111 Illinois Student-Athletes Earn Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Honors
July 14, 2025 | Baseball, Football, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Gymnastics, Men's Tennis, Softball, Women's Basketball, Women's Golf, Women's Gymnastics, Soccer, Swimming & Diving, Women's Tennis, Volleyball, Wrestling, Men's Golf, Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field, Men's Track & Field, Academic Services
News
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference announced the 2024-25 Distinguished Scholar list on Monday, July 14, with 111 Fighting Illini student-athletes recognized for their academic excellence.
The Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award, established in 2008 by the conference's Faculty Representatives, honors student-athletes who have earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition during the previous academic year, been enrolled full time for the entire academic year, and achieved a minimum grade-point average of 3.70 or higher, excluding summer term grades. This award builds upon the Academic All-Big Ten recognition, which honors student-athletes who maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher.
* Indicates a student-athlete who earned a 4.0 GPA during the 2024-25 academic year.
Baseball
| Baseball - Distinguished Scholar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Academic Year | Major |
| Reed Gannon | Sr. | Strategic Leadership & Management |
| Payton Hutchings* | Sr. | Strategic Leadership & Management |
| Aden O'Donnell* | So. | Undeclared |
| Ben Plumley | Sr. | MS: Accountancy |
| Sam Reed | Jr. | Recreation, Sport & Tourism |
| Drake Westcott* | Gr. | Strategic Leadership & Management |
Women's Basketball
| Women's Basketball - Distinguished Scholar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Academic Year | Major |
| Shay Bollin | Sr. | Communication |
| Kendall Bostic* | Gr. | EDM: Special Education |
| Genesis Bryant | Gr. | MS: Management |
| Makira Cook | Gr. | MS: Management |
| Adalia McKenzie | Sr. | Recreation, Sport & Tourism |
Football
| Football - Distinguished Scholar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Academic Year | Major |
| Matthew Bailey | Jr. | Kinesiology |
| Hank Beatty | Jr. | Marketing |
| Josh Gesky | Sr. | Kinesiology |
| Grayson Griffin | Sr. | Recreation, Sport & Tourism |
| Patrick Mahoney III | So. | Journalism |
| Petey Olaleye* | So. | Interdisciplinary Health Sciences |
Men's Track & Field/Cross Country
| Men's Track & Field/Cross Country - Distinguished Scholar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Academic Year | Major |
| Jackson Gilbert | So. | Undeclared |
| Cody Johnston | So. | Community Health |
| Shawn Juliette | Jr. | Accountancy + Data Science |
| Brady Masters | Jr. | Business Multi Majors |
| Will Merrick | Sr. | Information Sciences + Data Science |
| Tadeas Placek* | Jr. | Recreation, Sport & Tourism |
| Will Rezny | Gr. | Strategic Leadership and Management Certificate |
| Alex Sohn | So. | Agribusiness Markets & Management |
Women's Track & Field/Cross Country
| Women's Track & Field/Cross Country - Distinguished Scholar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Academic Year | Major |
| Olivia Campbell* | Sr. | Psychology |
| Isabella Daley (XC)* | So. | Political Science |
| Lydia Malecek (XC) | Sr. | Psychology |
| Mia Morello | Jr. | Human Development & Family Studies |
| Ashley Oliver | Sr. | Bioengineering |
| Sam Poglitsch (XC) | Sr. | Advertising |
| Tori Thomas | Sr. | Recreation, Sport & Tourism |
Men's Golf
| Men's Golf - Distinguished Scholar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Academic Year | Major |
| Jackson Buchanan | Sr. | Operations Management |
| Max Herendeen | So. | Advertising |
| Ryan Voois* | Sr. | Finance |
Women's Golf
| Women's Golf - Distinguished Scholar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Academic Year | Major |
| Lexanne Halama* | Gr. | MS: Integrative Biology |
| Erica Lee | So. | Advertising |
| Yurang Li* | So. | Finance |
| Anna Ritter | Jr. | Communication |
Men's Gymnastics
| Men's Gymnastics - Distinguished Scholar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Academic Year | Major |
| Tate Costa | Jr. | Statistics |
| Max Farkhadau* | Sr. | Chemistry |
| Kyle Mayotte | Jr. | Consumer Economics & Finance |
| Connor Micklos | Jr. | Advertising |
| Logan Myers | Sr. | Financial Planning |
| Amari Sewell | Gr. | MPH/BS Community Health |
| Dylan Shepard | So. | Business Undeclared |
| Ryan Vanichtheeranont | Jr. | Biochemistry |
Women's Gymnastics
| Women's Gymnastics - Distinguished Scholar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Academic Year | Major |
| Alea Byrne | Jr. | Kinesiology |
| Olivia Coppola | So. | Human Development & Family Studies |
| Makayla Green | Sr. | Interdisciplinary Health Sciences |
| Tali Joelson | Jr. | Dietetics & Nutrition |
| Amelia Knight | Gr. | MS: Management |
| Lyden Saltness | So. | Interdisciplinary Health Sciences |
| Emma White | Sr. | Strategy, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship |
Soccer
| Soccer - Distinguished Scholar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Academic Year | Major |
| Anessa Arndt* | Sr. | Integrative Biology |
| Sarah Foley | Jr. | Advertising |
| Angie Galo | Sr. | Double Major: Marketing & Information Systems |
| Sarah Hiestand* | Sr. | Kinesiology |
| Lia Howard | Jr. | Double Major: Communication & Psychology |
| Ella Karolak | Sr. | Psychology |
| Regan Moody | Sr. | Molecular & Cellular Biology |
| Ellen Persson | Sr. | Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences |
| Ashley Stellon | Sr. | Industrial Design |
Softball
| Softball - Distinguished Scholar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Academic Year | Major |
| Paige Berkmeyer* | Gr. | Animal Sciences |
| Adisyn Caryl | So. | Elementary Education |
| Gabrielle Debevec | Jr. | Accountancy |
| Eileen Donahue | So. | Elementary Education |
| Juliana Hooker | Jr. | Supply Chain Management, Information Sciences |
| Reese Hunkins* | Jr. | Recreation, Sport & Tourism |
| Stevie Meade* | Sr. | Interdisciplinary Health Sciences |
| Lauren Wiles* | Gr. | MS: Management |
Swimming & Diving
| Swimming & Diving - Distinguished Scholar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Academic Year | Major |
| Maggie Adler | So. | Speech & Hearing Science |
| Gwen Bakker | So. | Communication |
| Laurel Bludgen | Gr. | MS: Speech & Hearing Science |
| Martina Cibulkova | So. | Kinesiology |
| Liv Dorshorst* | Jr. | Social Work |
| Sara Jass* | Jr. | Kinesiology |
| Logan Kuehne | Sr. | Marketing; Management |
| Bethany Mercer | So. | Community Health |
| Kalina Nikolaeva | So. | Recreation, Sport & Tourism |
| Abby Ninan* | So. | Accountancy |
| Dani O'Kelly | So. | Psychology |
| Sydney Stoll | Sr. | Accountancy |
| Jane Umhofer | Sr. | Atmospheric Sciences; Earth, Society, & Environment |
| Alexis Wendel* | Jr. | Finance; Management |
| Molly Yetter* | Sr. | Actuarial Science; Economics |
Men's Tennis
| Men's Tennis - Distinguished Scholar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Academic Year | Major |
| Mathis Debru | Sr. | Financial Planning |
| Kenta Miyoshi | Jr. | Strategy, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship |
| Zach Viiala* | So. | Undeclared |
| Jeremy Zhang* | So. | Finance |
Women's Tennis
| Women's Tennis - Distinguished Scholar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Academic Year | Major |
| Kida Ferrari* | Sr. | Strategic Business Development & Entrepreneurship |
| Megan Heuser* | Sr. | Interdisciplinary Health Sciences |
| Violeta Martinez | Jr. | Communication |
| McKenna Schaefbauer* | Jr. | Political Science |
| Rosie Seccia | So. | Advertising |
| Kasia Treiber | Sr. | Accountancy |
| Alice Xu | So. | Computer Engineering |
Volleyball
| Volleyball - Distinguished Scholar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Academic Year | Major |
| Caroline Barnes* | Sr. | Information Sciences |
| Cari Bohm | Jr. | Management |
| Gabby Dean | Jr. | Speech & Hearing Sciences |
| Bianca May | Jr. | Finance |
Wrestling
| Wrestling - Distinguished Scholar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Academic Year | Major |
| Ramazan Attasauov | Gr. | Strategic Leadership & Management Certificate |
| Will Baysingar* | So. | Finance + Data Science |
| Lucas Byrd | Gr. | Management |
| Dylan Connell | Sr. | Agribusiness, Markets & Management |
| Charlie Fifield* | Jr. | Political Science |
| Jake Harrier | Gr. | Management |
| Charlie Heydorn | Jr. | Recreation, Sport & Tourism |
| Jason Kraisser* | Gr. | Strategic Leadership & Management Certificate |
| Luke Luffman | Gr. | Recreation, Sport & Tourism |
| Daniel Renshaw* | Sr. | Bioengineering |
Players Mentioned
Free
/ Swimming & Diving
D
/ Soccer
125
/ Wrestling
DB
/ Football
Breast
/ Swimming & Diving
L/DS
/ Volleyball
141
/ Wrestling
WR
/ Football
C
/ Softball
Free
/ Swimming & Diving
MB
/ Volleyball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
/ Men's Golf
133
/ Wrestling
AA
/ Women's Gymnastics
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
IF
/ Softball
Free/Fly
/ Swimming & Diving
184
/ Wrestling
G
/ Women's Basketball
AA
/ Women's Gymnastics
AA
/ Men's Gymnastics
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
MB
/ Volleyball
IF
/ Softball
/ Men's Tennis
IF
/ Softball
Free
/ Swimming & Diving
PH
/ Men's Gymnastics
/ Women's Tennis
157
/ Wrestling
F
/ Soccer
D
/ Soccer
LHP
/ Baseball
OL
/ Football
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
AA
/ Women's Gymnastics
DB
/ Football
/ Women's Golf
149
/ Wrestling
/ Men's Golf
/ Women's Tennis
184
/ Wrestling
M
/ Soccer
RHP
/ Softball
F
/ Soccer
IF
/ Softball
LHP
/ Baseball
Breast/IM
/ Swimming & Diving
FX, BB, VT
/ Women's Gymnastics
Pole Vault
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
D
/ Soccer
AA
/ Women's Gymnastics
157
/ Wrestling
Free
/ Swimming & Diving
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
285
/ Wrestling
LS
/ Football
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
/ Women's Tennis
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
S/DS
/ Volleyball
AA
/ Men's Gymnastics
G
/ Women's Basketball
OF
/ Softball
Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
AA
/ Men's Gymnastics
/ Men's Tennis
M
/ Soccer
Pole Vault
/ Women's Track & Field
AA
/ Men's Gymnastics
IM/Free
/ Swimming & Diving
Fly/Free
/ Swimming & Diving
RHP
/ Baseball
Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
D
/ Soccer
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
RHP
/ Baseball
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
LHP
/ Baseball
285
/ Wrestling
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
/ Women's Golf
AA
/ Women's Gymnastics
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
AA
/ Men's Gymnastics
AA
/ Men's Gymnastics
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
M
/ Soccer
Free
/ Swimming & Diving
Pole Vault
/ Women's Track & Field
/ Women's Tennis
Breast/IM
/ Swimming & Diving
AA
/ Men's Gymnastics
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Golf
Fly/Back
/ Swimming & Diving
INF
/ Baseball
AA
/ Women's Gymnastics
RHP
/ Softball
/ Women's Tennis
Free/Back
/ Swimming & Diving
/ Men's Tennis
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