Leman, Bizzarri named top Illini athletes
Illinois senior football star J Leman and recently crowned all-America distance runner Angela Bizzarri have been named the 2007-08 Dike Eddleman honorees as University of Illinois Athletes of the Year.
Leman collected three top awards from the Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics this year, earning the Big Ten Medal of Honor and the Fighting Illini Spirit award at the Scholar-Athlete Banquet April 29. He joins a select group of eight athletes ever to win both the Big Ten Medal of Honor and Athlete of the Year in the same year: Dike Eddleman (football, basketball, track & field, 1949), Clive Follmer (basketball and baseball, 1953), Abe Grossfeld (gymnastics, 1959), Jim Grabowski (football, 1966), Tim Simon (track & field, 1988) Steve Marianetti (wrestling, 1995) and former Palatine star Ashley Berggren (women's basketball, 1998).
Leman continued Illinois' linebacker tradition, having been named a finalist for both the Ronnie Lott and Danny Weurffel awards and a semifinalist for the Butkus, Lombardi, Bednarik and Bronko Nagurski awards. The Champaign native was Illinois' first Consensus All-American in football since Kevin Hardy in 1995.
Leman was the emotional leader for the Illini in their successful quest for a Rose Bowl berth, the program's first since 1983. He was a First Team All-Big Ten linebacker in a league filled with great players at that position. His numbers back up his play on the field - 132 tackles, 10.5 for loss, 2.5 sacks, three passes broken up, one forced fumble and two quarterback hurries. Leman ranked in the top five in the conference in tackles per game for the second straight season.
Leman has been a success off the field as well, earning Academic All-Big Ten and Second-Team Academic All-America accolades. He is active in his church, The Vineyard, is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Illini Leadership Academy and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
While Leman pursues the NFL, having signed a free agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings, he has a bachelor's degree in speech communication and a master's degree in human resource education in his back pocket.
"Coach Zook has always said to us that if you put the goals of the team first, you will always accomplish your personal goals," Leman said. "I think this year was a perfect example of that for us. We knew we would have a chance to help turn the football program around and because of the success we had as a team, I have benefited by receiving awards like this.
"None of this would have been possible if it weren't for a coaching staff that believed in us and pushed us to be better than we thought we could be. We never would have been successful if we didn't have a team that selflessly played for each other each week. I am so proud to be an Illini and to have been a part of this magical 2007 season."
Bizzarri continues a tradition of top female track & field athletes, a sport that has produced Eddleman winners in seven of the last eight seasons. The Mason, Ohio, native completed a wire-to-wire successful season with All-America honors in cross country, and both indoor and outdoor track & field, becoming the only athlete in the program's history to claim All-America honors in all three seasons during the same school year.
Bizzarri's 14th-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country meet earned her All-America honors for the second straight season and also propelled the Illini to sixth in the nation, their second straight season in the top six nationally. Bizzarri was second at the NCAA Midwest Regional Meet and third at the Big Ten Championships, setting a school 6K cross country record at the conference meet.
Bizzarri's success continued on the track where she competed for the school record distance medley relay team that finished sixth at the NCAA Indoor Championships. She gained steam outdoors in the 5,000 meters, placing second in the Big Ten, winning the NCAA Midwest Regional, and last weekend earning second place at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. She was also fifth in the 1,500 meters at the Big Ten meet.
"It's such an honor being named Illinois Athlete of the Year considering the many talented student-athletes at the University of Illinois," Bizzarri said. "There have been many outstanding athletes that have came from this university and it's an honor to even be put in the same category."
All-Time Illinois Athletes of the Year
1940: William J. Hapac, basketball & baseball
1941: John Drish, basketball & baseball
1942: Andy Phillip, basketball & baseball
1943: Andy Phillip, basketball & baseball
1944: Buddy Young, football & track
1945: Walton "Junior" Kirk, basketball
1946: Herbert McKenley, track
1947: Alex Agase, football & wrestling
1948: Dwight "Dike" Eddleman, football, basketball & track
1949: Dwight "Dike" Eddleman, football, basketball & track
1950: Russell Steger, football & baseball
1951: Don Sunderlage, basketball
1952: Charles Boerio, football
1953: Clive Follmer, basketball & baseball
1954: J.C. Caroline, football
1955: Paul Judson, basketball
1956: Em Lindbeck, football & baseball
1957: Abe Woodson, football & track
1958: Bob Mitchell, football & track
1959: Abe Grossfeld, gymnastics
1960: Bill Burrell, football
1961: Bill Brown, football & track
1962: Doug Mills, football, basketball & baseball
1963: Harold Holmes, gymnastics
1964: Dick Butkus, football
1965: Dick Butkus, football
1966: Jim Grabowski, football
1967: Jim Dawson, basketball
1968: Dave Scholz, basketball
1969: Dave Scholz, basketball
1970: Mike Price, basketball
1971: Lee LaBadie, track/cross country
1972: Rick Gross, track/cross country
1973-81 Award not given
1982: Tony Eason, football
1983: Tony Eason, football; Marianne Dickerson, track/cross country
1984: Don Thorp, football; Karen Brems, gymnastics
1985: Charles Lake, gymnastics; Kelly McNee, track/cross country
1986: David Williams, football; Jonelle Polk, basketball
1987: Darrin Fletcher, baseball; Mary Eggers, volleyball
1988: Tim Simon, track; Mary Eggers, volleyball
1989: David Zeddies, gymnastics; Mary Eggers, volleyball
1990: Kendall Gill, basketball; Laura Bush, volleyball
1991: Jon Llewellyn, wrestling; Sarah Sharp, basketball; Renee Heiken, golf
1992: Tim Simpson, football; Len Sitko, track/cross country; Renee Heiken, golf; Tonja Buford, track
1993: Marko Koers, track; Tonja Buford, track
1994: Anthony Jones, track; Tina Rogers, volleyball
1995: Dana Howard, football; Steve Marianetti, wrestling; Tonya Williams, track
1996: Kevin Hardy, football; Tonya Williams, track
1997: Ernest Benion, wrestling; Ashley Berggren, basketball
1998: Eric Siebert, wrestling; Ashley Berggren, basketball; Yvonne Harrison, track & field
1999: Oliver Freelove, tennis; Cristy Chapman, volleyball
2000: Jason Anderson, baseball; Jessica Aveyard, swimming
2001: Adam Tirapelle, wrestling; Perdita Felicien, track & field
2002: Kurt Kittner, football; Perdita Felicien, track & field
2003: Amer Delic, tennis; Matt Lackey, wrestling; Perdita Felicien, track & field
2004: Justin Spring, gymnastics; Leisha Alcia, soccer
2005: Deron Williams, basketball; Cassie Hunt, track & field/cross country
2006: Justin Spring, gymnastics; Cassie Hunt, track & field/cross country
2007: Kevin Anderson, tennis; Yvonne Mensah, track & field
2008: J Leman, football; Angela Bizzarri, track & field/cross country