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Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:
Illinois athletics
The Illinois cross-country program will host a nine-team Big Ten Preview Meet on Friday at the University of Illinois Golf Course in Savoy. The venue will host the Big Ten Championships on Nov. 1.
Three reasons we love sports today
➜ 1. The University of Illinois Golf Course in Savoy won’t have any golfing on Friday afternoon. But it will have college cross-country runners competing on the Orange and Blue courses. The Illini will host a nine-team Big Ten preview meet on Friday evening — women’s race at 5 p.m. and men’s race at 5:45 p.m.
➜ 2. The event will serve as a test run (pun intended) before the Big Ten Championships are held at the site on Nov. 1.
➜ 3. Congrats to Tri-County football player Jimmy Dillon and Monticello volleyball player Sierrah Downey. The duo are the latest News-Gazette high school Athletes of the Week, powered by Copper Creek Contractors. Read more about the pair in Monday’s News-Gazette.
Illinois wide receiver Zakhari Franklin makes a one-handed catch in front of Kansas cornerback Damarius McGhee on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium in Champaign. Franklin led the Illini with nine receptions for 99 yards in Illinois’ 23-17 upset of the 19th-ranked Jayhawks with a sellout crowd of 60,670 fans on hand to witness it.
Numbers game: 2
more receiving touchdowns Zakhari Franklin needs to have 40 in his college career. The Illini standout — who is in his first season at Illinois but sixth overall in college after stops at Texas San Antonio and Mississippi — is coming off an impressive performance against Kansas with nine catches for 99 yards in last Saturday’s 23-17 win by Illinois. His one-handed grab was a highlight-reel play, but Franklin has yet to reach the end zone so far with the Illini.
From left, Matt Suaava, Robert Boyd-Meents and Conner Vaughn of the Paxton-Buckley-Loda football team. The Panthers host Bloomington Central Catholic on Friday night.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜ 1. Central Michigan at Illinois football. Last chance to see the Illini in Champaign until Purdue visits on Oct. 12. Illinois tries to win its second homecoming game of the Bret Bielema era on Saturday.
➜ 2. Sycamore at Mahomet-Seymour football. A Friday night nonconference clash at Frank Dutton Field between the No. 5 team (Sycamore) and No. 9 team (Mahomet-Seymour) in the Class 5A Associated Press state rankings.
➜ 3. Bloomington Central Catholic at Paxton-Buckley-Loda football. Two undefeated Illini Prairie Conference teams square off at Zimmerman Field at I-57 Stadium on Friday night, with the host Panthers looking for a statement win.
JD Jennings, top left, and the 2024 Milford/Cissna Park girls’ track and field team.
Coach’s corner
Three questions with Milford/Cissna Park girls’ track and field coach JD Jennings:
âžœ 1. My favorite sports team is … the Northwestern Wildcats. I’m an alum.
âžœ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are … Mike Ditka, Chris Collins and Whitey Herzog.
âžœ 3. My biggest pet peeve is … athletes who are not good teammates.