These athletes didn’t always generate the most headlines. Or get the most likes on social media. But without these various Illini, some of the more notable accomplishments from the 2024-25 school year by Illinois don’t happen. Beat writer Scott Richey spotlights 10 Illini that deserved more pub than what they got in the last year:

1. The entire women’s track and field team

Illinois coach Petros Kyprianou had a point when he called out the “Illinois on BTN” X account for its “Another great year to be a @IlliniAthletics fan” post that included a video devoid of any track and field highlights. Particularly after the Illini women’s fifth-place finish at the NCAA outdoor championship included multiple All-Americans and plenty of Big Ten champions a few weeks prior in another trip to historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

2. Lucas Byrd | Wrestling

The Illini’s first national champion since Isaiah Martinez won back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016 managed to fly under the radar. That Byrd’s title in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup with Iowa’s Drake Ayala ran up against the Sweet 16 of the NCAA basketball tournament — and full on transfer portal madness — didn’t help in getting eyes on the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, where Byrd became Illinois’ first national champ at 133 pounds.

3. Kenta Miyoshi | Men’s tennis

College tennis diehards were aware the NCAA singles championship took place during the fall season. Casual fans were probably surprised when only a team title was up for grabs this spring. Miyoshi starred for Illinois throughout the 2024-25 season, but reaching the quarterfinals of the NCAA singles championship — earning All-American honors in the process — was an early peak to his breakout junior year for the Illini.

4. Halle Hill | Women’s cross-country

Hill’s senior season was her best in four years at Illinois. The Fishers, Ind., native claimed All-Big Ten Second-Team honors after finishing 16th at the Big Ten championship in Savoy, where she broke the Illini’s record in the 6-kilometer race with a time of 19 minutes, 43.7 seconds. Hill went on to place sixth at the NCAA Midwest Regionals in 19:55.8 and qualified for the NCAA championship for the first time in her career.

5. Viktor Morozov | Men’s track and field

Morozov became one of the best young triple jumpers in the world at his age level with a bronze medal at the 2022 U20 World Championship and then gold a year later in the U20 European Championship. Sustained success at Illinois has taken a little more time, with the Kohtla Jarve, Estonia, native breaking through in the last year. He was third in the triple jump at the Big Ten indoor championship and then won his first league title outdoors.

6. Sarah Foley | Soccer

Last fall might have been another disappointment on the soccer field for Illinois with an 8-8-2 overall record and 11th-place finish in the Big Ten, but not for lack of effort on Foley’s part. The junior midfielder set career highs in goals scored (11), shots (33), shots on goal (22) and game-winning goals (six). The Belleville product’s 11 goals and 24 points were the most in a single season by an Illini in nearly a decade since Jannelle Flaws had 11 goals and 28 points.

7. Zach Bates | Baseball

Illinois’ bullpen had its struggles this spring with no shortage of bloated ERAs. Bates was at the complete opposite end of the spectrum. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound sophomore lefty settled into the Illini’s closer role after transferring in from Iowa Central Community College and earned All-Big Ten Third-Team honors after securing eight saves in 23 appearances in relief. Bates led Illinois with a 2.83 ERA and struck out 34 batters, while walking 16, in 282/3 innings.

8. Izzy Lee | Soccer

Lee earned a call-up to the U.S. U23 Women’s National Team training camp from March 31 through April 7 after standing out as one of the top goalkeepers in the Big ten last fall. The redshirt sophomore out of Western Springs faced a veritable onslaught in the 2024 season, leading all Big Ten keepers in saves and saves per game at the end of the regular season. Lee’s 97 saves tied for sixth-most in program history, and she had an 80.2 save percentage.

9. Kayla Duran | Swimming and diving

Year one in the pool at Illinois generated multiple program records for Duran. The freshman out of Taft High School in Chicago was at her best towards the end of the season, setting the Illini record in the 100-meter breaststroke (1:00.39) and doing the same as part of both the 200- and 400-meter medley relays at the Big Ten championship. Duran added another record in the 50-meter breaststroke (28.22 seconds) at the CSAA championship.

10. Tate Costa | Men’s gymnastics

There simply wasn’t an opportunity for Costa to make any headlines with the Illinois junior not competing in 2025 because of an undisclosed injury, which doubled as a serious blow to the Illini’s chances as a team. The wild part is the Narragansett, R.I., native was literally hit by a bus during his freshman year and still returned to compete, which set the stage for earning double All-American honors in 2024 that included an NCAA title in high bar.