Gracie Russell has been a consistent leader for the UIS women's golf team throughout the fall season, earning September Jimmy John's Athlete of the Month honors after three strong performances during her first month of competition as a Prairie Star. One highlight was a runner-up finish at the Kansas City Cup, placing second out of 47 golfers to help the Prairie Stars claim the team title. The victory marked UIS's first regular-season team title since fall 2022.
Russell opened the month with a 26th-place finish out of 69 golfers at the UIndy Invitational before continuing her strong play at the Kansas City Cup. She also finished in the top third of the large field at Grand Valley State's Laker Fall Invite, consistently positioning herself among the Prairie Stars' top performers.
Across the fall season, Russell has regularly led the UIS lineup. She finished September with a 77.78 scoring average and 700 total strokes across three events, along with a second-place individual finish. Her ability to compete near the top of the leaderboard has helped drive the Prairie Stars' success and establish momentum heading into championship season in the spring.
Jimmy John's Athlete of the Month
The Jimmy John's Athlete of the Month award enters its fourth year and recognizes outstanding individual performances across UIS Athletics. Monthly honorees will be recognized at the end-of-year UIS Athletics banquet and will be considered for UIS Male, Female or Rookie of the Year honors in their respective categories.
The award is presented in partnership with Jimmy John's in Springfield, reflecting a shared commitment to celebrating excellence, teamwork and achievement across all Prairie Star programs.
August 2026 Nominees
Gracie Russell, Women's Golf
Brooks Cluver, Men's Golf
Kendall Johnson, Volleyball
Makenna Cox, Volleyball
Josslyn Gaona, Women's Cross Country
Owen Whelan, Men's Cross Country
Kai Van-Roon, Men's Tennis
Niamh Grogan, Women's Tennis
Mallory Herber, Women's Soccer
Autumn Diduch, Women's Soccer
Gigi Yurevich, Women's Soccer
Kevin Kardel, Men's Soccer
Robin Lemke Bergseth, Men's Soccer
Gentil Selemani, Men's Soccer
