March 28, 2008
Park Ridge, Ill. -
A total of 37 Illinois athletes from six winter sports have been named Academic All-Big Ten. To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, student-athletes must be letterwinners in at least their second academic year at their institution and carry a career grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better. Illinois athletes honored include two from men's basketball, four from women's basketball, seven from men's gymnastics, six from women's gymnastics, 14 from women's swimming & diving and four from wrestling.
The winter honorees include three-year starter Brian Randle from men's basketball, all-time three-point record holder Lori Bjork from women's basketball, men's gymnastics' Jon Drollinger, Luke Stannard, and Tyler Yamauchi were nationally ranked in their respective events, women's gymnastics' Julie Crall and Nicole Cowart, who were nationally ranked as well and wrestling's John Dergo, who qualified for the NCAA Championships.
Here is a complete list of those Illini honored:
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Name Year Major Hometown
Trent Meacham JR Recreation, Sport & Tourism Champaign, Ill.
Brian Randle GR Recreation, Sport & Tourism East Peoria, Ill.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Name Year Major Hometown
Lori Bjork JR Political Science Johnston, Iowa
Rebecca Harris SR Speech Communication Belleville, Ill.
Erin McCarthy JR Speech Communication Tulsa, Okla.
Lacey Simpson SO Recreation, Sport & Tourism Zion, Ill.
MEN'S GYMNASTICS
Name Year Major Hometown
Michael Boyer SR Advertising Northbrook, Ill.
Ross Bradley SR Speech Communication Naperville, Ill.
Jon Drollinger SR Sociology Hoopeston, Ill.
Chris Lung JR Business Administration Lexington, Mass.
Chris Silcox SR Theatre San Antonio, Texas
Luke Stannard SO Psychology Waukegan, Ill.
Tyler Yamauchi SR Kinesiology Sugarland, Texas
WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS
Name Year Major Hometown
Marijka Botterman JR Speech Communication New Lenox, Ill.
Nicole Cowart SO Business Greenwood, Ill.
Julie Crall JR Business Administration Cincinnati, Ohio
Kimberly Kruk JR Spanish Carol Stream, Ill.
Michelle McGrady SR Accountancy Buffalo Grove, Ill.
Lindsey Smith JR Community Health Collinsville, Ill.
WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING
Name Year Major Hometown
Kyla Bachtell SO Business Naperville, Ill.
Abbey Bernardo SR Kinesiology Chicago, Ill.
Marissa Clapp JR Kinesiology Danville, Ill.
Mallory Craft SR Psychology Ft. Thomas, Ky.
Amy Forsberg SO Kinesiology Downers Grove, Ill.
Morgan Gilman SO Business Champaign, Ill.
Jennifer Ivarson SO Molecular & Cellular Biology Oak Brook, Ill.
Anna Johnson SO Psychology Quincy, Ill.
Alicia Keehn JR Kinesiology Mt. Morris, Mich.
Kristin Kloeckener SO Kinesiology St. Louis, Mo.
CeCe Marizu SO Journalism Reno, Nev.
Nicole Spillone SO Pre-Early/Elementary Special Education Mundelein, Ill.
Kellie Stevens SR Finance Champaign, Ill.
Katie Theissen JR Community Health Edgewood, Ky.
WRESTLING
Name Year Major Hometown
Clint Arlis JR Architecture Batavia, Ill.
John Dergo SO Kinesiology Morris, Ill.
David Gleissner SR Mechanical Engineering Ashton, Ill.
Troy Tirapelle SR Advertising Clovis, Calif.
