Former Illini football player Bobby Mitchell passes away at 84
By Carson Gourdie, Assistant Sports Editor
April 6, 2020
Former Illinois running back Bobby Mitchell has passed away at the age of 84. His cause of death was not disclosed. Mitchell, who was also on the track team, battled injuries as a player, totaling only 712 total yards of offense in his collegiate career, but what Mitchell did after college was truly...
Two deals shake baseball world
By Rich Eberwein, Staff Writer
April 6, 2020
With baseball still on hold until further notice, two game-changing decisions have been made over the past two weeks that will have long-lasting effects on the game for years to come. The first decision came on March 30, when the NCAA Division I Council, mostly made up of athletic directors, decided...
Alan Griffin announces transfer to Syracuse
By Jackson Janes, Assistant Sports Editor
April 5, 2020
Former Illinois sophomore guard Alan Griffin announced he will be transferring to Syracuse University next season. Griffin entered the transfer portal on March 24, via a post on his personal Twitter account. Griffin averaged 8.9 points per game for the Illini this season, shooting a team-high 41.6%...
Illini of the season: Carter, McCool shine among talented roster
By Bradley Zimmerman, Staff Writer
April 5, 2020
The Illinois men’s gymnastics team had only two regular-season competitions left in its 2020 season and was starting to look forward to the postseason. The team had accumulated an 8-3-1 record, including a perfect 5-0-0 record at Huff Hall, and notched wins over ranked Big Ten foes Michigan, Nebraska and...
Illinois’ leading scorer transfers to North Carolina
By Nithin Reddy, Staff Writer
April 4, 2020
Former Illinois women’s basketball player Petra Holešínská officially announced via her Instagram and Twitter that she will transfer to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The redshirt junior guard previously announced on March 11 that she would be leaving Illinois but was still in...
Illini of the season: All-American Wells continues success
By Renato Arteaga, Staff Writer
April 4, 2020
MVP and Senior who will be missed: Jonathan Wells Redshirt senior Jonathan Wells has accomplished quite a lot for the Illinois men's track and field team. The Fox Lake native is a six-time All-American who has excelled in the high jump, long jump and heptathlon events. Wells has won ...
Illini lose spring season, workouts
By Josh Pietsch, Staff Writer
April 4, 2020
The outbreak of COVID-19 didn’t cut the Illinois volleyball team’s season short, but it is already starting to affect their 2020 fall season. A loss of workouts, team-bonding and time for planning their upcoming season puts the Illini in an unexpectedly difficult position. The spring season is very i...
Head coach Fahey receives contract extension
By Claire O'Brien, Staff Writer
April 3, 2020
Illinois women’s basketball head coach Nancy Fahey’s contract was extended Friday, pending approval from the UI Board of Trustees, according to a press release sent out by Fighting Illini Athletics. The contract goes through 2025. Fahey came to Illinois from Washington University in St. Louis in 20...
Illinois struggles to recruit in-state prospects
By Alec Busse, Assistant Video Editor
April 3, 2020
Lovie Smith became the head football coach at Illinois in the spring of 2016. Because of the timing of his hiring, Smith’s first recruiting class came in 2017. In his three full recruiting classes, only 20 players have come from in-state high schools. In the 2019 and 2020 recruiting classes...
Illini of the season: Team shows promise for future despite shortened season
By Jackson Janes, Assistant Sports Editor
April 3, 2020
The Illinois women’s gymnastics team climbed as high as sixth in the nation to open the season before falling to No. 24 before the season was prematurely canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving plenty of unanswered questions. What if freshman star Mia Takekawa had been able to make her deb...
Travel advisories affects international student-athlete
By Angelle Cortes, Staff Writer
April 2, 2020
Amidst the cancellations of in-person school and sports, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker placed the state under a shelter-in-place order. Getting home wasn’t so easy for freshman Jeanri Buys who is from Johannesburg, South Africa. “I had to change my flights back home four times,” Buys said. Be...
Illini of the season: Bright spots from a tough year
By Nithin Reddy, Staff Writer
April 2, 2020
The Illinois women’s basketball team once again struggled. For the seventh straight year, the Illini failed to reach .500 on the season, and Illinois won just two games in conference play. With that said, the Illini had some great individual performances this season. MVP: Petra Holešínská With Pe...
