Award History | DIA Awards | @IlliniAthletics
Champaign, Ill. – The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) announced Tuesday its 2019-20 Freshmen of the Year. Mia Takekawa (gymnastics) and Kofi Cockburn (basketball) have been named winners of the annual award, presented to the top male and female freshman competing for the Fighting Illini. The recipients were selected by vote of Illinois head coaches, DIA executive staff and the DIA athletics awards committee.
Cockburn becomes the second straight and fifth overall basketball player to win Illinois Male Freshman of the Year. He joins Ayo Dosunmu (2019), D.J. Richardson (2010), Cory Bradford (1999) and Deon Thomas (1991) as men's basketball freshman of the year winners.
Takekawa is the seventh gymnast to win Illinois Female Freshman of the Year since the award began in 1990, and the first since 2008. Takekawa joins Allison Buckley (2008), Julie Crall (2006), Ashley Williams (2002), Kim Berres (1996), Nicole Viernes (1994) and Peggy Pullman (1990) as freshman of the year recipients from the women's gymnastics program.
The Fighting Freshman of the Year Finalists are usually recognized at the annual Oskee Awards, with the winners announced following the completion of the spring seasons. However due to the COVID-19 pandemic that ended the 2019-20 athletic seasons early, this year's ceremony was canceled. Even without the Oskee Awards celebration, the academic and on-field achievements of Fighting Illini student-athletes are still being recognized by @IlliniAthletics and on fightingillini.com:
May 8 » Academic and miscellaneous honors
May 11 » Fighting Illini Spirit Awards
May 12 » Illinois Freshmen of the Year
May 13 » Dike Eddleman Athletes of the Year
May 14 » Big Ten Medal of Honor
MIA TAKEKAWA | Women's Gymnastics
- Recorded the first perfect 10 on beam in Illini history
- Won 10 individual titles, the most by an Illini freshman since 2008
- Two-time Big Ten Gymnast of the Week and Freshman of the Week
- Also recorded the second-best beam score in program history with a 9.975 at Kentucky
- Just the fourth Illini gymnast to record a perfect 10 on any apparatus
- Season cut short due to COVID-19
KOFI COCKBURN | Men's Basketball
- Big Ten Freshman of the Year by both league coaches and media and Big Ten Newcomer of the Year by the Associated Press
- Big Ten All-Freshman Team and seven-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, amassing the second-most weekly freshman awards in league history
- Top rebounding freshman in Illini history (8.8 rpg) and No. 5 freshman scorer in school history (13.3 ppg)
- Big Ten Player of the Week (Nov. 25) after breaking Illini freshman single-game rebounding record with 17 boards vs. The Citadel
- Fourth-leading rebounder among NCAA freshmen, and ranked third among NCAA freshmen in offensive rebounds
- 12 double-doubles (points-rebounds), ranking fifth among all freshmen nationally and shattering the previous Illini freshman season record of six
- Season cut short due to COVID-19
2019-20 Illinois Freshman of the Year Nominees
Female Freshman Nominees (9)
Kennedi Myles, Basketball
Emma Wilson, Cross Country
Mia Takekawa, Gymnastics
Kendra Pasquale, Soccer
Delaney Rummell, Softball
Athena Salafatinos, Swimming
Josie Frazier, Tennis
Olivia Howell, Track & Field
Diana Brown, Volleyball
Male Freshman Nominees (7)
Kofi Cockburn, Basketball
Jack Roberts, Cross Country
Casey Washington, Football
Jerry Ji, Golf
Connor McCool, Gymnastics
Jason Thormo, Track & Field
Danny Braunagel, Wrestling
Fighting Illini Freshman of the Year Award History
