Gone, But Never Forgotten
Each year on April 7, Illinois State Athletics takes time to reflect and remember the seven men who lost their lives in a plane crash on April 7, 2015. Illinois State associate men's basketball coach Torrey Ward, ISU Deputy Director of Athletics Aaron Leetch, Pub II patriarch Terry Stralow, investment officer Jason Jones, Sprint representative Andy Butler, business owner Scott Bittner and pilot Tom Hileman loved their families, loved ISU athletics and loved being a part of the community.
To honor them each year, their wives, fiancée's and children created Project 7, which encourages everyone to perform seven random acts of kindness on April 7. To learn more about the initiative, visit its Facebook page.
For more information about Torrey, Aaron, Terry, Jason, Andy, Scott and Tom, please visit the Redbird Remembrance website at Remembrance.GoRedbirds.com.
Latest Athletics News
- Redbirds Begin Homestand With MVC Series vs. Missouri StateThe friendly confines of Marian Kneer Stadium will play host to this weekend's softball series between Illinois State and Missouri State, as the Redbirds begin a seven-game homestand with a three-game set against the Bears.
- Nine Redbirds Named To The 2025 NFF Hampshire Honor SocietyThe National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) honored nine Illinois State football student-athletes among a record number of members for the 2025 NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which comprises college football players from all divisions of the NCAA, NAIA and sprint football who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers.
- Illinois State and Denver Face-Off in Summit League ChampionshipsIllinois State men's tennis (7-16, 2-3 SUMMIT) advanced to the Summit League Championships where the Redbirds received the No. 4 seed and will take on host No. 1 Denver University (16-6, 5-0 SUMMIT) in the second semifinal match on Friday, April 18 inside Denver Tennis Park. Action gets underway at 1 p.m. CT.
- Redbirds Squad Split To Compete In California & TexasThe Illinois State track & field program is slated to compete at two meets this weekend.
- Redbirds Run Away with 2025 MVC ChampionshipBehind a MVC Championship-record team score of 874, the Illinois State women's golf team won the 2025 MVC Championship – the team's second straight – by 31 strokes, the fifth-largest margin of victory in MVC Championship history. The team championship is ISU's 16th in the program history, twice as many as the next closest on the list.
- Redbirds' Daniel Earns MVC Female Track Athlete Of The Week HonorsThe Missouri Valley Conference announced this week's Athlete of the Week selections Tuesday afternoon.