Excellence
NCAA Champions
- Angela Bizzarri
Cross Country
Indoor Track & Field, 3,000 meters - Scott Langley
Men's Golf - Andrew Riley
Outdoor Track & Field, 110 meter hurdles
Big Ten Champions
- Angela Bizzarri
Women's Indoor Track & Field (5,000-meters)
Women's Indoor Track & Field (3,000-meters)
Women's Outdoor Track & Field (1,500 meters)
Women's Outdoor Track & Field (5,000 meters) - John Dergo
Wrestling (184 pounds) - Aja Evans
Women's Indoor Track & Field (shot put) - C.J. Padera
Men's Gymnastics (parallel bars) - Daniel Ribeiro
Men's Gymnastics (pommel horse) - Andrew Riley
Men's Indoor Track & Field (60-meter hurdles)
Men's Outdoor Track & Field (100 meters)
Men's Outdoor Track & Field (110-meter hurdles) - Paul Ruggeri
Men's Gymnastics (vault)
Men's Gymnastics (high bar)
2009-10 Illinois Athletic Highlights
- The University of Illinois athletic teams finished 35th in the 2009-10 Learfield Sports Director's Cup, which honors the nation's best overall athletic program. Nine of Illinois' 19 teams finished in the top 25 nationally including two in the top 15 — men's gymnastics (4) and women's cross country (12). Fifteen of 19 teams advanced to postseason competition.
- The Illinois men's gymnastics team reached the NCAA Team Finals for the eighth-straight year, finishing fourth. Under first-year associate head coach Justin Spring, the squad earned a second-straight Big Ten title, the 2010 Nissen-Emery Award, five All-America honors, four Big Ten titles and two U.S. National team selections. At the NCAA Championships, Luke Stannard took home the Nissen-Emery Award, given to the nation's top senior gymnast, the night before the start of competition. Tyler Mizoguchi earned All-America honors in the all-around, while Williamson and Anthony Sacramento took home the honors on rings, Stannard on pommel horse and Chad Wiest earned them on floor exercise.
- Led by NCAA champion Angela Bizzarri, the Illinois women's cross country team finished 12th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Bizzarri was named the Cross Country Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association and also won the Honda Sports Award in cross country, given to the nationa's top collegiate female cross country runner. In track, Bizzarri won the 3,000 meter NCAA indoor title and junior Aja Evans earned All-America honors in the shot put. At the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships, junior Tamika Robinson took All-America honors in the 100 meter hurdles and Evans took home another shot put All-America honor.
- Illinois' women's gymnasts Allison Buckley and Sarah Schmidt advanced to the NCAA Championships, with Buckley earning All-America honors on vault, making her the first two-time NCAA All-American in school history.
- Despite a tough dual-meet season, the Illini wrestling team found individual success at the Big Ten and NCAA Championships. Senior 184-pounder John Dergo captured a Big Ten championship and earned All-America honors, while sophomore 174-pounder Jordan Blanton out-performed his No. 10 seed at NCAAs in finishing fifth to grab his first career All-America honor.
- Illinois' men's golf won its second-straight Big Ten title and placed 19th at the NCAA Championships, led by junior NCAA champion Scott Langley. Langley was named Big Ten Player of the Year and head coach Mike Small was named Big Ten Coach of the Year. Langley also earned first-team All-America honors and the Division I Arnold Palmer Award, which is given annually to the NCAA titlist. Langley continued his strong play throughout the summer, finishing 16th at the U.S. Open.
- Illinois' volleyball team advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the 11th time in school history and the first time in consecutive seasons since 1988-89. Junior Laura DeBruler was named a first-team All-American, while sophomore Michelle Bartsch, junior Johannah Bangert and junior Hillary Haen all were honorable mention All-Americans.
- The Illini softball team reached the NCAA tournament for the second-straight year after finishing second in the Big Ten. Illinois finished the year 45-8, the best record in program history, and first baseman Meredith Hackett was a first-team All-America selection by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, the third All-American in program history and second to earn first-team honors.
- Sophomore Andrew Riley capped off an outstanding season by winning the 110m hurdles national title at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The Kingston, Jamaica, native clocked a personal-best and school-record time of 13.45 to earn the crown at Oregon's Hayward Field, giving Illinois its first NCAA champion since 1996 when Marko Koers took home the 1,500m title. Illinois also had its best team finish in 14 years, as it tied for 27th overall with the 10 points from Riley.
- Fifty-nine (59) Illini were named to All-Big Ten teams and 18 were All-Americans.
Awards
- Angela Bizzarri // Cross Country / Track & Field
Honda Award for Cross Country
National Cross Country Athlete of the Year
Cross Country Midwest Region Athlete of the Year
Big Ten Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year - Aja Evans // Women's Indoor Track & Field
Big Ten Co-Field Athlete of the Championships - Ivan Ivankov // Men's Gymnastics
Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year - Scott Langley // Men's Golf
Big Ten Player of the Year
Arnold Palmer Award - Yoshi Mori // Men's Gymnastics
Co-Freshman of the Year - D.J. Richardson // Men's Basketball
Big Ten Freshman of the Year - Andrew Riley // Track & Field
Big Ten Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year
Big Ten Athlete of the Outdoor Championships - Mike Small // Men's Golf
Big Ten Coach of the Year - Terri Sullivan // Softball
Big Ten Coach of the Year - Justin Spring // Men's Gymnastics
Central Region Coach of the Year, Big Ten Coach of the Year - Luke Stannard // Men's Gymnastics
Nissen-Emery Award - Bob Starkell // Women's Gymnastics
Big Ten Co-Coach of the Year
All-Americans
- Jon Asamoah
Football - Johannah Bangert
Volleyball - Michelle Bartsch
Volleyball - Angela Bizzarri
Women's Cross Country
Women's Indoor Track & Field (3,000 meters) - Jordan Blanton
Wrestling (174 pounds) - Allison Buckley
Women's Gymnastics (vault) - Laura DeBruler
Volleyball - John Dergo
Wrestling (184 pounds) - Meredith Hackett
Softball - Hillary Haen
Volleyball - Scott Langley
Men's Golf - Tyler Mizoguchi
Men's Gymnastics (all-around) - Andrew Riley
Men's Outdoor Track & Field (110-meter hurdles)
Men's Indoor Track & Field (60-meter hurdles) - Anthony Sacramento
Men's Gymnastics (still rings) - Luke Stannard
Men's Gymnastics (pommel horse) - Chad Wiest
Men's Gymnastics (floor exercise) - Tyler Williamson
Men's Gymnastics (still rings)
All-Big Ten
- Jon Asamoah
Football - Stanley Azie
Men's Outdoor Track & Field - Zach Barlow
Men's Golf - Johannah Bangert
Volleyball - Michelle Bartsch
Volleyball - Melissa Bates
Women's Indoor Track & Field - Alecia Beckford-Stewart
Women's Indoor Track & Field
Women's Outdoor Track & Field - Arrelious Benn
Football - Angela Bizzarri
Women's Cross Country
Women's Indoor Track & Field
Women's Outdoor Track & Field - Ryisha Boyd
Women's Indoor Track & Field
All-Big Ten (cont.)
- Elizabeth Boyle
Women's Cross Country - Allison Buckley
Women's Gymnastics - Nicole Cowert
Women's Gymnastics - Marek Czerwinski
Men's Tennis - Mike Davis
Men's Basketball - Laura DeBruler
Volleyball - Chris DeForest
Men's Golf - John Dergo
Wrestling - Aja Evans
Women's Indoor Track & Field
Women's Outdoor Track & Field - Melissa Fernandez
Women's Gymnastics - Megan Fudge
Women's Tennis - Pepper Gay
Softball - Marissa Golliday
Women's Indoor Track & Field - Chantelle Groenewoud
Women's Cross Country - Luke Guthrie
Men's Golf - Meredith Hackett
Softball - Hillary Haen
Volleyball - Hope Howell
Softball - Bai Kabba
Men's Outdoor Track & Field - Ashley Kelly
Women's Indoor Track & Field
Women's Outdoor Track & Field - Scott Langley
Men's Golf - Mikel Leshoure
Football - Brian Liscovitz
Men's Gymnastics - Demetri McCamey
Men's Basketball - Cheria Morgan
Women's Outdoor Track & Field - Dennis Nevolo
Men's Tennis - Clay Nurse
Football - C.J. Padera
Men's Gymnastics - Josh Parr
Baseball - Monica Perry
Softball - Hollie Pinchback
Softball - Daniel Ribeiro
Men's Gymnastics - Andrew Riley
Men's Track & Field - Tamika Robinson
Women's Outdoor Track & Field - Paul Ruggeri
Men's Gymnastics - Sarah Schmidt
Women's Gymnastics - Azeez Shogbuyi
Men's Outdoor Track & Field - Lacey Simpson
Women's Basketball - Jenna Smith
Women's Basketball - Kayla Smith
Women's Outdoor Track & Field - Kristin Sutherland
Women's Cross Country - Mike Tisdale
Men's Basketball - Juice Williams
Football - Danielle Zymkowitz
Softball
