Illinois Central College to Celebrate Five Standout Alumni at 2026 Athletics Hall of Fame Induction
East Peoria, IL (02/05/2026) — Illinois Central College (ICC) will induct five former student-athletes into its Athletics Hall of Fame, honoring alumni whose achievements helped shape Cougar athletics and left a lasting impact on the Central Illinois community. The ceremony will take place Saturday, February 7, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at the ICC CougarPlex in East Peoria.
"Each of these inductees has a story that helped shape ICC Athletics," said Rob Buss, ICC Director of Athletics. "Their success did not stop when they left campus. They set examples that continue to influence our student-athletes and programs today."
The 2026 ICC Athletics Hall of Fame inductees are:
Jennifer Bartlett: A trailblazer for ICC Athletics as the college's first athletic scholarship recipient, a Second Team NJCAA All-American in women's volleyball and later became a longtime coach and founder of Central Illinois Elite Volleyball Club, influencing generations of athletes beyond ICC.
Anthony Allison: A standout men's basketball player and NJCAA All-American who set ICC's all-time field goal percentage record and went on to a successful NCAA Division I and professional career in Europe.
Sandy Piccoli-Griggs: One of the most accomplished two-sport athletes in ICC history, earning unanimous First Team All-American honors in softball and contributing to championship teams in both softball and volleyball.
Rachel Muller: An elite softball catcher who helped lead ICC to multiple national tournament appearances and remains the only catcher in program history to earn First Team NFCA All-American honors.
Christine Koehl-Blackburn: A dominant softball pitcher and NJCAA and NFCA All-American who led ICC through one of the most successful eras in program history.
The ICC Athletics Hall of Fame honors individuals whose achievements and leadership have brought lasting distinction to Illinois Central College and the communities it serves. The induction ceremony is an opportunity for alumni, fans, and supporters to celebrate their contributions and the legacy of Cougar athletics.
Event details and registration information are available at: https://icc.edu/event/2026-athletics-hall-of-fame-induction-ceremony/.
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Illinois Central College is a two-year community college with campuses in East Peoria, Peoria and Pekin, Illinois, providing a high-quality, affordable education to prepare students to enter the workforce or to transfer to a four-year institution. ICC is the 2020 awardee of the National Community College Charles Kennedy Equity Award from ACCT, a 2022 and 2025 EDA Good Job Challenge Institution, and the Lead College for the state of Illinois' Workforce Equity Initiative. ICC also conducts original research in agricultural fields, including water quality and soil conservation. For more information, visit icc.edu.
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