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Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:
A year ago, LeRoy spring sport athletes cheer on Becca Lehr as she does a flip during The News-Gazette’s 2023 Faces of the Spring event at its Champaign office. This year’s event happens on Sunday once again at The News-Gazette.
Three reasons we love sports today
➜ 1. Our annual Faces of the Spring event, in its second decade, happens Sunday at The News-Gazette office in Champaign. And we’ve got 280 athletes from 43 area high schools lined up to attend.
➜ 2. We leave it up to the area coaches to select what members of their teams will attend, requesting two athletes from every area high school spring sports program.
➜ 3. The main highlight is the photos N-G photo editor Robin Scholz takes of the athletes, which will start running in these pages in March. But be on the lookout on Snapchat (news-gazette) for skits from Sunday, and keep your ears tuned in for radio commercials recorded by athletes that’ll air on WDWS 1400-AM, WHMS 97.5-FM and WKIO 107.9-FM.
The last time Illinois hosted Iowa at State Farm Center? This was the scene after the Illini beat the Hawkeyes 74-72 on March 6, 2022 to clinch a share of a Big Tent title. No Big Ten title is on the line today in Champaign, but expect a high-scoring game between two teams with prolific offenses and suspect defenses.
Numbers game: 212
Points Illinois and Iowa men’s basketball scored on March 8, 1989 in Champaign. That’s the highest point total in the 167-game series between the two rivals who have prolific offenses this season. The Flyin’ Illini won 118-94 in that game 35 years ago behind 29 points from Nick Anderson, 24 points from Lowell Hamilton and 21 points from Kenny Battle.
The Cissna Park girls’ basketball team celebrated a Class 1A sectional title on Thursday night and will try to reach the state tournament on Monday night when it plays Altamont at 7 p.m. in a Blue Ridge Super-Sectional game in Farmer City.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜ 1. Illinois at Iowa women’s basketball. The Illini get a chance to beat the fourth-ranked Hawkeyes in a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena at noon on Sunday. While experiencing the Caitlin Clark show.
➜ 2. Illinois vs. UCLA softball. The Illini, struggling so far early this season, face the 12-time national champion Bruins — that’s the most in NCAA history — at 5 p.m. Saturday in Cathedral City, Calif.
➜ 3. Cissna Park vs. Altamont girls’ basketball. The Timberwolves, sparked by super sophomores Addison Lucht and Josie Neukomm, face off against Altamont standout and Illinois State signee Grace Nelson at 7 p.m. Monday in a Class 1A Blue Ridge Super-Sectional game.
Champaign Central boys’ swimming coach Dave Young — holding up his 1-year-old grandson David at The News-Gazette office last March — helped the Maroons qualify six individuals for this year’s IHSA state finals.
Coach’s corner
Three questions with Champaign Central boys’ swimming coach Dave Young, the five-time N-G Coach of the Year who took six Maroons to the IHSA state finals on Friday in Westmont,
➜ 1. My favorite sports team is … the Champaign Central boys’ swimming and diving team.
➜ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are … Ben Karwoski, Will Barker and Doc Counsilman..
➜ 3. My biggest pet peeves are … people who don’t drink Mad Goat coffee and people who shamelessly promote their friend’s business.
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