The Illinois State University Board of Trustees approved a naming rights agreement between Illinois State Athletics and OSF HealthCare to rebrand the Indoor Practice Facility as the OSF HealthCare Athletics Training Center.
Appears In“OSF HealthCare has been a great supporter of this department and our student-athletes who use this facility for training and the pursuit of winning championships,” Interim Director of Athletics Jeri Beggs said. “The OSF HealthCare Athletics Training Center will continue to be a huge asset to Redbird Athletics and will soon be a great resource for our community as well.”
In August 2023, a five-year agreement was announced that made OSF HealthCare the official health care provider for Illinois State Athletics. As part of that agreement, OSF HealthCare provides Redbird student-athletes with access to athletic trainers, sports medicine providers, orthopedic surgeons, and behavioral health professionals.
Percy Family Hall of Fame Class inducted
The 2024 Illinois State Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame class was officially inducted during a Homecoming weekend ceremony.
The class included Tami Baalke ’93 (women’s basketball), two-time All-Gateway Conference First-Team selection and 1990 Freshman of the Year; Matt Brown ’12 (football), Illinois State all-time leading passer and 2012 Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year; Anderson Devonish ’18 (men’s track and field), 13-time Missouri Valley Conference champion and school record holder; and Sami (King) Geringer ’15 (gymnastics), four-time NCAA Regional qualifier and Midwest Independent Conference champion.
Longtime Illinois State Athletics staff member Tom Lamonica, M.S. ’88, was also honored with the Campbell “Stretch” Miller Award, which celebrates the contributions of those whose main services were not playing or coaching at Illinois State but were important to the Athletics program’s success.
Gymnastics’ Mack named Bone Scholar
Illinois State gymnast Jaye Mack was one of 14 students selected as a 2024-25 Robert G. Bone Scholar, the highest university-wide honor given to undergraduate students.
“The Robert G. Bone Scholarship reflects both my hard work and the unwavering support from my family, professors, coaches, and friends,” Mack said. “As a Black, female student-athlete, I rarely saw someone who looked like me be recognized for their achievements in both areas. This award means so much to me because it’s not just for myself, but for every young girl who may see a future in me.”
The three-time NCAA Regional qualifier holds a perfect 4.0 grade-point average while majoring in interior design.
Zlatanovic named 2024 MVC Postgraduate Scholarship winner
Former Illinois State tennis standout Tijana Zlatanovic ’23 was one of four Missouri Valley Conference student-athletes to receive a $5,000 postgraduate scholarship for her exemplary academic and athletic performances. Zlatanovic is pursuing a master’s degree in psychology of sport and physical activity at Illinois State.
Redbird student-athletes set departmental GPA record
Illinois State student-athletes continue to achieve high marks in the classroom, as the Redbirds compiled a new department record (not including the spring 2020 COVID semester) grade-point average (GPA) of 3.45 during the spring 2024 semester. A total of 344 Redbird student-athletes were named to the honor roll, and a record total of 133 student-athletes posted perfect 4.0 GPAs during the spring semester.
Schrock named Academic All-American
For the third consecutive year, former Redbird women’s golfer Ali Schrock ’23 is a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American. Schrock landed a spot on the 2024 CSC first team after being named to the third team in 2022 and second team in 2023.
She became the fourth Redbird in school history to earn three Academic All-America honors, joining a list that includes former men’s basketball standout Doug Collins ’73, and cross country/track and field standouts Stacia Beste ’01, M.S. ’03, and J.D. Lafayette ’19.
Schrock is the 23rd student-athlete in Illinois State history and the first from the women’s golf program to earn Academic All-America First Team honors. She was also named the 2023-24 Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Girls’ basketball state finals to remain at Illinois State through 2029
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA), Illinois State, and the Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau reached a five-year contract extension for the IHSA Girls’ Basketball State Finals to remain at CEFCU Arena through the 2029 state tournament.
Horton Field House hosted the inaugural IHSA Girls’ Basketball State Finals in 1977. The 2025 IHSA Girls Basketball State Finals take place March 6-8, 2025.
