COVID-19 put a hold on the IC Blueboys and Lady Blues athletic events in March of 2020. This past year the athletic department has worked hard to establish new safety protocols, testing requirements, and spectator policies to make sure the student-athletes at Illinois College can compete in a safe environment.

This spring was considered a crossover season that featured all of IC’s 23 varsity athletic teams competing in some capacity. The Midwest Athletic Conference (MWC) announced that they would only be offering a conference championship to the teams that normally compete in the spring such as baseball, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s track and field. The men’s and women’s golf team also received conference recognition from the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC).

Baseball

Illinois College baseball wrapped up a historic season winning their first Midwest Conference title since 1995 and earning their first automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in program history. The team finished the year 21-19 overall and 16-8 against MWC opponents. Bailey Reed ’22 received MWC Player of the Year in the South Division leading the team with 12 home runs and 54 RBIs. Head Coach Jacob Waddle was named Coach of the Year in the South Division and Peyton Phillis ’22 received MWC Newcomer of the Year. Five student-athletes received MWC All-Conference and three received ABCA/Rawlings All-Region. 

Softball

IC softball put together an extraordinary season this spring. The Lady Blues won their first MWC Championship defeating Lake Forest to advance to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. The team finished the year with a record of 25-14 overall and 13-1 in the MWC. Meghan Roman and her coaching staff received MWC Coaching Staff of the Year while Jessica Belzer ’21 received Player of the Year in the South Division, and Sydney Hood ’22 received Pitcher of the Year in the South Division. The team had five student-athletes receive MWC All-Conference and two receive NFCA All-Region. 

Track & Field

IC Track & Field had a successful year with two athletes qualifying for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships. Andrea Hyde ’21 qualified in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash while Olivia Molette ’21 was able to qualify in the long jump. Molette finished 10th overall in the long jump in her first career appearance at nationals with a mark of 17’ 10.75” (5.45-meters). Hyde placed 10th in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.02, and 18th overall in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.78 in her fourth career outdoor nationals appearance. 

Soccer

The Blueboys men’s soccer team finished the season with a record of 1-4-1 overall with a win over Lincoln Christian University 4-0 and a tie against Greenville University 2-2. The team was led by TK Ayers ’24 who recorded two goals and five points on the season. Raul Rubalcava ’21 led the team in goal with 25 saves to finish the year.

The Lady Blues women’s soccer program has wrapped up their season as well. They finished the year with an overall record of 1-5 after earning a win over Iowa Wesleyan 3-1. The team was led by Katie Elmore ’22 and Haley Sommer ’24 each with two goals and four points. Sophomore Savannah Henson ’22 was outstanding in goal for the Lady Blues this season with 46 saves.

Basketball

The Blueboys men’s basketball team finished the year with a record of 7-2 overall. The team totaled four players averaging double figures in scoring. Jake Mazrimas ’23 led the team with 17.9 points per game followed by Isaac Burrows ’22 (13.7), Hunter Ottensmeier ’22 (13.1), and Deandre Enoch ’21 (11.3).

The women’s basketball program also had a productive year finishing the season with a record of 7-5. The team was led by Lilly Pepper ’23 and Junie Zirkelbach ’24 both averaging 12.3 points per game.

Volleyball

The Illinois College Lady Blues volleyball program had a successful year under first year head coach Alicia Wood. The team finished the season with a record of 5-4 overall. Brenna Dameris ’22 led the team offensively with 82 kills followed by Madison Klanke ’21 totaling 76 kills.

Esports

The IC Esports team finished their season with an overall record of 4-6. The team earned a spot in the Midwest Esports Conference playoffs as the number two seed based on their regular season record. Illinois College would advance to the MEC Championship after defeating University of Missouri in the first round 2-0. The team fell short in the MEC Playoff Finals to Grand View University 
to claim second place in this year’s tournament.

Swim

The Illinois College men’s and women’s swim teams were able to compete in a couple of dual meets this season. The team had a lot of success with multiple record-breaking performances. Kavanagh Larson ’24 set the new school record for the women’s 1000-yard freestyle with an impressive time of 11:33.08. Larson also achieved a new IC school record in the 1650-yard freestyle with a time of 19:09.25. Jenna Kenning ’20 was able to break the school record in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:00.49. 

Dance

The Lady Blues dance team traveled to compete in the Dance Team Union Nationals this season in Orlando, Fla. at the Marriott World Center. The two-day competition featured schools across the country from NCAA Division I, II, III, and NAIA. IC competed in the hip hop category earning a fourth place finish out of six teams.