ANNUAL REPORT 2005-06 // D IVISIONOF I NTERCOLLEGIATE A THLETICS //U NIVERSITYOF I LLINOIS 2005-06 ANNUAL REPORT Director’s Address . 1 Men’s Basketball . 2 Men’s Gymnastics . 4 Men’s Tennis. 6 Women’s Cross Country . 8 Women’s Track & Field . 10 Soccer . 12 Wrestling . 14 Football . 16 Volleyball . 17 Baseball. 18 Softball . 19 Women’s Basketball . 20 Women’s Gymnastics . 21 Women’s Tennis . 22 DEE BROWN CASSIE HUNT Swimming & Diving . 23 MEN’S BASKETBALL WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY / TRACK & FIELD Men’s Cross Country . 24 BIG TEN MALE MEDAL OF HONOR BIG TEN ATHLETE OF THE YEAR KEVIN ANDERSON & RYAN ROWE Men’s Track & Field . 25 BOB COUSY AWARD WINNER BIG TEN ATHLETE OF THE CHAMPIONSHIPS MEN’S TENNIS Men’sGolf ...............................................26 FRANCES POMERY NAISMITH WINNER 2006 DIKE EDDLEMAN FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONS – DOUBLES Women’s Golf . 27 ALL-AMERICAN, ALL-BIG TEN ALL-AMERICAN, ALL-BIG TEN ALL-AMERICANS, ALL-BIG TEN Sports Awards. 28 National Champions. 29 Athletic Honors. 30-31 Academic Excellence . 23-35 Marketing. 36 Corporate Sponsorships . 37 Compliance . 38 Finance . 39 Varsity “I”. 40 IFUND.................................................40 Donor List. 41-49 Endowments. 50 Planned / Estate Gifts. 51 Community Service. 52-53 Facilities . 54-55 Diversity . 56 CREDITS EXECUTIVE EDITORS: Cassie Arner, Karen Graham, Mike Hatfield, Heather Hoesly, Steve Landrus and Derryl Myles RYLER DEHEART CHRISTEN KARNISKI COVER AND INTERIOR DESIGN: Victor Cortez JUSTIN SPRING YVONNE MENSAH MEN’S GYMNASTICS MEN’S TENNIS WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD SOCCER CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Cassie Arner, Derrick Burson, Victor Cortez, Chris Hanna, Anastacia Harold, Marty Kaufmann, Michael Koon, Kevin Martinez, Tom Michael, NATIONAL CHAMPION – HIGH BAR, PARALLEL BARS BIG TEN ATHLETE OF THE YEAR ATHLETE OF THE INDOOR TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS BIG TEN MEDAL OF HONOR Derek Neal, Joe Pinter, Jeff Schlabowske and Ben Taylor NISSEN-EMERY AWARD ALL-AMERICAN, ALL-BIG TEN ALL-AMERICAN, ALL-BIG TEN BIG TEN CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR ALL-AMERICAN, ALL-BIG TEN PHOTOGRAPHY: Mark Jones, , Kathy Kaler, The Tintype Photography. BIG TEN GYMNAST OF THE YEAR 2006 DIKE EDDLEMAN MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR PRINTING: Custom Color Graphics ALL-AMERICAN, ALL-BIG TEN DIRECTOR’S ADDRESS I am pleased to present you with the second annual report for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of Illinois. In this publication’s opening address last year, I called the 2004-2005 year the The success of Illinois athletics was not, however, limited to the In keeping with that vision, Illinois athletics has embarked on several best in Fighting Illini athletics history. During that memorable campaign, classroom, as Fighting Illini student-athletes reached new heights during exciting building projects that will propel our programs to new heights. Illinois teams captured five Big Ten titles, and our men’s basketball team the 2005-2006 campaign. Our men’s basketball team solidified its Construction is well underway on the Demirjian Indoor Golf Facility. captivated the Illini Nation and basketball fans across the country with its position as one of the leading programs in the country, posting its sixth Ground has been broken on the expansion of the Irwin Academic Services historic march to the NCAA Championship Game. Because of this consecutive 25-win season, the longest such streak in Big Ten history. Center. Expansion of the Eichelberger Softball Field will also begin in the tremendous success, Illinois athletics took a significant step toward Over the past decade, in fact, only Duke has posted more hardwood wins near future. No construction project, however, has captured the establishing itself as one of the nation’s preeminent collegiate athletic than the Fighting Illini. Sixteen consecutive “orange-outs” at the imagination of the Illini Nation quite like the Illinois Renaissance Project, programs. At that time, I challenged our student-athletes, our coaches, Assembly Hall, which translated to the nation’s ninth-highest home the renovation of Historic Memorial Stadium. With construction set to our administration, and our fans and donors to continue pushing season attendance, said farewell to two of the most decorated and adored commence following the 2006 football season, the Illinois Renaissance themselves toward even greater heights. Now, looking back at the 2005- players in Illinois hoops history, Dee Brown and James Augustine. promises to furnish every Illini fan with a game day experience unrivaled 2006 year, I am proud to say that there is plenty of fight in the Illini. by any other stadium in the country. Memorial Stadium, long a fixture on We continue to climb. We continue to lead. And we continue to win. In football, Ron Zook experienced some growing pains in his first year at the central Illinois landscape, will gain new life with the most sweeping the helm of the Orange and Blue, but his young Illini provided glimpses changes it has seen in its eight-decade existence, all done while This sustained success is only possible through the commitment to of what the future holds. The team’s aggressive style and enthusiastic play maintaining the historic qualities and architectural beauty of our beloved excellence of our student-athletes, the vision and preparation of our encouraged the Illini faithful, and, after a productive off-season featuring stadium. Once completed, the renovated Memorial Stadium will be coaches, the boundless work ethic of our staff, and the generosity and a top-30 recruiting class filled with promising young athletes, all look unmatched in beauty, history, and modern technology. loyalty of our donors and fans. Thank you for the role that you play in forward to seeing great improvement this fall. providing Illinois student-athletes the resources necessary to propel them As you can see, the state of Illinois athletics has never been stronger. to championships on the field and honors in the classroom. Because of Other highlights include a near-NCAA title for our men’s gymnastics But we must fight the temptation to grow complacent, and we must never your efforts, Illinois student-athletes leave the University prepared to be team, which came within 0.425 points of claiming the nation’s highest settle for mediocrity. At the University of Illinois, we remain dedicated to winners in more than their respective sports. They are prepared to be prize. Illini gymnast Justin Spring won two individual event national titles building champions, on and off the field. To achieve these goals, winners in life. and was awarded the Nissen-Emery Award, which is given annually to the we must never compromise. We operate with integrity. We build on our nation’s outstanding senior gymnast. In men’s tennis, Kevin Anderson tradition. And we stand tall with honor. Because we do things the right This attitude pervades our programs. A primary goal of Illinois athletics and Ryan Rowe won the 2006 NCAA Doubles Championship and the way, at the end of the day, our programs win. And more importantly, is to model our young men and women into well-rounded, intelligent, team advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the fifth consecutive season. so do our people. and conscientious adults. One way that we strive to meet this challenge is On the women’s side, our women’s cross country team enjoyed the best through the CHAMPS Life Skills program, which emphasizes growth in season in its history, finishing fifth at the NCAA Championships. Junior Thank you again for the important role that you play in the continued five areas: academic and athletic excellence, personal and career Cassie Hunt, the first Illinois athlete to ever win the individual Big Ten success of the Fighting Illini. It is only through the hard work and development, and community service. In the fall of 2005, the Illinois cross country crown, was named the 2005 Big Ten Athlete of the Year and dedication of the many people supporting our programs that we are able CHAMPS Life Skills program earned the Program of Excellence Award repeated her performance as the UI Dike Eddleman Female Athlete of the to continue our climb to the top of the Big Ten and the NCAA. I hope from the Division I-A Athletic Directors’ Association, recognizing the Year. Another highlight for our women’s programs was Yvonne Mensah that you take great pride in the past accomplishments of our programs, program’s efforts to promote the complete student-athlete experience at capturing three Big Ten titles at the Indoor Track Championships in the and I encourage you to join me in looking toward the future. Even greater the University of Illinois. long jump, triple jump, and 60-meter dash. These are but only a few of things are yet to come. the many successes our teams and individual student-athletes experienced An essential part of that experience is providing a world-class education, during the 2005-2006 seasons. All of these tremendous accomplishments GO ILLINI! and Fighting Illini student-athletes continue to excel in classrooms and are detailed in the coming pages. laboratories across campus. During the 2005-2006 academic year, Illinois athletic teams combined to post an impressive 3.006 grade-point average, As we continue our ascent among the nation’s elite athletic programs, it is 1 with 13 of our 19 varsity sports achieving team grade-point averages vital that we keep our eyes focused on the horizon. Preparation in the 2005-06 ILLINOIS ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT above 3.000 during the spring semester. When measured using the present breeds success in the future, and those of us in Illinois athletics are Ron Guenther NCAA’s Academic Progress Rating (APR), Illinois tied for third in the Big dedicated to sustaining our steady progress through precise planning, Director of Athletics Ten with an APR of 976, well above the national average, and our men’s aggressive recruiting, strategic personnel decisions, and bold facility basketball and baseball teams posted the highest APRs within their expansion.