Latest news with #Champaign
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bears wide receiver hosts youth camp in Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze was host to a youth football camp in Champaign on Saturday. The camp, put on in partnership with Flex Work Sports, welcomed more than 400 kids to St. Thomas More High School. Advertisement There was also a surprise guest appearance from another Bears player: Wide receiver DJ Moore. Moore, who led the Bears in receiving yards on the 2024 season, showed up unannounced. 'He did not have to do that,' Odunze said. 'I didn't tell him I was doing a camp out here. I didn't tell anybody to come out just because it was a little bit of a ways from where everybody is at. That's my guy, that's my brother. He came out here with his family so it's always good to see them, they're doing well. So it means a lot to me that DJ would come out here but that's the Bears organization and all the guys there are very heartfelt and meaningful in that way. So, DJ's my guy, appreciate him.' 'I love Rome,' Moore told WCIA. 'Rome came to my camps so had to show the same respect and make my way out here with my family.' Advertisement It's one of a handful of camps Odunze is hosting over the 2025 offseason. He'll be in Rockford, Ill. for another one on Sunday, July 13. 'I have a lot of fun, of course, just giving back to them,' he said. 'Them having an opportunity to come out here and work hard, meet somebody in the NFL – That's what it's about. So, hopefully it provides them some sort of inspiration because I know they inspire me with all their energy and all their excitement.' As for the 2025 season, which will be Odunze's second in the NFL and the Bears' first under new head coach, he says the excitement is visible. 'Everybody is fired up, as they should be,' he said. 'We're building excitement and anticipation for the season and it's deservingly so. Exciting times, lots of changes… I think we have the right pieces to put it all together…' Advertisement The camp consisted of various drills, 7-on-7 games with Odunze at quarterback and photos/autographs. Mason Davis attended the camp from Monticello and left with a lasting memory. 'I caught a touchdown pass from Rome,' Davis said. 'He's a lot taller than I expected, but he was amazing today.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Joel Klatt Reveals Program Most Likely to Make First College Football Playoff Appearance
Joel Klatt Reveals Program Most Likely to Make First College Football Playoff Appearance originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt believes 2025 could be the year the Illinois Fighting Illini break through college football's glass ceiling — and he's not hedging. Advertisement In a recent episode of "The Joel Klatt Show," Klatt singled out Illinois as the team most likely to make its first College Football Playoff appearance this season, citing their continuity, physical identity and veteran leadership on both sides of the ball. "Bret Bielema has built this team into what he wants. Physical, tough. They win against South Carolina in the bowl game. They show the level that they can get to, and that team that won that day is essentially all back," Klatt said. "Sixteen starters are back, nine on offense, seven on defense. Luke Altmyer is back for his third season. … I think they've hit the lottery in the Big Ten." Bielema, now entering his fifth season in Champaign, has quietly turned Illinois into a Big Ten dark horse. After going 5-7 in his debut season in 2021, he has gone 8-5, 7-6 and 10-3 in the years since, culminating in a 21-17 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Citrus Bowl to close out the 2024 season. Advertisement A big reason for Illinois' optimism is quarterback Luke Altmyer. The Ole Miss Rebels transfer had a breakout campaign last fall, throwing for 2,717 yards and 22 touchdowns. His familiarity with Bielema's system, combined with a fully intact offensive line, has Klatt bullish. "We've seen what returning production, returning experience does, in particular at the quarterback position," Klatt noted. "The entire offensive line is back. The question is at wide receiver. [Illinois] has to replace their top two receivers from last year: Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin." To help with that, Illinois added West Virginia Mountaineers transfer wide receiver Hudson Clement, along with his brother, running back Murphy Clement, through the portal. On defense, the Illini return key playmakers like linebacker Kenenna Odeluga and safety Matthew Bailey, part of a unit that finished in the top 35 nationally in scoring defense last year. Illinois also added several transfer players to its defensive line, including James Thompson Jr. (Wisconsin), Curt Neal (Wisconsin), Tomiwa Durojaiye (Florida State) and Carter Hewitt (Northern Iowa). Advertisement The College Football Playoff trophy is awarded to the national Cairns / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The expanded 12-team playoff format gives programs like Illinois a real shot, and Klatt sees a perfect storm brewing in Champaign. If Bielema can keep the momentum rolling and Altmyer takes another leap, the Illini might not just contend in the Big Ten. They might crash the playoff party for the first time in school history. Related: Joel Klatt Names College Football Program That 'Hit The Lottery' In Their Conference Related: Joel Klatt Issues Stern Warning To Prominent College Football Head Coach: 'You Can't Go 7-5 Again' This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
U of I researchers using new tech to map the brain, find diseases early-on
CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Researchers at the University of Illinois are using MRI technology to examine brain activity in new ways — which could help detect and diagnose brain diseases before symptoms appear. To do this, the researchers are using a new technology — it uses MRI machines to examine metabolic activity (the brain making energy for its functions) and neurotransmitter levels (chemical messengers) in the brain in a non-invasive way. U of I researchers aim to help farmers by improving production, irrigation Zhi-Pei Liang, an electrical and computer engineering professor and member of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the U of I, led the research team. 'Understanding the brain, how it works and what goes wrong when it is injured or diseased is considered one of the most exciting and challenging scientific endeavors of our time,' Liang told the U of I News Bureau. 'MRI has played major roles in unlocking the mysteries of the brain over the past four decades. Our new technology adds another dimension to MRI's capability for brain imaging: visualization of brain metabolism and detection of metabolic alterations associated with brain diseases.' MRI machines use signals from water molecules. The new technology, however, measures signals from the brain's metabolism, neurotransmitters and water molecules. The technique, known as magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) could help detect brain diseases early on. Champaign Co. employees will strike Wednesday if no agreement reached Postdoctoral researcher Yibo Zhao, the first author of the paper, said other MRI technology provides insights into brain structure as well as changes in blood flow — but they cannot provide information on the metabolic activity in the brain. 'Metabolic and physiological changes often occur before structural and functional abnormalities are visible on conventional MRI and fMRI images,' Zhao said. 'Metabolic imaging, therefore, can lead to early diagnosis and intervention of brain diseases.' The new technology also addresses previous challenges scientists faced when attempting to capture images of the brain. Previously, capturing the images took a long time, and the high levels of noise obscured some of the signals. The MSRI tech, however, cut the time for a whole brain scan to just over 12 minutes. Several different populations were tested, according to the researchers. For the healthy subjects, the researchers were able to map metabolic and neurotransmitter activity in the different parts of the brain. 'The deadliest natural disaster globally': U of I professor says flash flood emergency response should be reevaluated When studying patients with brain tumors, the researchers found that there were chemical differences in tumors of different grades. And, when looking at brain images of subjects with multiple sclerosis, the researchers noted molecular changes as early as 70 days before the changes were visible on other MRI images. According to the researchers, their findings could be used to track if a treatment for a neurological condition is effective over time. It could also help create treatments for patients based on their unique metabolic makeup. 'As healthcare is moving towards personalized, predictive and precision medicine, this high-speed, high-resolution technology can provide a timely and effective tool to address an urgent unmet need for noninvasive metabolic imaging in clinical applications,' Liang said. The team's research was published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering on June 20, 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Missouri football reportedly will no longer play Illinois in 2026, 2032. What that means for MU
The return of Braggin' Rights on the football field will be delayed. According to multiple reports from local media Thursday in Champaign, Illinois, the proposed eight-game series between Missouri football and Illinois is being trimmed to six matchups. Advertisement The games that are on the chopping block, according to reports stemming from media availability with Illini athletic director Josh Whitman, are the 2026 and 2032 contests. Mizzou and Illinois, who have not played against each other on the gridiron since 2010, originally had two sets of four-game home-and-home series scheduled. The first was set to be played from 2026-29. The second was scheduled from 2032-35. The two games that have been trimmed were scheduled to be played in Champaign. According to 247Sports' Jeremy Werner, Whitman indicated that the renewed series will still have a home-and-home element, but that the schools are looking into options for neutral-site matchups — as was the case for each of the six Braggin' Rights football games held between 2002-10 in St. Louis. Further details about the alteration were immediately unclear. Advertisement Mizzou now has just three games on its 2026 nonconference schedule: On the road against Kansas, and at home against Troy and Arkansas-Pine Bluff. It's possible that the Tigers do not need to add another nonconference game, but unlikely. A decision on a potential nine-game SEC schedule beginning in 2026 is expected to come from the league before the upcoming season begins. It is, however, not widely expected to be approved as it lacks widespread support. If the SEC does stick with an eight-game model in 2026, then the Tigers will have to add a nonconference opponent to their slate. More: Missouri football adds three-star wide receiver out of Illinois Advertisement More: Missouri football adds Chicago-based running back Maxwell Warner to 2026 recruiting class The alteration of the series does mean Mizzou will play only one Power-conference road game instead of two in 2026, as MU will still travel to Lawrence to face the Jayhawks. That does, on paper, make MU's schedule a little easier — something that is generally considered a positive in the College Football Playoff era. The next scheduled game between Mizzou and Illinois football is now set for 2027, which will mark a 17-year gap between the two teams facing one another. This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri football reportedly will no longer play Illinois in 2026, 2032
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Yahoo
UPDATE: Guardian located after child found alone at Hessel Park in Champaign
Update: 9:15 p.m. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — The Champaign Police Department said they have located the parent/guardian of the child found in Hessel Park on Sunday. 'We are thankful to the community for your swift actions in sharing this post and looking out for the welfare of a child,' the police department wrote in a post on Facebook. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Authorities in Champaign are actively looking for the parents or guardians of a three-year-old girl who was found alone on Sunday at Hessel Park, near Kirby Avenue. The Champaign Police Department said the child had been in the park alone since at least 2:30 p.m. About an hour and a half later, adults in the area became concerned and contacted the police. Urbana pool manager offers tips to stay safe amid high temperatures The girl was found wearing a blue and pink one-piece bathing suit and pink slip on shoes. Police said she has blue eyes, blonde hair and estimated that she is three years old Anyone with information about the child or her parents or guardians is asked to contact the Champaign Police Department at 217-351-4545. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
