NORMAL – Like the rest of us, Illinois State University’s Redbirds football team attempted to settle into a more familiar routine on Media Day at Hancock Stadium on Aug. 12, after barely getting any time to recover from a season which was lengthened by Covid and league decision to postpone the season schedule prompting Missouri Valley Football Conference teams to play in the winter months. That only lasted for four weeks before the season was cancelled as a result of the disease’s impact on organizers. But Redbirds fans will get to experience a more routine season when Head Coach Brock Spack’s troops open the season Sept. 4.

Four Area High School Alums On ISU Roster: ISU has four area players on the roster this season, one of whom transferred to ISU after attending Augustana University. Normal Community High alum Franky West is returning to the Twin Cities to play cornerback for the Redbirds as a redshirt freshman. Currently a member of ISU’s second team unit, West said he hopes to see action this season. “I’ve been working my tail off trying to get on the field and hopefully, I can make some things happen this season,” he said. “I I believe I can be a bigger guy on special teams this year. I got some action at cornerback last year, so I just want to perfect more of my craft on special teams and help my team as much as I can,” West, who is majoring in Marketing, said.

He is trying to carry on a family tradition playing for the Redbirds following in the footsteps of his father, Frank West, who played football at Illinois State from 1990-94 and later played in the Canadian Football League.

For sophomore Peter Bussone, he has seen the game from the perspective of both the offensive line and defensive line. He said he has picked up cues on footwork and toughness needed to face off against opposing teams. He said in being on both sides of the ball, he has learned to get used to how physical the college game is. “I’ve had to learn how to grind it out and try to get to first string,” he said. He added that has meant “a lot of hard work and dedication to get here.” He is majoring in Exercise Science with the goal of being a strength and conditioning coach.

Sophomore defensive lineman Dalton Tevis credits his then-NCHS Ironmen head coach Wes Temples’ approach to getting his players ready for a game for the way he now approaches playing against MVFC opponents now as a Redbird. “My high school did a good job of preparing me for this, but there’s nothing like college football. It’s a job in itself. You enjoy the practices, you enjoy the games, and here in college, you have meetings, you have lifting, you have different things you need to attend.”

Tevis is majoring in Cyber Security at ISU which teaches students about varying aspects of that field so after earning the degree, students can get jobs helping businesses stay on guard against cyber threats. “I had a couple of family members who were employed in it and didn’t really know much about it,” Tevis explained, adding once he took a couple classes related to it, “I fell in love with it.”

He said playing in spring was “awkward,” adding he and his teammates are looking forward “to having a more normal year” on the field.

Sophomore wide receiver Nick Hesse explained it wasn’t just transitioning from playing high school ball to college ball, like other freshmen had to contend with last season, but then trying to pick up on the nuances of the college game meant needing to learn quickly about those changes. Regular team meetings and how play routes were run were just a couple of the items the 5 foot-10 wide receiver had to get up to speed on as a Redbird last season. He is majoring in Business Administration and said he is leaning toward wanting to work in sports-related businesses.

Hesse said he had mixed feelings about the season being first delayed last fall and then nixed in the spring. He said with both the disease creating issues and players getting hurt over the course of the spring games, “it was just better for the team to take that break.”

For Bloomington Central Catholic High alum Joey Malinowski, getting some experience during the four spring games the Redbirds played helped him and said he is excited for the fall season to be starting. A sophomore, he said he never had to go up against guys who weighed 300 pounds, which is about 55 pounds more than he weighs, and said he’s grateful to have linemen Bussone and Zach Mueller close to help against defenders. He said he is in a group of players who are determined to have “100 percent execution on all snaps, kicks, and holds” as the season gets underway. He is majoring in Agricultural Business and is looking ahead to earning an MBA in a related field.

Spack Looking To Get Back To “A Lot More Normal”: ISU Head Coach Brock Spack said being at practice in August “is a more familiar spot for us, adding playing in the spring months, as briefly as they did until the season was cancelled after four games, didn’t feel normal. Spack and team officials called the season off after three games partly due to a surge in Covid. He said although “the good news was we play outside, the bad news is we held team meetings inside” which increased the risk of the disease spreading among players, coaches and staff. The situation the team had with practices and media day held Aug. 12 at Hancock Stadium turf “felt a lot more normal,” Spack said. He added this summer gave his players and assistant coaches and staff 4 ½ months of down time after a year and a half of working constantly with the season including in the spring.

“I think the players are adjusting to training camp after not having one for almost two years, explained Spack, who is entering his 13th season on the Redbirds sidelines. He brings an overall record of 85-53 including five post-season appearances, including making it to the FCS Championship in 2015 where the Redbirds lost to Missouri Valley Football Conference powerhouse North Dakota State.

2021 Season Starts Sept. 4 Hosting Butler: ISU fans will see the season open at home with Butler visiting Hancock Stadium on Sept. 4 for a 6:30p.m. game. The rest of September, the Redbirds will be on the road looking to conquer Western Michigan (Sept. 11), before tangling with MVFC foes Eastern Illinois (Sept. 18), and Southern Illinois (Sept. 25). Their next home game after that trip will be Oct. 2 when Missouri State comes to town.

NORMAL – College baseball and softball coaches go out recruiting players who have a special combination of skills, both visible on and off the field: They look for someone who can hit well, field the ball in a tight situation while on the field and still keep their cool and stay current on their studies while the season is in progress. They also look for someone whose personality will mesh well with the current players.

As it turned out, when Illinois State University Softball Head Coach Melinda Fischer recruited Jayden Standish, both she and the Redbirds Softball team quickly discovered they found the right young lady to add to their squad. How quickly? In the Redbirds’ contest against Coastal Carolina University on March 7 during one of her four at-bats, freshman Standish belted a grand slam home run aiding her team in their 12-5 win.

Standish plays third base for the Redbirds and will major in Nursing at ISU, which operates Mennonite College of Nursing. She admits after she makes contact with the ball, she always wants to see it take flight.

But in the end, after making contact, Standish said, “I never watch it. I just assume it’s going out. I always have to ask other people where it went. It felt like good contact and I ran it out. It was a good solid hit.”

As of Monday, after 64 at-bats, the 2020 Lexington High School grad is carrying a .266 average having smacked 17 hits including 5 home runs, a triple and two doubles and scoring 9 runs. She has struck out 22 times and walked 7 times.

“We’d been watching Jayden for several years and we knew she had that power potential,” Fischer said, adding, “Most important with Jayden was her ability to be consistent at the plate. That was what we were looking for from everybody in our program, but that was exciting for her home run to be a grand slam and that’s something that will be in Jayden’s memory book forever.”

“My freshman year has been a good start,” Standish, daughter of John and Sara Standish, said. “I have had a lot of fun. We have had a lot of wins and it’s been a full team effort off the bench. Our pitching staff has been amazing, so I can’t say enough about this team, so it makes all my freshman season, all my little successes, seem like nothing compared to what this team has done so far. I feel like I am having a good start. I am just hoping we can keep it going.”

As for her career aspirations, she said when she was at LHS, she shadowed an anesthesiologist at Carle Clinic in Champaign a couple summers ago to experience what that career is like. “I just really liked the atmosphere,” she explained, adding being in an operating room furthered her enthusiasm toward her choice of careers. “I liked being able to stay in the O. R. and just watch surgeries all day. That kind of environment was something I really would be interested in. But I also know that there are a lot of different paths in a nursing career. In four years, I could decide to do something else. But as of right now, I am interested in anesthesiology.”

During her high school years, softball wasn’t the only sport her family and LHS fans could find Jayden engaged in helping earn victories for. She played in three other sports – Basketball, Volleyball, and Track.

But before she graduates and dawns a mask and gloves heading into an O.R. for her livelihood, there is still time for her to add wins to the Redbirds’ record books. “She’s continued to provide some long power for us, which put us back in the game on Sunday,” Fischer said, specifically pointing to a home run Standish hit which kept the Redbirds close against Southern Illinois, a contest the Redbirds lost in a 3-2 decision.

Fischer said Standish is credited with a home run each in a pair of games at the Middle Tennessee State University Invitational Tournament, and on April 18 homered into right field and drove a run batted in against Southern Illinois keeping the Redbirds in the game only to drop a 3-2 decision to the Salukis.

Standish said despite having to adjust how the team operates as a result of the COVID pandemic, “Not being able to stretch outside our bubble too much, I still had a fantastic freshman year. I’ve gotten really close with the team and, of course, with some other friends here at ISU. We have really focused on Softball, and I’ve focused on school. Just being here on campus has been a lot of fun. I’m only 20 minutes from home but being here has been a growing experience for me being on my own.”

Standish said her goals while she is at ISU include helping the team earn “some rings within these four years, get a degree, and just make a lot of memories at ISU. I’m excited to see what this team can do.”

Jayden Isn’t The Only Family Member To Play Sports For ISU: Playing sports in a Redbirds jersey has been part of Jayden’s family. Her aunt, Teresa Standish, played softball at ISU over 25 years ago, and her uncle, Jan Rvehlicke, was on ISU’s men’s soccer team. Jayden makes the sixth person in her family to attending ISU.

Team Has Had 14 Games Cancelled, All Weather Related: Fischer explained her team has had 14 games cancelled but none of the cancellations were due to COVID-19, but rather to poor weather conditions. Those cancellations included three games called at the River City Leadoff Tournament in Jacksonville, Fla., and two at the Tennessee Invitational Tournament in Knoxville, Tenn.

NORMAL – The wait is finally over for Illinois State University’s Volleyball team. Precautions surrounding COVID-19 forced the Missouri Valley to push back the sport’s regular fall scheduling in favor of playing when players came back for spring semester.

On Monday, after a fall semester of wondering when they would be allowed to not think about COVID-19 restrictions and concentrate on kills and digs, third season head coach Leah Johnson and her team took to Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena to get a feel for the new season with hopes of getting back to the Conference Championship.

They managed that last year, having been seeded 2nd and disposing of 6th seed Drake before falling to top seed Northern Iowa. And things went so well, the Redbirds obtained a berth in the NCAAs but fell in the opening session to University of Cincinnati.

What she said she witnessed during the session was “this was a team I could trust and I saw that again today,” said Johnson, who met remotely with local media members via Zoom after the practice session. “We needed this experience in practice to feel what it’s like to get our name called, seeing our name up on the big board because we’ve been beating each other up for a little while now.”

Johnson said the team was prepping for a new season with returning players coming back in July and newcomers joining before fall semester. “It was disappointing to hear our season was transitioned to the spring, but once we kind of got through that grieving process, I believe everyone expected to prepare,” Johnson said.

At that point, Johnson said, she and her team practiced six days a week, simulating playing on one side of the net through a full match. “We did as much simulating as we could, and with that, we also simulated resiliency.” She said that also meant mentally preparing for changes thrown their way as a result of COVID.

Some of that resiliency will mean contending with playing games on back-to-back days as opposed to having a few days to recover and go at it again. Johnson said the team was actually considering scheduling games in that manner in the fall before the league moved the season as a whole to the spring. “If you win day one, your opponent knows what they get to fix before game two,” she explained. “Our goal is to constantly best ourselves. I also think it will be about recovery – which team can play their depth, which team can recover and see the next match as a brand new match.”

Johnson said with five returning seniors and six freshmen on the roster, “This is a team that is pretty special. It has a lot of potential and has five seniors who have all been at starting roles or significant roles their entire career. This year’s seniors (and hometowns) are: Kaylee Martin (Sterling, Ill.); Kendal Meier (Cedar Rapids, Iowa); Stef Jankiewicz (Farmington Hills, Mich.); Alyssa Kronberg (Palatine, Ill.); and Sydney Holt (Eureka, Mo.). The team also has six freshmen, including one redshirt, joining the team for their first season as Redbirds. The team also has one player from Austria and one from New Zealand.

“They’re a pretty special senior class,” Johnson said. “If I could keep them around longer, I would.” She added that everyone underneath them is competitive. “That’s one thing the seniors have given me feedback on – how the freshmen, sophomore, even junior class, are pushing them. It’s not easy to still be a starter in our gym just because you’re a senior. It’s not given. You have to earn it and they’re feeling that. So that’s a good sign for the future, too.”

Meier, who plays in the middle blocker slot, said it may not seem like the season has finally arrived until they hit the court to open the season at Marquette Friday night.

Kendal Meier: Because of COVID, players will need to wear masks while on the court. Iowa native Meier, a senior, told reporters players didn’t play with masks, so playing with them “was a huge adjustment. Coach is all about being prepared and when the season starts, you will have to wear a mask, or working out, you will be wearing a mask. I think we all have embraced the face that we are wearing masks.”

Meier said to answer the question of what makes this team different, she has to go back to comparing advantages and disadvantages such as the advantage of training for a full semester. One of the advantages, to her, was being able to spend time at length bonding with freshman teammates, something that doesn’t happen in the midst of a season.

Stef Jankiewicz: Stef Jankiewicz, another senior on the team, said the cold and snow are the biggest difference in adjusting to playing in the spring semester because she said it usually get cold toward the end of the season, when the team plays at the MVC Tourney in November. Jankiewicz said the additional bonding time also helped the team in terms of players knowing what is expected of them on the court come game time. She said she is looking forward to helping ISU “show the team’s competitive side” when they take to the court against Marquette.

Jankiewicz said COVID has added a layer of responsibility for players in that they had to make sure that, in addition to bringing shoes, certain stretch bands, and kneepads to games or practices, they also brought masks. The end result was all team members held each other accountable for making sure additional items like masks were part of their equipment. “Freshmen held us accountable the same way we would hold them accountable for things,” she explained.

About that aspect of how the team is operating now as a result, Jankiewicz said and referring to the underclassmen, “That’s one of the biggest differences that I am really excited for because I know they will always be there to push me, and every single person on the team will. So, I have to hold myself to a new standard every match and every practice.”

Redbirds Host Bradley Monday At 6p.m.: The Redbirds will play Missouri Valley Conference rival Bradley Monday at 6p.m. followed by a two-night visit by University of Cincinnati. On Feb. 1, the Redbirds visit Bradley for a 6p.m. The game at Bradley is part of a three-game road trip as the Redbirds will visit Indiana State for contests on Feb. 7 and 8.

NORMAL – Kyle Brennan was announced as the new Athletic Director for Illinois State University in a Zoom press conference on Dec. 31. Brennan will begin his tenure as ISU’s 12th person to hold that position on Jan. 15. He succeeds Larry Lyons who announced his retirement in October after 30 years with the University, serving as AD since 2013.

Brennan explained his passion for being in higher education saying he nearly didn’t stay with it until one of his professors guided him to the tract his career is at currently. He said he works with athletes “to help them achieve their dreams, not just to help them athletically, but also academically, and socially to help them become great adults as they move forward with their lives.”

Brennan said upon hearing about ISU’s opening for the AD’s position, “When this job came open, I called every search firm in the country and told them I wanted in on this job. The reason is it has such an amazing history.” Looking at Redbirds sports history, he explained its successes in Softball, Basketball, and Football showed him “a great opportunity to build on such great success that’s already taken place.”

He added the people he came in contact with during the interview process “really made the difference for me.”

Because of COVID-19, all interviews ISU staff did with Brennan were done remotely. He met face-to-face with ISU President Dr. Larry Dietz for the first time the day before the press conference.

Turning his attention to the Redbirds in relation to the Missouri Valley Conference, Brennan said, “I’m competitive. I didn’t take this job because we want to be good. I took this job because we want to be a dominant force in this conference and win championships. This school has everything it takes to do that.”

Shifting gears to another aspect of the job, Brennan added, “Community is very important to us, my family and I.” He explained that means “jumping in with both feet and getting involved in every aspect of the community, and we look forward to that.”

He thanked his family, which includes his wife, Beth, and sons Patrick, Mac, and Murphy. “They’re excited to come,” he said, adding his kids “are coming on a leap of faith.”

“What really attracted me to the position was the people,” Brennan said, who he met at ISU during his interview process. “After all the interviews and time I had with everybody, it really convinced me that this way the right place for my family and to have the opportunity to move forward and have success.”

He also thanked Lyons for conversations they had recently, and ISU Deputy AD Leanna Bordner for her efforts during the interview process. Regarding succeeding Lyons, Brennan said, “I’m humbled. I’ve got big shoes to fill, and I look forward to learning from him as we move forward, as well.”

Brennan said one does not get through life without there being people in life who help along the way, and began his remarks after being introduced by Dr. Dietz by thanking Dr. Chris Hill, athletic director at Utah for 25 of his 31 years at that University. He also thanked current Utah AD Mark Harlan, Barb Snyder, vice president for student affairs at that university, who, Brennan said, gave him some insight into ISU, and that University’s president, Dr. Ruth V. Watkins.

Prior to coming to ISU, Brennan has more than 16 years of combined University and athletic department experience at Northern Illinois University, Texas Christian University, Ball State University and University of Utah.

Dr. Dietz said the search for a new athletic director, which also makes that person a member of the University President’s Cabinet, was unique in that, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, “it was the first time we held a Cabinet-level search without all of the candidates coming to the campus. It was different for all of us, but it worked.”

“When Illinois State announced Kyle’s hiring on Dec. 23, I commented that Kyle’s leadership and experiences make him an excellent fit for Illinois State,” Dr. Dietz said. “His terrific attitude perfectly complements his diverse and well-rounded background.”

A member of the Division 1A Athletic Directors’ Association Fellows Program for future Athletic Directors, Brennan has been mentored by Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith since 2013. He was hired in 2008 as Utah’s assistant athletics director for compliance and was named associate A.D. for compliance in 2009. In 2011, he was promoted to special assistant to the athletics director, and in 2012, he was named senior associate A.D. for administration. He was named the school’s first deputy athletics director in December of 2014.

Prior to joining the staff at Utah, Brennan served as the director of compliance at TCU in the 2005-06 school year and at Ball State from 2006-08. But his career life hasn’t always been in athletics. Prior to the job he had at NIU, Brennan was an estate planning attorney in Denver, beginning his collegiate athletics work as a graduate assistant at NIU during the 2004-05 school year. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from Calvin College in Michigan, and earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Denver in 2001.

The press conference opened with Dr. Dietz calling for a moment of silence for Ty Jordan, a freshman at Utah who was also named PAC-12 Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year. Jordan died of a gunshot wound back home in Texas, according to broadcast and print reports. A preliminary investigation by the Denton, Texas Police Department indicated Jordan shot himself, while reports from a Salt Lake City TV station indicated the gun went off accidentally.

Brennan thanked Dr. Dietz for acknowledging the loss of Jordan, saying, “Ty was very important to his teammates, to the University of Utah and it’s a great loss for everyone there. So I really appreciate the respect and honor that you’ve shown him today.”

NORMAL – With his team’s road loss at Youngstown State still weighing on his mind through most of Saturday, Illinois State University head football coach Brock Spack admits that he didn’t even start to address whether his 8-4 team would be considered for 2019 FCS playoffs until he woke up Sunday. When he and his team gathered in the Hancock Stadium Club Room, they found out within the first 15 minutes of the broadcast which would announce the teams which qualified to extend their seasons.

ISU, with an 8-4 record, did qualify, leading to cheering from the team and those fans and supporters, numbering around 35, who anxiously awaited word on the subject. As a result, the Redbirds will be the visitors when they take on Southeast Missouri University Saturday, beginning at 1p.m. The game can be seen on ESPN3. A total of eight teams received byes from the selection committee. One of those teams, Central Arkansas University, received an 8th seed, and would be the Redbirds’ next opponent should Spack’s troops emerge victorious Saturday.

Two other Missouri Valley Football Conference teams earned high seeds and byes courtesy of the selection committee. North Dakota State, at 12-0 overall and 8-0 MVFC, earned the top seed in the FCS playoffs. South Dakota State, at 8-4 overall and 5-3 MVFC, earned a 7th seed.

Redbirds players sat quietly waiting for the broadcast to start but cheered loudly along with those fans who came to check out the results when ISU was announced as one of the teams in the brackets.

Following the announcement, Spack reminded reporters, “We’ve built a pretty good road team this year and we’ve been a pretty good road team in the playoffs. So, we’ll see. SEMO has a very good football team and a good program, so we’ll have to play well.”

The 11th season head coach will be taking the Redbirds into the playoffs for a fifth year, which includes to the FCS Championship against North Dakota State to close out the 2014-15 season.

“We’re just excited to be in the playoffs, whether on the road or at home,” Spack said.

“We’re excited about getting a bid in the playoffs since it has been a couple years where we haven’t been in,” said Spack’s boss, ISU Athletic Director Larry Lyons. “You know what? Someone gets to host and someone gets to go on the road. We’ll go down to SEMO and we’ll do our very best to win that game, and then it looks like it could be a rematch with Central Arkansas in the second round.” Lyons was quick to remind the Redbirds and the Bears met in FCS play a couple years ago.

“I think the kids and the coaches are very excited to be back in the playoffs,” Lyons said. On the way back from Ohio, Lyons added, “I still felt confident we had the resume to get a home game. The committee didn’t see it that way.”

Redbirds Injury List: For ISU, getting into the FCS playoffs is the good news. But looking at their injury list, they will take on the Redhawks of the Ohio Valley Conference while missing some key players and playing a team that seems to know how to handle MVFC teams. Among ISU’s injured: Senior offensive lineman Gabe Megginson, out for the year; Junior quarterback Brady Davis, who was injured in ISU’s game against Missouri State game and is out for the year; Junior backup running back Jeff Proctor, injured in Missouri State game and gone for the year; Sophomore wide receiver Taylor Grimes, a starter on the team who was hurt in ISU’s game against Northern Arizona and is gone for the year); And redshirt freshman wide receiver Eric Rogers.

The Redbirds did get two other key players who just came off the injury list. Sophomore starting wide receiver Andrew Edgar, a 2018 freshman All American who was out for 8 weeks and returned last week at Youngstown State; And junior starting fullback Tim McCloyn, who saw limited duty for a month due to a hand injury but is back in time for the playoffs.

Familiar ISU Foes Lost In Cape Girardeau: If you want to know if or how SEMO did against other MVFC teams, all you need to do is look at their schedule. SEMO, members of the Ohio Valley Conference, played host to and defeated Southern Illinois to open the season in August, 44-26. Eastern Illinois, an OVC member who often plays ISU, also fell victim to the Redhawks this year, two weeks ago, 26-12.