Cause for Celebration: Mary Ellen Hill-Schupbach
As part of our Cause for Celebration series presented by PNC, we’re spotlighting one of the most decorated athletes in Bradley University and Missouri Valley Conference history — Mary Ellen Hill-Schupbach!
From Princeville, Illinois, Mary Ellen dominated from the moment she joined the Braves in 1996. She racked up 10 MVC individual titles, became a two-time All-American, and earned an incredible seven Academic All-America honors. A force in both cross country and track, she was a back-to-back MVC Cross Country Champion (’98 & ’99) and captured titles across the 3,000m, 5,000m, and 10,000m distances — indoors and out.
Her legacy extends far beyond the finish line — Mary Ellen was Bradley’s first female MVC Hall of Fame inductee, a three-time MVC Track Athlete of the Year, and the 2000 Illinois NCAA Woman of the Year.
Mary Ellen Hill-Schupbach didn’t just set records — she set the standard for excellence, on and off the track.
