Illinois Year in Review | Deserved more pub

Want a copy of today's edition? Here's a map of single-copy locations

These athletes didn’t always generate the most headlines. Or get the most likes on social media. But without these various Illini, some of the more notable accomplishments from the 2023-24 school year by Illinois don’t happen. Staff writer Scott Richey spotlights 10 Illini that deserved more pub than what they got in the last year:

1. The entire women’s track and field program

What Petros Kyprianou has done in two seasons as director of track and field and cross-country at Illinois is a borderline miracle. Saying the once-dominant Illini program — particularly on the women’s side — had fallen on hard times would have been the epitome of an understatement. The surge this season put Illinois on top. Literally. The Illini women were ranked as the No. 1 team in the country (a program first) in January. A Big Ten team title, several individual conference titles and even an individual NCAA championship followed.

2. Raina Terry | Volleyball

Chris Tamas will eventually have to contemplate life without Terry as the go-to option in the Illinois attack. But it’s not something the Illini volleyball coach will have to contend with for another year with Terry opting to spend her bonus fifth season in Champaign. (Cue major sigh of relief at Huff Hall). Terry’s accolades last season — of which there were many — don’t tell the complete story. Illinois would have been absolutely sunk without her given she accounted for nearly 40 percent of the Illini’s total attacks in 2023.

3. Jada Peebles | Women’s basketball

Peebles’ five-year career spanned the end of the Nancy Fahey era and the start of Shauna Green’s immediate rebuild. A career that also came to an abrupt end for the Illini role player on Jan. 14 when she tore her Achilles during the Illini’s blowout win at Northwestern. Peebles used that difficult moment to discuss another, revealing she attempted suicide in October 2021. A decision she made in hopes her story and how she embraced her faith could help others who are going through their own personal struggles.

4. Hunter Heck | Men’s tennis

Heck had to share some of the spotlight this past season with doubles teammate Karlis Ozolins, with Illinois’ top duo going on to earn All-American status for their play together. But Heck was pretty good on his own, too. The Illini senior was named to the All-Big Ten First Team for a third straight season, posting a 20-13 singles record to go with his 27-9 doubles record mostly playing with Ozolins. Heck finished the year ranked No. 50 nationally in singles after qualifying for the NCAA tournament in both singles and doubles.

5. Kelly Ryono | Softball

It was a tough spring for the Illinois softball team, which finished 7-15 and 12th in the Big Ten with a 21-31 overall record. Struggles that likely kept Ryono from the level of postseason recognition she otherwise likely would have received in her fifth and final season with the Illini. The veteran outfielder was an All-Big Ten Second-Team pick in 2023 and was as good — and better in some areas — this spring when she hit .348 with 10 home runs, 17 doubles (a career high) and 32 RBI to go with double-digit stolen bases.

6. Sydney Stoll | Women’s swimming and diving

Stoll had a true breakout season this year in her third at Illinois. The Hartland, Wis., native did set one program record as a sophomore in the 2022-23 season, but she went scorched earth on the record book this past winter. Stoll broke the program record in the 100-yard butterfly and 200-yard freestyle at the Big Ten championships in February at Purdue and followed that up by taking down two more in the 50-yard butterfly and 100-yard individual medley at the CSCAA National Invitational Championship in mid-March in Ocala, Fla.

7. Kam Garrett | Men’s track and field

Garrett was part of the influx of jumps talent for Illinois on both the men’s and women’s track and field teams ahead of this past season. The Kansas State transfer got off to a strong start during the indoor season, placing second in the high jump at the Big Ten championship while matching the Illini record of 7 feet, 3 inches. Garrett was the first Illinois athlete to hit that mark since Gail Olson set it in 1979. Garrett finished third outdoors at the Big Ten championship and also qualified for both the indoor and outdoor NCAA championships.

8. Lia Howard | Soccer

Illinois coach Janet Rayfield hit it big recruiting Hope Breslin out of Massapequa, N.Y., and went back to Long Island to snare Howard. The 5-foot-2 midfielder/forward was the Illini’s Most Improved Player as a freshman in 2022 and came back last fall to lead the team in goals (five), assists (four), points (14) and game-winning goals (two) after making 11 starts in 17 matches. Howard just isn’t a talent on the pitch, either. She was featured as the national anthem singer both before her own matches and at one Illini men’s basketball game.

9. Casey Washington | Football

Washington developed a strong rapport with quarterback Luke Altmyer as soon as the Mississippi transfer arrived on campus in early 2023. Turns out another transfer quarterback was Washington’s ticket to success. The Round Rock, Texas, native played in 52 career games before catching his first touchdown pass from John Paddock. Washington’s final three games saw him have more catches, receiving yards and touchdowns in that stretch than his first nine games of the season combined. Success he turned into being an NFL draft pick.

10. Seth Coleman | Football

Expectations were high for Coleman entering 2023 given what the 6-5, 245-pound outside linebacker achieved a year prior in his breakout redshirt sophomore season. It just took some time for the Melbourne, Fla., native to reach them. Coleman went on a tear at the end of the season, with all six of his sacks last fall coming in the final six games of the season. A three-sack game at Maryland jump-started his strong finish, and he wound up with honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors from the league coaches and media.