« Men’s Soccer 2013

Bryan Ciesiulka

School
Marquette
Position
Midfield
Major
Mathematics
G
0
A
2
PTS
2

Classroom

Ciesiulka was a 2012-13 CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team selection and was placed on the ballot again in 2013 after claiming his second straight CoSIDA Academic All-District honor. He was the recipient of the BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award for men’s soccer given to just one student-athlete from each sport, chosen by the BIG EAST Faculty Athletics Representative Council. He is a three-time All-BIG EAST Academic Team selection. Bryan is on track to graduate magna cum laude in three and a half years, majoring in mathematics. He carries a cumulative grade point average of 3.72. He also tutors university students at all levels of mathematics, committing between 8-10 hours per week. Bryan’s active in the Math Club and serves on a student panel that provides course feedback to the university’s math department.

Character

A natural leader on-and-off the pitch, Ciesiulka will be serving as a captain of the Marquette University men’s soccer team for the third straight year in 2013. Bryan was also named captain of the Chicago Fire’s Premier Development League team each of the last two years. He has passionately served the entire MU Athletics student body as a SAAC representative since his sophomore year. Bryan is not only involved in a number of community service initiatives through the university, he seeks out service projects through his hometown community and family’s church. Bryan has never turned down a media interview or a fan’s autograph request, following the example he has set as a reliable student-athlete on the field, who has rarely missed a class, a match, a workout or training session. Bryan admits that he establishes a strong work ethic “to motivate and inspire his teammates to succeed in the classroom and to consistently pursue championships.” He has been the ideal role model among Marquette student-athletes throughout his tenure.

Community

Ciesiulka’s commitment to serving his community has been exemplary. Perhaps most impressive: Bryan spearheaded a campaign that raised $31,542.50 over a three-month period, which was used to fund a “MobilePack” event last year for the Feed My Starving Children organization. Furthermore, he led the effort to round up over 300 volunteers who spent an entire day packing the 110,000 meals for malnourished children in Haiti. The MobilePack event on Marquette’s campus received significant media coverage, further spreading the message of child hunger. Other service projects Bryan has recently participated in include a trip to Alabama over spring break with Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild a family’s home that was destroyed by a tornado (he’s also helped with tornado cleanup in Iowa). Other volunteer work includes assisting at Rivers of Mercy Orphanage Home and helping with SAAC’s annual Cure for Kirby and Hunger Clean-Up projects. Bryan mentored teens in 2009 and 2010 as a retreat leader through the Dry Bones Confirmation Retreat. He received the Marquette Division of Student Affairs Leadership Award for Community Service this past spring.

Competition

Ciesiulka has been Marquette’s “maestro” in the midfield, leading a Golden Eagles’ to their second BIG EAST regular season championship in three years in 2013. He was named 2013 BIG EAST Co-Midfielder of the Year and earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST First Team. He has paced an offense that finished among the nation’s best in NCAA Division I in each of the last two seasons. A Second Team All-BIG EAST Conference selection in 2012, Bryan helped lead Marquette to its first NCAA tournament berth in 15 years as the No. 7 overall seed as well as MU’s first-ever BIG EAST Conference division title in 2011. Bryan was named the team’s Most Valuable Player following the 2012 season in which Marquette garnered 16 wins, tying the school record. Bryan is tied for first among active MU players with 16 career assists and ranks second among active players in career points (34). He established single-season career highs of nine points, five assists and a pair of game-winning goals in 2012. He was honored as a Second Team All-American by College Sports Madness as a junior. Bryan has also been recognized by TopDrawerSoccer.com as one of the top upperclassmen in NCAA Division I and was named among the “Preseason Best XI” heading into the 2013 campaign. A product of the Chicago Fire, Bryan was named to the Premier Development League All-Central Conference team in 2012 and 2013. Named to both the Preseason All-BIG EAST Men’s Soccer Team-one of four unanimous selections-and ranked No. 20 on the TopDrawerSoccer.com “Top 100 Men’s College Soccer Players” list.