Female Finalists | Male Finalists | Award History

Champaign, Ill. - The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) announced Wednesday its 2016-17 Newcomers of the Year. Volleyball outside hitter Jacqueline Quade (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and men's golf standout Michael Feagles (Scottsdale, Ariz.) have been named winners of the annual award, presented to the top male and female newcomers competing in their first season with the Fighting Illini. The recipients were selected by vote of Illinois head coaches, DIA executive staff and the DIA athletics awards committee.

JACQUELINE QUADE | Volleyball

• Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection played in all 31 matches at outside hitter
• Second on the Illini with 304 kills, recording double-digit kills in 16 matches
• Set a career-high with 18 kills in victory at Maryland (Oct. 2)
• Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Sept. 26)
• Nike Invitational All-Tournament Team

Quade becomes the sixth volleyball player overall and third straight to win Illinois Female Newcomer of the Year, following Kirsten Gleis (1993), Erin Borske (1995), Michelle Bartsch (2009), Brandi Donnelly (2015) and Jordyn Poulter (2016).

MICHAEL FEAGLES | Golf

• Big Ten Freshman of the Year
• First-Team All-Big Ten selection
• Made the Illini lineup in every tournament of the season, ranking fourth on the team with a 73.11 stroke average
• Recorded 10 top-25 finishes in 13 tournaments, including four top-five individual finishes
• Shot a career-best 54-hole tournament score of 10-under-par 206 to place fourth at the Lone Star Invitational

Feagles becomes the first golfer to win Fighting Illini Male Newcomer of the Year since the award began in 1990.

Fighting Illini Newcomer of the Year Award History