January 25, 2021 – January 29, 2021

Danny Pucino | FR, Men's Wrestling | Major: DGS Undeclared

Olivia Howell | SO, Women's Track and Field | Major: Studio Art

Manning Plater| Graduate Student, Men's Track and Field | Major: Master of Science in Management

Sports are back in action at Illinois and we had a record setting, history making, debut week for a lot of our student-athletes. Honoring just one of them as our Prairie Farms Scholar-Athlete of the Week seemed unfitting in such an unprecedented time. This week we would like to recognize three outstanding Illini for their commitment to their sport and in the classroom.

First up, we would like to recognize Olivia Howell. Howell placed first in the women's 1000m at the Badger Icebreaker Meet with a time of 2:46.52. This was Howell's first time competing in this race collegiately, and she broke the Illinois school record in the 1000m by nearly three seconds. The previous best was 2:49.93, held by Laura Simmering set in 1989. Howell is a sophomore studying Studio Art.

Next up we want to recognize graduate transfer, Manning Plater, for his performance at the Badger Icebreaker Meet. Plater made an immediate impact in his debut for the Illini, placing first in the men's weight throw with a toss of 73-6 feet. This throw moved Plater into second place in Illinois history in this event, behind only Davis Fraker's throw of 73-10 in 2015. This was Plater's personal best throw, passing his 72-1 foot toss at last year's B1G Championship in Geneva, Ohio. Plater was named the Field Athlete of the Week the B1G Conference announced on Wednesday, Jan. 20. Plater is currently working towards his Master's in Business Management.

Finally, we want to recognize freshman wrestler, Danny Pucino, for his Illini debut in their recent Tri-Meet against No. 8 ranked Ohio State and No. 22 ranked Wisconsin. Pucino was extremely impressive in his Illini debut, racking up two wins on the afternoon. The freshman competed at 141-pounds, defeating Wisconsin's Dominic Dentino in a 10-4 decision in his first match, and Ohio State's Dylan D'Emilio in a 12-7 decision in his second. Danny boasts a 3.73 GPA and his academic counselor, Jaime Mangold said, "Danny is an exemplary student in the classroom. From the moment he stepped on campus, he has taken his academic work very seriously and always has a positive attitude that is contagious! His work ethic has clearly carried into his athletic performance, and I am looking forward to seeing the continued success Danny has in the classroom and on the wrestling mat throughout his college career."

This past week Fighting Illini teams swept their competitions with six overall wins. We look forward to continuing to celebrate our students this spring both on and off the field. I-L-L!

2020-21 Scholar Athlete of the Week Winners