It’s been a great first semester of Illinois sports. There’s been a lot of winning and many studs performing at the highest level. In the spirit of sitting down with family and stuffing your face with food, some of our sports writers got together and got in the Thanksgiving mood. So, considering our famILLy, here are the Illini who feasted this season.
Pat Bryant: With his record-breaking year, senior wide receiver Pat Bryant has much to be thankful for this holiday season. Bryant is no stranger to feasting. With nine touchdowns so far, he has tied his touchdown total from his three previous seasons at Illinois.
Bryant will likely cross the 1,000 receiving yards mark by the end of his season as he currently stands with 914 yards. He is also the No. 20 receiver across all conferences and the No. 2 leader in the Big Ten.
Bryant’s success comes from being on the field as a captain and off the field as a role model for the rest of the team. He mentioned how he aspires to be more than a great player but someone who encourages the rest of his teammates.
“I hope I leave a long-lasting legacy,” Bryant said. “Not only on the field but in the locker room, so guys can understand what it takes to have success in this game. Coach B (Bielema) even allowed me to do it and just tell them my story and how I got to where I am today.”
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Following his senior day, Bryant made history at Memorial Stadium. Bryant’s program legacy will continue as he holds the title for the most touchdown receptions in a single season in stadium history.
“I feel I’ve been putting on the show the whole season,” Bryant said. “To put my final stuff on my senior night, last night at Memorial Stadium was special.”
He wasn’t finished, though. In his final game before our holiday of thanks, Bryant made every alum thankful for Illinois football. A game-winning touchdown that seemed improbable in the final minute brought Illinois to 8-3 on the season. It was just the latest example of Bryant eating opposing defenses alive like he’s done all year.
Bryant feasted this season, contributing to the magnitude of the success the Illini achieved. He has certainly given Illini fans something to be thankful for this season.
Chloe Diner: It’s just her first Thanksgiving with the Illini, but freshman swimmer Chloe Diner is feasting on the college competition. As an Illinois high school All-American and All-State swimmer for Oswego East, the Illini were excited to land her commitment. She has exceeded all expectations in her first couple of months in Champaign.
In the first road meet of the year, Diner picked up multiple silver medals and added a program record to her resume. In her remaining time at Illinois, the only person she has to beat is herself for the 100 breaststroke. Diner added a couple more personal bests at Southern Illinois to help the team advance to 5-0 on the year.
One program record wasn’t going to cut it for the first year, however, and she got back to work in Iowa City just before Thanksgiving break. Diner added the 200 individual medley to her list of program records after she wiped the competition with an impressive 1:58.32. She also participated in a 400 medley relay for a school record later in the meet.
Although it’s early, Diner certainly appears to be on a one-way track to becoming one of the greatest Illinois swimmers in program history. She’s already set a high bar, but Diner is hungry for more — a perfect trait for an athlete at this time of year.
Raina Terry: The last Thanksgiving as an Illini for graduate student outside hitter Raina Terry has been a thankful one. It has been nothing short of a record-breaking year for the fifth-year player who has seen it all at this program.
The team’s biggest wish is to make the tournament one last time before her career ends. The last time the team made the postseason was during the 2021 campaign when the Ohio native was just a freshman. Terry’s “never give up” attitude has been the biggest help for the program for the last five years.
“I just do what I always do,” Terry said. “ I tell myself that I can and I will do it. Every team in the Big Ten is good. We come in with an attack mentality, and it shows.”
She is the captain of this team with no debate. The impending hole she will leave after this season will be massive. As a result, head coach Chris Tamas will be in a unique situation this offseason. Regardless, her impact from this year has been nothing short of phenomenal.
Adalia McKenzie: Senior guard Adalia McKenzie has been an integral part of Illinois women’s basketball since her freshman year. She started 15 games and finished as the team’s second-highest scorer.
Now in her fourth season with the Illini, she plays a key role in head coach Shauna Green’s revamped program. Since Green’s takeover, McKenzie has started every game. This is due to McKenzie’s hunger to improve. From last year to now, McKenzie jumped from having a 49.3% field goal percentage to shooting 61% from the floor.
Just five games into her senior season, McKenzie continues proving she deserves that starting spot. She is the team’s second-highest scorer once again, averaging 13 points per game. She was the only Illini to score double-digit points in the first four games. She is also one of 34 players in program history to score 1,000 career points.
Her impact is not limited to offense; she’s similarly excellent at lockdown defense. Her teammate, sophomore guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger, praised McKenzie’s defensive leadership at the beginning of the season.
“(Adalia) is always guarding the best players on other teams,” Brown-Hagger said.
Her impressive defensive appetite shows in the stats. McKenzie snatches loose balls with ease and has grabbed 24 rebounds so far. She boxes out effectively on offense and defense, splitting that total into 11 offensive boards and 13 defensive. She also has four steals and one block.
McKenzie is a player who sets the tone for Illinois games. She has scoring intensity combined with a strong defensive influence. She is poised to have a memorable senior campaign and is an invaluable leader to the team.
