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Dean, McClure settling into new homes
Jul. 26—CHAMPAIGN — Two former prep volleyball players are set to begin new chapters when the NCAA season tips off in August. Kate Dean — once a standout middle blocker at Tuscola — will enter her first season at Virginia after spending two seasons at Eastern Illinois. "I'm so excited," Dean said. "I've been here (at Virginia) training for about a month now, so as I've been connecting with the ...
Tuscola’s Logan Tabeling signs with Dodgers organization
(WCIA) — Former Illini and Tuscola pitcher Logan Tabeling has inked a deal in the big leagues, signing on with the Dodgers organization after he wrapped up his senior season with the Illini this past spring. Tabeling played his final two years of college baseball in Champaign after spending two seasons at Wright State. In […]
Daughters of Central IL Olympian celebrating his legacy 100 years later
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris kick off Friday. The last time the “City of Love” played host was a century ago when an athlete from Central Illinois went for gold— twice. Now, the University of Illinois is celebrating Harold Osborn’s life and legacy ahead of the games. The university welcomed […]
St. Joseph 5K kicking off Saturday to support student athletes
ST. JOSEPH, Ill. (WCIA) — The annual St. Joseph-Ogden 5K is this Saturday at 7:30 a.m., all to support the high school cross country and track & field teams. The route will start and end downtown on East Main Street. Organizers say it’s a fun run, so the course is flat and fast in the […]
Jacas: 'It's a big deal to me just to make them proud'
Jul. 27—INDIANAPOLIS — Gabe Jacas loves football. That's the word from his Illinois teammate Seth Coleman. Said with a distinct emphasis on just how much Jacas loves the game. Not that the rest of the Illini don't love the sport. They do. But a sneak peek inside Memorial Stadium and the Smith Center would reveal it's Jacas pushing Coleman and the rest of Illinois' outside linebackers to do ...
Top of the Morning, July 26, 2024 [The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.]
While "cart girls" might not fit the traditional image of a bartender, Taylor Reifsteck says what she does at the University of Illinois Orange and Blue golf courses isn't that different. "I always tell people, when they ask what I have on the cart, 'Well, I'm a bartender on wheels.'...
Piatt's OT: Sementi moving on from Tuscola, taking over at Parkland
Jul. 26—TUSCOLA — When Lenny Sementi first took over the Tuscola softball program back in 2001, he said he'd coach for that season and that season only. As far as he was concerned, he was just filling in while the team looked for an official replacement following the unexpected departure of its previous coach. Last spring, Sementi finished his 23rd year coaching the Warriors, which included ...
Preseason football Top 10: Salt Fork leaning on defense to keep winning
Jul. 26—CATLIN — The Salt Fork football team's 7-0 win against West Central in the first round of the Class 1A playoffs last season sums up the team's success over the last few years. It was scoreless going into the fourth quarter. Neither team could move the ball much offensively, let alone put points on the board. "You're just trying to set up the opportunity to catch a break and get ...
Illini confident in running back room headlined by Kaden Feagin
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - Bret Bielema teams have a reputation of being run-dominant. But in 2023, the running back room for the Illini struggled to get off the ground. Reggie Love III, Aidan Laughery and Kaden Feagin all missed three games due to injury. Feagin's was a season-ending shoulder injury....
Good Morning, Illini Nation: Guard options in 2025
Jul. 25—Class of 2025 five-star guard Jasper Johnson cut his list of potential college basketball destinations to five on Wednesday afternoon. Illinois wasn't included. The Illini made a late push for Johnson after Orlando Antigua bounced back to the coaching staff, but getting an official visit from the 6-foot-4 guard out of Lexington, Ky., last month wasn't enough to become a finalist in his ...
Angola VB's Maya Harris commits to Illinois
Angola volleyball star Maya Harris committed to the Illinois Fighting Illini for the 2026 season, the rising junior announced Wednesday. Harris had 97 service aces in 2023, which was top 20 in the state of Indiana. Tags. Localnow.
New Central coach: 'Whatever you want to learn, I'm here to help you learn it'
Jul. 25—CHAMPAIGN — Kris Bell's basketball roots go back to his childhood in Danville's Lincoln Park neighborhood. Playing in tournaments there launched a career that has included stints at Schlarman and two different semi-pro teams, Danville's former Coal Miners and Riverhawks clubs. "I came up in the Keon Clark era, where Bud Gouard used to have Post tournaments and anybody that was anybody ...
Walker relishing new role at alma mater
Jul. 27—CHAMPAIGN — Sonny Walker is now overseeing the same hardwood floor on which he starred for Centennial's boys' basketball team three decades ago. And the rest of the Chargers' playing surfaces. Walker's decades-long association with the Champaign high school came full circle in May when he was approved to succeed Robert Lopez as his alma mater's athletic director. "We're super excited ...
Notebook: Confidence in Illini offense 'through the roof'; Sitkowski 'a shooting star' as coach
INDIANAPOLIS — The Illinois offense has certainly improved under offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. But the Illini are expecting further progress entering Lunney's third season as the play-caller. Two years ago, Lunney inherited one of the Big Ten's bottom-tier offenses as Illinois averaged 329.8 yards (10th Big Ten) and...
‘I thought it was a helluva idea when I was 19’: Bielema uses Tigerhawk tattoo as teaching tool
Like many teenagers in college, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema spontaneously decided to get a tattoo. “As I say, I thought it was a helluva idea when I was 19,” Bielema said. “It was a rainy Saturday in Iowa City and there wasn’t a helluva lot going on, so somebody said, ‘Let’s get a tattoo.’” […]
Illinois Football Odds: Total Wins Over/Under Odds, Betting Tips – Updated July 27
This content was writter in partnership with DataSkrive. DataSkrive leverages a combination of human expertise, machine learning, and pre-built content libraries to assemble and personalize sports content. With an over/under of 5.5 wins, the Illinois Fighting Illini are not expected to be a strong contender this year. Illinois Win Total...
Illinois Fighting Illini 2024 Football Preview
Bert Bielema’s teams have long been a thorn in the side of Husker football starting with the 2012 annihilation in the Big Ten championship game. In 2021, Husker mental lapses and poorly timed penalties in the week zero season opener were a sign of a season (and coaching staff) that was simply not-to-be. Last season, Matt Rhule finally found a way to pull off a solid win for the Huskers against a Bert-coached team.
How to buy Illinois football tickets? See prices for games on 2024 schedule
The Illinois football team enters the 2024 season under fourth-year coach Bret Bielema. Will the Fighting Illini improve on their 5-7 record last season and return to another bowl game? Bielema is 18-19 in three seasons in Champaign, with one bowl appearance in 2022. The coach will oversee a team picked to finish...
New father Keenan hoping to continue historic Twin City run
Jul. 26—CHAMPAIGN — Heading into its 95th year, the Twin City Golf Championship continues to produce historic storylines. Starting back in 1929, Burnham Harris and Bill Percival traded the title through the first four years. Fast-forward to the '80s, and Joe Burden and Jim Thompson went back and forth a few times. A couple decades later, Clayton Parkhill won four championships in a five-year ...
Competitive practices 'just fun' as Illini aim to elevate program
Jul. 25—CHAMPAIGN — The vibe coming from practices at Ubben Basketball Complex has been a different one this summer. You won't hear Shauna Green complaining. The third-year Illinois women's basketball coach is happy with what she's seen so far. Even with eight returning players, the Illini didn't stand pat this offseason, adding high-level transfers with sophomore guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger ...
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