Gail Hannam was a two-year letterwinner for the Illini in 1975 and 1976 as part of the program's first ever teams. She is currently the head women's golf coach at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, Illinois, and retired from teaching from Bushnell-PC School District. 

Gail Hannam  

Hometown: Galesburg, Ill.
Current Hometown: Galesburg, Ill.
Major/Minor: Music Education
I chose Illinois because: Because of the quality Music program
Favorite team memory: Spring break trip to Biloxi.
Favorite campus spot: Green Street and Garcia's Pizza

How did the University of Illinois prepare you for your career?
I was ready to be a teacher, although some things about teaching cannot be learned at school.

What has been the most valuable lesson you learned from your time at Illinois?
Whatever you do, give it your best effort and you will succeed.

How did the U of I help you grow during your college journey (golf, academics, personal)?
The golf team was where I made my friends. It also was my escape from the grind of school. I love to play the game and golf truly helped me get through school.

How did being a member of the Illinois Women's Golf Team impact you?
It fueled by love for game. Presently, I am still addicted to the game and play at least five times a week. I currently am the President of the Illinois Women's Golf Association (which I was introduced to during college by my Coach Betsy Kimpel, who was a former board member). I coach at a community college in by hometown and love it. Golf is a huge part of my life.

How would you describe your relationship with your teammates and coaches?
Lifetime friendships that are so special. We stayed connected for many years after graduation and then loss contact with each other for numerous years. After years of not seeing each other, my teammate Janice Kimpel ask me to play in the IWGA Seniors. We talked another teammate Rhonda Leech Johnson into joining us and we have made this a yearly event for many years. We also plan at least one get together with the three of us and add in teammate Becky Beach for the perfect foursome. In 2019 the four us played one of the last rounds at Stone Creek before it closed. We got rained out the second day, so we walked the quad and toured campus. It was so much fun.

What skills did you gain/develop by being an Illini student-athlete?
Time management was probably the best skill I learned

What do you miss most from your time on campus?
The time spent with friends

What advice would you like to share with our current team members?
Friendships you make will last and be special for a lifetime. And even if you don't play golf after college, the game will always be there for you when you're ready to take it up again. Don't give up on golf, it's a great game.

Top item on my bucket list: Playing golf in Hawaii

Last time you were on campus? August of 2019

Twitter handle: @ghannam04