The Big Ten Conference announced its 2024-25 Distinguished Scholar list, recognizing 111 student-athletes from the University of Illinois for their academic achievements. These honors highlight those who maintained a GPA of at least 3.70 during the academic year.
Established in 2008, the Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award acknowledges student-athletes who have already received Academic All-Big Ten recognition and have been enrolled full-time throughout the year. The award excludes summer term grades.
“Payton Hutchings,” “Aden O’Donnell,” and “Drake Westcott” were among those in baseball recognized as distinguished scholars. In women’s basketball, “Kendall Bostic” was noted for achieving a perfect GPA.
In football, “Petey Olaleye” was highlighted for his interdisciplinary health sciences major. From men’s track & field/cross country, “Tadeas Placek” achieved this distinction.
Women’s track & field/cross country also had several honorees including “Olivia Campbell” and “Isabella Daley.” Men’s golf standout “Ryan Voois” earned recognition in finance, while women’s golf scholar “Lexanne Halama” excelled in integrative biology.
In gymnastics, both men’s and women’s teams had notable scholars like “Max Farkhadau” and “Amelia Knight.” Soccer players such as “Anessa Arndt” were acknowledged alongside softball athlete “Paige Berkmeyer.”
Swimming & diving saw multiple scholars with perfect GPAs including “Liv Dorshorst” and “Sara Jass.” Tennis players like “Zach Viiala” stood out among their peers.
Volleyball’s top achiever was “Caroline Barnes,” while wrestling honored athletes such as “Will Baysingar” for their dedication to academics alongside athletics.
This acknowledgment by the Big Ten Conference underscores the academic commitment of these Fighting Illini student-athletes across various sports disciplines.
