2008 Highlights
• Earned second team All-Big Ten honors
• Finished 10th in the Big Ten in home runs (10)
• Had a pair of home runs vs. UIC, including her first career grand slam, driving in a school-record seven RBIs
• Also homered twice against Eastern Illinois
• Finished second on the team in home runs (10), fourth in slugging percentage (.546), fourth in runs scored (30) and fourth in RBIs (39)
2007 Highlights
• Illinois' third-leading hitter in Big Ten play at .300
• Had four home runs during conference play, including the game-winning two-run home run vs. No. 8 Michigan on April 15.
• Threw out a runner at second to end the game in victory over Florida International
• Robbed a Florida Atlantic player of a home run to preserve a 1-0 victory
• Hit a three-run home run in a 16-run first inning vs. Sacramento State
• Hit a three-run home run and scored three runs in an 11-1 victory over Indiana
• Won the team's inaugural Kathleen Bryers Award for her courage, pride and unselfish attitude
2006 Highlights
• Started two games • Doubled and scored vs. UC-Davis • Often entered the game late for defensive purposes.
2005 Highlights
• Missed the 2005 season with an injury • Went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored during the fall.
High School
• Received a total of 12 varsity letters in cross country, basketball and softball and 12 Academic All-Conference awards during her high school career
• Named to the All-State Tournament team as a freshman after Glenbard North finished third in the IHSA State Tournament
• Twice named to the Illinois Coaches Association, Chicago Sun-Times, and Chicago Tribune All-State teams
• Named All-Area and Dream Team in the Daily Herald twice.
• Three-time All-DuPage Valley Conference selection.
• Rated one of the top 10 female athletes in the Chicago area by the Sun-Times and the Daily Herald in 2004
• Received All-Conference honorable mention recognition in basketball as well as twice being a member of the IHSA State Qualifying cross country team
• Played for Chicago White Sox Academy team (coached by Scott Bryers and Kathy Young) and the Bloomingdale Blast
• Blast were the NSA and USSSA state champs in 2001
• High school coach was Jim McKinney.
Personal
• Born May 2, 1986
• Daughter of Scott and Kathleen Bryers
• Has two sisters, Shannon and Colleen
• Member of the National Honor Society
• Majoring in kinesiology
• Member of Spanish Honor Society
• Glenbard Academic letter winner
• Livingston Humanitarian Award recipient
• Sons of the American Revolution Citizenship Award winner
• Selected to the Super 60 team
• Received the Profile in Courage Award by the 2004 Super 60 selection committee
• Competed in 2004 for the select USA team in a softball and goodwill tour of the Netherlands and France.
Getting to Know Sarah...
Favorite athletes: Walter Payton & Jenna Hall
Favorite Illinois softball memory: When Claire tripped running out of the dugout to bring sunglasses to one of the outfielders in Vegas
Favorite professional sports teams: Cubs and Bears
Favorite restaurant on campus: White Horse Inn for the cheese fries
Nickname: Bryers
Career plans: High school teacher and coach
Favorite Food: Pork chops
Favorite TV Show: Grey's Anatomy
Favorite Musical Group: The Fray
Favorite Movies: Miracle; Sea Biscuit
How I started playing softball: My parents signed me up for T-ball when I was six. My first team was the Oakland A's
My dream job would be: An entrepreneur
What I've learned from Coach Sullivan: If you are on time, you are late; if you are 15 minutes early, you are on time.
What is your favorite song to hear before a game? One of Coach Freeman's bunk songs
What could you not go for a month without? Ordering late-night Pokey Stix
If you could go to dinner with three people, who would they be? Diller, Mak and Claire
