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Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:
A highlight of Terrence Shannon Jr.’s weekend back in Champaign in mid-February was reading a letter written to him by 11-year-old Jaxon Stuart. The fifth-grader from Maroa handed it to the former Illini star and current NBA rookie with the Minnesota Timberwolves at a jam-packed autograph session, and Shannon took time to read every word of it.
Three reasons we love sports today
➜ 1. Congrats to Brock Schlittler of the Unity boys’ track and field team and Eva Ronto of the Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin softball team. The duo is our latest high school Athletes of the Week, powered by Copper Creek Contractors. Read more about them in Tuesday’s paper.
➜ 2. Former Illini Terrence Shannon Jr. had limited playing time in his first NBA playoff series, but he and his Minnesota Timberwolves teammates are moving on to the Western Conference semifinals after the Timberwolves beat the Lakers late Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
➜ 3. Happy birthday to my dad, Ray Daniels. Thanks for instilling a love of sports and journalism into me at a young age. Hope the Cardinals can get a win or two for you this weekend.
Jackson Buchanan earned his third First Team All-Big Ten honor on Thursday.
Numbers game: 3
Illinois men’s golfers who earned First Team All-Big Ten recognition on Thursday. Jackson Buchanan, Max Herendeen and Ryan Voois are among the 10 players to receive this honor, with Buchanan and Herendeen unanimous selections. Illinois was the only Big Ten program to have three First-Team picks.
Tyler Schmitt and the Illinois baseball team are set to play a doubleheader at Rutgers on Friday before the three-game series is slated to end Saturday in Piscataway, N.J.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜ 1. Illinois at Rutgers baseball. The Illini (26-16, 12-9 Big Ten) enter their three-game series against the host Scarlet Knights (21-24, 9-12) in sole possession of sixth place in the Big Ten. A doubleheader is on tap Friday from Piscataway, N.J., with the first game at noon.
➜ 2. Gary Wieneke Memorial. The threat of bad weather on Saturday has this track and field meet the Illini will host at Demirjian Park into just a one-day event on Friday beginning at 10:30 a.m.
➜ 3. Ohio State at Illinois softball. The Illini (21-26, 5-13 Big Ten) will likely end their season this weekend, with the Buckeyes (41-10-1, 14-5) in town. A 2 p.m. doubleheader on Friday begins the series.
From left, the Hensley family: Emma, Matt, Beth and Anna.
Ask an AD
Three questions with Mahomet-Seymour athletic director Matt Hensley:
➜ 1. My favorite sports teams are … Mahomet-Seymour, Alabama, the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Blackhawks.
➜ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are … John Wooden, Tony Dungy and Bobby Knight.
➜ 3. My biggest pet peeve is … spring weather.
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