AHS Alumni Well Represented in Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame 2020 Class
AHS E-News Spring 2020
Seven of the 15 new members of the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame 2020 class are graduates of the College of Applied Health Sciences. The class includes athletes and coaches from nine different sports and covers athletes from 1901 through 2013. The seven from AHS are:
Michelle Bartsch-Hackley, Volleyball, BS Recreation, Sport & Tourism, 2012
One of the most well-rounded stars in Fighting Illini volleyball history, Michelle Bartsch-Hackley earned Third-Team All-America honors in 2010 and was selected to the Volleyball Magazine All-America First-Team in 2011. She was named First-Team All-Region and All-Big Ten in 2010 and 2011, and helped lead Illinois to the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen from 2008-2010, and to the national championship match in 2011. A U.S. National Team member since 2016, she is currently playing professionally in Istanbul.
Tal Brody, Basketball, BS Physical Education, 1965
Currently residing in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tal Brody was named First-Team All-American and First-Team All-Big Ten in 1965. He was the No. 12 overall pick in the 1965 NBA Draft, but chose to play professionally for Maccabi Tel Aviv, helping the team to the 1977 FIBA European Champions Cup title. Brody scored 1,121 points during his Illini career, still ranking among the Top 50 scorers in UI history. He is a member of the Israeli Basketball Hall of Fame and was the first sportsman to be awarded the Israel Prize, Israel's highest civilian honor.
Vanessa DiBernardo, Soccer, BS Recreation, Sport & Tourism, 2014
Vanessa DiBernardo was one of Illinois' most-heralded soccer players, earning Second-Team All-America recognition in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and the 2014 Big Ten Medal of Honor. She was the 2011 Big Ten Midfielder of the Year and 2010 Big Ten Freshman of the Year after leading the conference in goals and points. She is currently fourth on the UI career goals list with 43, the career assist leader with 22 and third in career points with 108. She was selected fourth overall in the 2014 NWSL College Draft by the Chicago Red Stars, where she continues to play.
Ray Nitschke, Football, BS Physical Education
Ray Nitschke was a two-way star for Illinois as a linebacker on defense and fullback on offense, where he led the Illini in rushing with 514 yards in 1957. He followed his Illini career with a 15-year NFL Hall of Fame career with the Green Bay Packers, helping to lead the team to five NFL championships and victories in the first two Super Bowl games. He was recognized as the NFL's all-time top linebacker in honor of the NFL's 50th Anniversary and was named First-Team on the NFL 75th Anniversary Team. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978 and the Illinois All-Century Team in 1990. Nitschke died in 1998 at the age of 61.
Jenna Smith, Basketball, BS Community Health, 2010
Jenna Smith finished her Fighting Illini career and continues to stand as the program's all-time leader in scoring (2,160 points) and rebounds (1,217). She was a three-time First-Team All-Big Ten honoree in 2008, 2009, and 2010 while also earning Associated Press honorable-mention All-American recognition. During her Illini career, Smith was a three-time team MVP. She was drafted in second round as the 14th overall choice of the 2010 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics and spent time with the Indiana Fever. She continues to play professionally in Southern France.
Adam Tirapelle, Wrestling, BS Kinesiology, 2001
In 2001, Adam Tirapelle took the individual title at 149 pounds, helping Illinois to a fifth-place finish in the NCAA wrestling championships, its best national placing since 1946. He earned All-America honors three times and was the 2000 Big Ten Champion in his weight class. He holds the school record with 15 pins in 1999-2000, ranks second on the Illinois single-season wins list with 39, second in career wins with 127, third in career pins with 33, and sixth in all-time win percentage (.858). Tirapelle was the 2001 Illinois Dike Eddleman Male Athlete of the Year.
Don Tonry, Gymnastics, BS Physical Education, 1965
Don Tonry was a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Team, competing in eight events. He was the NCAA all-around champion in 1956 and floor exercise champion in 1959. Tonry was a nine-time All-American and won seven AAU titles. Tonry competed for the U.S. at three World Championships in 1958, 1962, and 1966, and at the Pan American Games in 1959 and 1963, winning a gold, a silver, and six individual bronze medals and two team gold medals. After coaching briefly at West Point, Tonry coached for 43 years at Yale. He was inducted as a member of the U.S. Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1980. Tonry died in 2013 at the age of 77.
The 2020 Hall of Fame class brings the total of UI Athletics Hall of Fame members to 80, covering 20 sports. The official Hall of Fame induction is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 18, at State Farm Center when the incoming class will be honored in an event that is free and open to the public.