the second most recorded in program history in a single season. Bonitatibus backstopped yet another ECAC New England Championship for Western New England in 2009 while being named ECAC Division III All-New England MVP.
Bonitatibus grabbed ten more wins and 173 additional saves during her junior campaign, finishing with 13 victories in 18 games played. Bonitatibus played in 22 games during her final year, collecting a career-best 7.79 GAA while grabbing 130 saves. Bonitatibus totaled 687 saves during her four-year career, which remains a program record. Bonitatibus was named to the All-TCCC team in 2011, being selected to the first team.
Currently, Bonitatibus sits first in the program’s record books in saves (687) and wins (49), and seventh in total save percentage (.506) and goals against average (10.20). Bonitatibus sees her name ten different times in the single-season record books, including three times in season saves (197, 187, 173), four times in wins in a season (15, 13, 11, 10), and three times in goals against average (7.79, 9.66, 11.61).
The 2024 class will bring the Downes Hall of Fame to a total of 121 individuals to go along with five distinguished Western New England teams. The Hall of Fame was established in 1999 to pay tribute to the outstanding performances of student-athletes, contributors, coaches, administrators, and teams that have shaped the rich history and of Western New England Athletics. The Hall of Fame is named in honor of Arthur William ‘Red’ Downes, a member of the inaugural 1999 Hall of Fame class who was a member of the Western New England University coaching staff and a faculty member of the University for 45 years.
