CHAMPAIGN, Ill. --Â The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics will officially add eight new members to the U of I Athletics Hall of Fame during induction ceremonies Friday, Oct. 11, at State Farm Center.
The Athletics Hall of Fame Induction begins Friday at 7 pm and is free and open to the public, who may enter through the main West Entrance to State Farm Center.
The ceremony will honor the eighth Athletics Hall of Fame class and includes one coach and representatives from basketball, football, volleyball, soccer, and fencing. Returning members of the 2024 class will be recognized at the home football game against Purdue on Oct. 12.
The only non-athlete in this class is long-time women's track and field head coach Gary Winckler, who led the Illini to 11 Big Ten team titles in his 23 years in Champaign-Urbana from 1985 to 2008. Members of his Fighting Illini teams won 266 individual Big Ten titles and 51 student-athletes earned 188 All-America honors.
Football is represented by Robert Holcombe and Darrick Brownlow. Holcombe finished his collegiate career from 1994-97 as Illinois' all-time leading rusher with 4,105 yards and a school-record 16 100-yard rushing games in his career. He enjoyed a seven-year NFL career, helping the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl title in 1999.
Brownlow was a three-time First-Team All-Big Ten pick, a Second-Team All-American and the 1990 Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Year as a star linebacker from 1987-90. He was an Illini captain of the 1990 team that earned a share of the Big Ten title. Brownlow went on to a six-year NFL career.
Soccer star Jannelle Flaws is Illinois's career record holder with 54 goals, including a nation-leading and school record 23 goals in 2013. She earned All-America honors in both 2013 and 2014 and was a three-time All-Big Ten selection from 2013-2015.
Volleyball is represented by Laura DeBruler Costa dos Santos, who starred for the Illini from 2007-10. She earned First-Team All-America honors in 2009 after being named Second Team in 2008. A season-ending knee injury derailed what likely would have been another All-American season in 2010. She finished her Illini career with the second-highest kills total (1,833) all time at Illinois.
Fencer Pete Velasco, who lettered from 1954-56, is considered the best foil fencer in UI history with a three-year dual meet record of 184-16 (.920). He was a three-time Big Ten champion and finished first, second and third in the foil at the NCAA Championships during his career. He went on to represent the United State at the 1956 and 1960 Olympics and was named to the 1957 U.S. World Championships team.
The men's basketball program has two additions to the Hall with Nick Weatherspoon and Frank Williams earning a ticket to Illini immortality. Weatherspoon lettered from 1971-73 and finished his collegiate career as Illinois's all-time leading scorer with 1,481 points. He still owns the school record with his career scoring average of 20.9 points and for career rebounding average of 11.3 boards per game. Spoon played seven years in the NBA and was named to the Illini All-Century Team in 2005.
Williams was the Big Ten Player of the Year and Silver Basketball Award winner in 2001 after leading the Illini to a Big Ten Championship. He was named First-Team All-Big Ten in 2001 and 2002, and First-Team All-American in 2001. Williams moved on to the NBA after his junior season and finished his collegiate career ranked among the Illini's all-time top 20 scorers and top 10 in assists.
The Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame began in 2017 and now has 143 total members, with representatives from each current varsity sport. University of Illinois varsity athletics began with baseball in 1879 and now has 21 teams competing at the NCAA Division I level.
Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024
Darrick Brownlow, Football, 1987-90Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Pete Velasco, Fencing, 1954-56
Laura DeBruler Costa dos Santos, Volleyball, 2007-10Â Â Â Â Â Â Nick Weatherspoon, Basketball, 1971-73
Jannelle Flaws, Soccer, 2012-15Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Frank Williams, Basketball, 2000-02
Robert Holcombe, Football, 1994-97Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Gary Winckler, Women's Track & Field Coach, 1985-2008
Darrick Brownlow, Football 1987-90
Darrick Brownlow was a three-time First-Team All-Big Ten pick at linebacker for the Fighting Illini. He led the Big Ten in tackles as a sophomore and finished his career second on the Illini career tackles list 483 stops. A 1990 team captain, Brownlow was a Second-Team All-American and the Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 1990, when he was also a Butkus Award finalist. Brownlow would earn Defensive MVP honors at the 1991 Hula Bowl All-Star Game. He played six seasons in the NFL after being chosen in the fifth round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, where he was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. Brownlow was an Indianapolis Cathedral High School teammate of future Illini, and fellow Fighting Illini Athletics Hall of Famer Moe Gardner.
Laura DeBruler Costa dos Santos, Volleyball, 2007-10
One of the most celebrated volleyball players in Illinois history, Laura DeBruler was named First-Team All-American in 2009 after earning Second-Team recognition in 2008. She was also unanimous First-Team All-Big Ten in 2008 and 2009. After a strong start as a senior in 2010, DeBruler suffered a season-ending torn ACL injury. She was named to 12 all-tournament teams, including MVP of three during her Illini career. DeBruler Santos finished her Illini career with the second-highest kills total (1,833) all-time at Illinois. She also ranked first in career attacks (4,806) and eighth in career digs (1,117). DeBruler was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, earned eight Big Ten Player of the Week honors and was a finalist for the LOWE's Senior Class Award. After graduation, she played for the NUC Volleyball Club in Neuchatel, Switzerland, and competed in the National 'A' League, the highest league in Switzerland, as well as the CEV Cup against other European teams. After several years coaching collegiately, DeBruler Costa dos Santos is the Assistant Director of Recruitment and Student Success at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.
Jannelle Flaws, Soccer, 2012-15
Jannelle Flaws holds the Illini career records with 54 goals and 122 career points and single-season records with 23 goals and 48 points in 2013. She also holds the Illini record with four hat tricks, including twice accomplished in just one half. Flaws'Â 23 goals in 2013 as a redshirt junior led the nation and she led the Illini in scoring and goals from 2013-15. Flaws was named All-American in both 2013 (3rd Team by Top Drawer) and 2014 (1st Team College Sports Madness, 2nd College Soccer News, 3rd NSCAA) and named All-Region in both 2013 and 2014. She was named Big Ten Player of the Year as a forward in 2013 and 2014 while earning First-Team All-Big Ten both seasons and was named Second-Team All-Big Ten as a senior in 2015. Flaws earned a spot on the U.S. National Team in 2015 and played professionally in Germany following her collegiate career after being drafted 33rd overall by the Chicago Red Stars in 2015. Flaws was named the 2013-14 UI Female Athlete of the Year and was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.
Robert Holcombe, Football, 1994-97
Illinois' all-time leading rusher, Robert Holcombe enjoyed a seven-year NFL career, helping the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl title in 1999. He was drafted in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Rams and played three seasons for the Tennessee Titans from 2002-2004. At Illinois, Holcombe was named Second-Team All-Big Ten in 1996 and honorable-mention all-conference in 1997. He remains Illinois' all-time leading rusher with 4,105 yards on a school-record 943 attempts. Holcombe rushed for at least 100 yards for a school-record 16 times and was the first Illini to top 300 rushing yards in a game with 315 against Minnesota on Nov. 16, 1996. He still ranks third in career rushing touchdowns with 25 and set the Illini record for rushing attempts in a game with 49 carries against East Carolina on Sept. 23, 1995.
Pete Velasco, Fencing, 1954-56
Pete Velasco is considered the best foil fencer in UI history with a three-year dual meet record of 184-16 (.920). As a sophomore in 1954, he was 64-8, finishing as the Big Ten champion and finishing in third place at the NCAA Championships. In 1955, he went 67-3, winning his second Big Ten title and was the NCAA foil champion. In 1956, Velasco finished 53-4, winning a third Big Ten championship and finishing second at the NCAA Championships. He joined with Art Schankin (sabre) and Larry Kaufman (epee) to lead Illinois to its first-ever NCAA Fencing Championship in 1956. Velasco was the team MVP in 1955 and 1956, while serving as captain of the championship squad of 1956. He was a member of the 1956 and 1960 U.S. Olympic teams, the first UI fencer to be so honored. He also was named to the 1957 U.S. World Championship team. A 1956 ROTC graduate at Illinois, Velasco went directly into the U.S. Army, where he served for 30 years in active duty and active reserve, retiring in 1987 as a full colonel.
Nick Weatherspoon, Basketball, 1971-73
Nick Weatherspoon earned All-America honors in 1973 after becoming the Illini's all-time leading scorer with 1,481 points. A two-time team MVP, he was named to the Illini All-Century Team in 2005. "Spoon" was a First-Team All-Big Ten pick in 1973 after being named Honorable Mention in 1972. Weatherspoon owns the school record for career scoring average of 20.9 points per game and for career rebounding average of 11.3 boards per game, averaging a double-double during his junior and senior seasons. A native of Canton, Ohio, "Spoon" was a First-Round NBA Draft pick in 1973 and played seven years in the League with the Washington Bullets, the Seattle SuperSonics, the Chicago Bulls, and the San Diego Clippers. He made the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1974. Weatherspoon died in 2008 at the age of 58.
Frank Williams, Basketball, 2000-02
Frank Williams was the Big Ten Player of the Year, First-Team All-American and Big Ten Silver Basketball Award winner in 2001 after leading the Illini to the Big Ten Championship that season. He was named First-Team All-Big Ten in 2001 and 2002 after leading the Illini to Big Ten Championships both years. Williams is a member of the Illini All-Century Team chosen in 2005 and ranked among the top 20 scorers on the Illini all-time scoring list with 1,440 points and was 10th in school history in assists with 432. Williams was the Illini team MVP in 2001 and 2002. He declared for the NBA Draft after his junior season and was selected in the first round as the 25th overall pick by the Denver Nuggets before being traded to the New York Knicks on the night of the draft. He played two seasons for the Knicks and one year with the Chicago Bulls.
Gary Winckler, Women's Track & Field Coach, 1985-2008
In his 23 years in Champaign-Urbana, Gary Winckler led Illinois to 11 Big Ten women's track and field team titles, and athletes to 266 Big Ten individual titles along with 51 student-athletes to 188 All-America honors. He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year 11 times, and National Coach of the Year three times. Winkler was inducted into the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame in 2009. Before coming to Illinois, he coached at Florida State where he led the Seminole women to the 1984 NCAA outdoor title and the 1985 NCAA indoor championship, while also coaching more than 100 All-Americans. Long considered one of the nation's top hurdles coaches, Winkler coached 13 different athletes to the Olympic games in the sprints, hurdles, or relays. His top Illini teams finished fourth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 1995 and 1996. Winckler was head coach of the U.S. World Championship team in 1997 and the 1989 World Indoor Championships. Four of his Illini student-athletes earned the Big Ten Medal of Honor. He retired from coaching at Illinois following the 2008 season.
