CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois director of track, field and cross country Petros Kyprianou announced nine additions to the roster on Friday (July 12) for the 2024-25 season. Five women and four men will don the Orange and Blue for the first-time next season.
WOMEN'S RECRUITS
Kristine Blazevica // Heptathlon I Pentathlon // Riga, Latvia // The University of Texas
Blazevica recently became an All-American in the heptathlon at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships with her third-place finish (6,126 points). This is her seventh All-America honor as she's earned four indoors in the pentathlon and three outdoors in the heptathlon. Her personal-best in the heptathlon (6,146) and pentathlon (4,430) would each be program records by over 300 points.
A native of Riga, Latvia, Blazevica spent the past four seasons at the University of Texas and elects to end her career at the University of Illinois. She's a seven-time All-American and seven-time Big 12 Champion in the combined events.
JaiCieonna Gero-Holt // Heptathlon I High Jump // South Hill, Wash. // Emerald Ridge HS
Gero-Holt, a native of South Hill, Wash., is the top-ranked women's heptathlete and high jump recruit in the United States. On Aug. 6 last year, she became a U20 Pan American champion in the heptathlon with a score of 5,463 points, a mark that would rank second in the Illinois record book.
Her personal-best heptathlon score is almost 100 points better at 5,552 points, only 107 points away from breaking Carmel Corbett's 5,658-point school record set in 1995. Her personal-best high jump sits at 1.89m (6-2 1/4), which she set on Feb. 16 of this season. That mark would tie Bara Sajdokova's indoor school record that she used to win the Big Ten Indoor high jump gold; Gero-Holt leapt it at just 17 years old.
A graduate of Emerald Ridge High School, she adds her combined events talents to the roster and joins a strong high jump room with National and Big Ten Outdoor champion Rose Yeboah and Big Ten Indoor champion Sajdokova as training partners.
Eliza Kraule // Heptathlon I Pentathlon // Riga, Latvia // Rice University
Kraule became an All-American in the pentathlon this past March at the NCAA Indoor Championships with a personal-best 4,353 points, a mark that would shatter the program record by nearly 200 points.
A native of Riga, Latvia, she spent the past four seasons at Rice, where she became a pentathlon and heptathlon Conference USA champion during the 2023 season. Last month, she topped the podium at The American Outdoor Championships in the heptathlon with a personal-best score of 5,774 points. Her personal-best would shatter Carmel Corbett's 1995 program record by over 100 points (5,658). A two-time NCAA Championships qualifier, Kraule bolsters the women's combined events crew joining Gero-Holt, Roosimagi and Blazevica.
Jane Roosimagi // Heptathlon I Javelin // Tallinn, Estonia // Audentes Sports School
Roosimagi recently threw 53.05m (174-0 1/2) in the javelin in her win at the Estonian CUP on May 26. This mark would shatter the program record (51.85m (169-3)) set by Lisa Balagtas in 1989. The Tallinn, Estonia native also holds a personal-best score of 5,386 points in the heptathlon which would rank second in program history.
Jaycee Williams // Middle Distance I Distance // Berthoud, Colo. // Berthoud HS
Williams was the first signing of the 2024-25 recruiting cycle putting the pen to paper on Nov. 9, 2023. She capped off her senior year at Berthoud high school with a silver medal in the 800m at the Colorado State Track and Field Championships with a new personal-best (2:11.71). At the same championships she placed fifth in the 400m with a new personal-best as well (58.37). The Berthoud, Colo. native has her sights set on improving the distance crew and leaves high school with personal bests of 4:33.84 in the 1500m and 4:51.64 in the mile.
MEN'S RECRUITS
Rafael Raap // Decathlon I Heptathlon // Arnhem, Netherlands // University of Oregon
Raap earned his first-career All-America honors at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the decathlon where he placed sixth with 7,842 points. The Arnhem, Netherlands native was the 2024 Pac 12 Champion in the decathlon winning the conference's final crown this year before Oregon joins the Big Ten beginning in the 2024-25 season.
His personal-best heptathlon of 5,907 points would rank second in Illinois program history behind Aiden Ouimet's historic 6,120 points at the Big Ten Indoor Championships this past season. Raap's decathlon personal-best (7,842 points) would best Ouimet's 7,794 school record set this season.
Jip De Greef // Decathlon // Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands // Vavo Lyceum // University of Central Arkansas
De Greef is one of two men combined event athletes to transfer into Kyprianou's program after spending his freshman season at Central Arkansas. He did not compete in a decathlon or heptathlon in his freshman campaign. He set his personal-best decathlon (7,621) before he left for college on Aug. 10, 2023, which would be program's second-best score.
Reece Ihenacho // Discus I Shot Put // Cary, Ill. // Cary-Grove HS
Ihenacho is the reigning IHSA Boys T&F State Champion in the discus with a personal-best toss of 62.61m (205-5). This was the state of Illinois' top throw and it ranked sixth in the nation for the 2024 season. In addition, this 62.21m toss would obliterate Jeff Lehmann's 1984 program record (58.67m (192-6)) by almost four meters. The Cary, Ill. native is the only thrower joining JC Lambert's crew in this cycle and he also holds a personal best shot put of 17.62m (57-9 3/4).
Trey Sato // Middle Distance I Distance // Grayslake, Ill. // Grayslake Central HS
Sato recently recorded the state of Illinois' fastest 1500m for the 2024 outdoor season on June 1 with a personal-best time of 3:51.45. At the same meet (Magis Miles) he clocked a new personal best in the 1600m narrowly breaking a four-minute mile (4.03.14). The Grayslake, Ill. native was the IHSA Boys T&F State Championships runner-up in the 800m and 1600m. His personal-best 800m time (1:49.30) is two seconds shy of landing on the program's outdoor top-10 list.
WOMEN'S INCOMING RECRUITS (5)
- Kristine Blazevica (Transfer – Texas)
- JaiCieonna Gero-Holt
- Eliza Kraule (Transfer – Rice)
- Jane Roosimagi
- Jaycee Williams
MEN'S INCOMING RECRUITS (4)
- Jip De Greef (Transfer – Central Arkansas)
- Reece Ihenacho
- Rafael Raap (Transfer – Oregon)
- Trey Sato
