June 17, 2009
Champaign, Ill. -
A pair of NCAA champions have been named the 2008-09 winners of the Dike Eddleman Awards, which goes to the top male and female athletes at the University of Illinois. Gymnast Paul Ruggeri, who won NCAA titles on both the parallel bars and high bar and Angela Bizzarri, who last week won the national title in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, are this year's Eddleman recipients. This is the first time since 2003 that both recipients were NCAA champions. In addition, the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics handed out its Male and Female Newcomers of the Year, respectively, to Andrew Riley of track & field and Michelle Bartsch of volleyball.
Bizzarri, who claims the Eddleman honor for the second straight year, won the 5,000-meter title going away, bettering second place by some nine seconds. That marked her seventh All-America honor in her three-year collegiate career combined in cross country and indoor and outdoor track. The sophomore from Mason, Ohio, also holds six school records, including a personal best time of 15:37.39 in the 5,000 meters from the Mt. SAC Relays, which is the 15th fastest time by any American this year. Bizzarri set a meet record in winning the Big Ten title in the 5,000 meters and claimed the Mideast Regional title in the event for the second straight year. In addition, she was named USTFCCCA Midwest Region Track Athlete of the Year.
In the fall, Bizzarri placed sixth at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, tying the best-ever finish for an Illinois athlete at the national meet. She reset her own school 6K record in that meet while leading the Illini to their fourth straight top-10 national finish. During the indoor track season, Bizzarri placed fourth in the 3,000 meters at the NCAA Championships and set school records in both the 3,000 (9:11.62) and 5,000 (16:07.50) at the Big Ten Indoor Championships.
"It's an honor to win this award again," Bizzarri said. "There are so many great athletes at Illinois, both past and present. When you look at the list of past winners, there are a lot of big names and those who have had a lot of success at the professional level. It's cool to be mentioned in the same company. Your goal as an athlete is always to continue to improve, no matter what you have already accomplished. After my season last year, I didn't know what was going to happen this year, so I just kept working as hard as I could and kept the same mindset. I'm happy everything worked out and I stayed healthy."
Ruggeri is on pace to become one of the most celebrated gymnasts in Illinois' storied history. The Manlius, N.Y., native capped an impressive sophomore season by winning individual national titles on both the parallel bars and high bar. The First Team All-Big Ten selection also won conference championships on parallel bars and floor while leading the Fighting Illini to their first Big Ten championship in five years. The season also included being crowned the U.S. National High Bar champion at the Winter Cup Challenge. In addition, Ruggeri charted 28 top-three finishes and 13 individual event titles despite missing four competitions due to injury.
"It is an honor to receive such a prestigious award and be recognized by the University that I love," Ruggeri said. "To be singled out as the top male athlete at Illinois is incredible because there are so many amazing competitors here. My coach (Justin Spring) won this award twice and went on to win a bronze medal at the Olympics, which is exciting because that is one of the goals I hope to achieve. To be in the same company as him and other Illini greats, shows how Illinois can prepare athletes for the world stage."
The University of Illinois Newcomers of the Year also have impressive credentials.
Riley finished the outdoor season as an All-American, placing fifth in the 110-meter hurdles at the NCAA Championships. He earned All-America status indoors after placing sixth in the 60-meter hurdles at the NCAA Indoor meet in March. The Kingston, Jamaica, native made the most of his time as an Illini after enrolling in school in January. His time of 13.61 in the 110 hurdles at the Drake Relays shattered the Illinois record by .11 seconds. Riley was named Big Ten Indoor Freshman of the Year after winning the 60-meter hurdles at the conference meet with a school record time of 7.72. He also placed fourth at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in the 110-meter hurdles.
Bartsch burst on the Illinois volleyball scene a year after the nation's sixth-rated recruiting class. Their combined efforts earned Illinois its 10th NCAA Sweet 16 berth and first since 2003. The versatile and talented Bartsch played middle blocker for the U.S. Junior National Team, which won gold at the 2008 NORCECA Championships where Bartsch was named the top server of the championships. The Maryville, Ill., native and Collinsville High School graduate played right side for Illinois in the fall, earning Big Ten and NCAA Mideast Regional Freshman of the Year. The Honorable Mention All-Midwest Regional choice ranked seventh in the Big Ten in blocks per set.
The University of Illinois Athlete of the Year was first awarded in 1940. The award was given annually until it was discontinued in 1973. Since 1982, the University of Illinois has recognized both a Male and Female Athlete of the Year. In 1993, the awards were named in honor of the 11-time UI letterman and former Olympian, Dwight "Dike" Eddleman. The Newcomer and Spirit Awards have been presented each year since 1990.
The other major awards were named on April 28 at the Scholar-Athlete reception. Basketball's Trent Meacham and soccer's Emily Zurrer earned the Big Ten Medal of Honor while Chester Frazier from basketball and Kayani Turner from volleyball were named the Male and Female Spirit Award winners, respectively.
All-Time Illinois Athletes of the Year
1940 William J. Hapac, basketball & baseball
1941 John Drish, basketball & baseball
1942 Andy Phillip, basketball & baseball
1943 Andy Phillip, basketball & baseball
1944 Buddy Young, football & track
1945 Walton "Junior" Kirk, basketball
1946 Herbert McKenley, track
1947 Alex Agase, football & wrestling
1948 Dwight "Dike" Eddleman, football, basketball & track
1949 Dwight "Dike" Eddleman, football, basketball & track
1950 Russell Steger, football & baseball
1951 Don Sunderlage, basketball
1952 Charles Boerio, football
1953 Clive Follmer, basketball & baseball
1954 J.C. Caroline, football
1955 Paul Judson, basketball
1956 Em Lindbeck, football & baseball
1957 Abe Woodson, football & track
1958 Bob Mitchell, football & track
1959 Abe Grossfeld, gymnastics
1960 Bill Burrell, football
1961 Bill Brown, football & track
1962 Doug Mills, football, basketball & baseball
1963 Harold Holmes, gymnastics
1964 Dick Butkus, football
1965 Dick Butkus, football
1966 Jim Grabowski, football
1967 Jim Dawson, basketball
1968 Dave Scholz, basketball
1969 Dave Scholz, basketball
1970 Mike Price, basketball
1971 Lee LaBadie, track/cross country
1972 Rick Gross, track/cross country
1973-81 Award not given
1982 Tony Eason, football
1983 Tony Eason, football
Marianne Dickerson, track/cross country
1984 Don Thorp, football
Karen Brems, gymnastics
1985 Charles Lake, gymnastics
Kelly McNee, track/cross country
1986 David Williams, football
Jonelle Polk, basketball
1987 Darrin Fletcher, baseball
Mary Eggers, volleyball
1988 Tim Simon, track
Mary Eggers, volleyball
1989 David Zeddies, gymnastics
Mary Eggers, volleyball
1990 Kendall Gill, basketball
Laura Bush, volleyball
1991 Jon Llewellyn, wrestling
Sarah Sharp, basketball
Renee Heiken, golf
1992 Tim Simpson, football
Len Sitko, track/cross country
Renee Heiken, golf
Tonja Buford, track
1993 Marko Koers, track
Tonja Buford, track
1994 Anthony Jones, track
Tina Rogers, volleyball
1995 Dana Howard, football
Steve Marianetti, wrestling
Tonya Williams, track
1996 Kevin Hardy, football
Tonya Williams, track
1997 Ernest Benion, wrestling
Ashley Berggren, basketball
1998 Eric Siebert, wrestling
Ashley Berggren, basketball
Yvonne Harrison, track & field
1999 Oliver Freelove, tennis
Cristy Chapman, volleyball
2000 Jason Anderson, baseball
Jessica Aveyard, swimming
2001 Adam Tirapelle, wrestling
Perdita Felicien, track & field
2002 Kurt Kittner, football
Perdita Felicien, track & field
2003 Amer Delic, tennis
Matt Lackey, wrestling
Perdita Felicien, track & field
2004 Justin Spring, gymnastics
Leisha Alcia, soccer
2005 Deron Williams, basketball
Cassie Hunt, track & field/cross country
2006 Justin Spring, gymnastics
Cassie Hunt, track & field/cross country
2007 Kevin Anderson, tennis
Yvonne Mensah, track & field
2008 J Leman, football
Angela Bizzarri, track & field/cross country
2009 Paul Ruggeri, gymnastics
Angela Bizzarri, track & field/cross country
All-Time Illinois Newcomers of the Year
1990 Steve Bridges, track & field/cross country
Peggy Pullman, gymnastics
1991 Deon Thomas, basketball
Mandy Cunningham, basketball
1992 Marko Koers, track & field
Becky Biehl, golf
1993 Simeon Rice, football
Kirsten Gleis, volleyball
1994 Jerry Turek, tennis
Nicole "Punti" Viernes, gymnastics
1995 Robert Holcombe, football
Erin Borske, volleyball
1996 Karl Roesler, wrestling
Kim Berres, gymnastics
1997 Chris Jones, track & field
Cary Franklin, tennis
Tisha Ponder, track & field
1998 Adam Tirapelle, wrestling
Aleisha Latimer, track & field
1999 Cory Bradford, basketball
Jason Van Swol, track & field
Allison Curtin, basketball
2000 Brandon Lloyd, football
Shavonna Hunter, basketball
2001 Amer Delic, tennis
Phil Stolt, tennis
Jennifer McGaffigan, tennis
Susanna Kallur, track & field
2002 Drew Davidson, baseball
Ashley Williams, gymnastics
2003 Alex Tirapelle, wrestling
Rajeev Ram, tennis
Rachelle Coriddi, softball
2004 E.B. Halsey, football
Cassie Hunt, track & field/cross country
2005 Kevin Anderson, tennis
Macall Harkins, tennis
2006 Kyle Hudson, football/baseball
Julie Crall, gymnastics
2007 Gakologelwang Masheto, track & field
Angela Bizzarri, track & field/cross country
2008 Arrelious Benn, football
Allison Buckley, gymnastics
2009 Andrew Riley, track & field
Michelle Bartsch, volleyball
