Voois Earns 1st Team, Herendeen 2nd Team Academic All-America
July 8, 2026 | Men's Golf
NEWS
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini men's golfers Ryan Voois and Max Herendeen were named to the College Sport Communicators (CSC) 2025-26 Academic All-America At-Large Team. The association announced Wednesday (July 8), that Voois garnered a first team nod, while Herendeen was voted onto the second team.
Voois is the first Illinois men's golfer to earn first-team Academic All-America accolades, and is also the first Illini to capture two selections after earning second-team honors in 2024-25. Voois and Herendeen join Adrien Dumont de Chassart (second-team in 2022-23) and Jackson Buchanan (third-team in 2023-24) to give the program five selections by four golfers over the last four seasons.
To be eligible for CSC Academic All-America, nominees must have a minimum GPA of 3.50, completed one full calendar year at their current institution, and be at least a sophomore academically and athletically. Golfers must also be in the lineup for in a minimum of 70 percent of matches which were team scoring events. Eligible competitors then advance to a national ballot to voted on by CSC members.
The honor comes less a month after Voois and Herendeen also earned Spring 2026 Academic All-Big Ten accolades. Voois' was also recognized in June as the recipient of the 2026 Byron Nelson Award, given annually to the outstanding Division I, II, III, or NAIA scholar-athlete of the year in the sport of men's golf.
Voois graduated in May with a degree in finance as a honors student in the Gies College of Business. This year he earned PING All-Midwest Region honors, unanimous first team All-Big Ten, and was an All-B1G Championship Team performer. He led the Illini with a career-low season stroke average of 70.31 – the fourth-lowest single-season mark in program history. Voois picked up his second career victory in a stellar performance at the Hal Williams Collegiate in February. During his run to the title, he tied the second-lowest single-round score (63) and 54-hole tournament score (195) in program history. He recorded a team-leading eight top-20 finishes and tied for the top spot on the team with five top-10s. Voois also tied for the team lead with 15 rounds in the 60s and finished second on the squad with 22 of 36 rounds at par or better this season.
Herendeen, an advertising major in the Gies College of Business, was named a PING All-Midwest Region performer, earned his third straight unanimous All-Big Ten first team selection and joined Voois on the All-B1G Championship team this season. After appearing on watch lists for the Ben Hogan and Fred Haskins Awards, Herendeen posted a career-low scoring average of 70.67, the seventh-lowest mark in Illinois history. He enters his senior season next year ranking first in program history with a career average of 70.80. A four-time collegiate winner, Herendeen captured medalist honors at the 2026 Duck Invitational in March. Herendeen also tallied two runner-up finishes this season at the Windon Memorial Classic and the Fallen Oak Collegiate where he also closed with a season-low round of 66 (-6). He was the top finisher in the Orange and Blue lineup in a team-most five events and led the team with five top-five finishes and 24 rounds at par or better, and tied for the team lead with 15 of 36 rounds in the 60s.
Voois and Herendeen join CSC Academic All-America selections Hank Beatty (football) and Kenta Myoshi (men's tennis) to give Illinois four honorees in 2025-26. Overall, Illinois Athletics has now produced 121 CSC Academic All-Americans in program history.
