CHAMPAIGN Ill. – The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) announced Tuesday its 2025-26 Newcomer of the Year honorees. Andrej Stojakovic (basketball) and Meagan Humphries (track & field) have been named winners of the award, presented to the top male and female non-freshmen competing in their first season for the Fighting Illini. The Newcomer of the Year recipients were selected by vote of Illinois head coaches and DIA executive staff.
Stojakovic Highlights
• NCAA All-South Regional Team
• Averaged 13.8 points on 55.3% shooting during the NCAA Tournament, helping lead Illini to Final Four
• Illini's second-leading scorer on the season (13.5 ppg)
• Season-high 30 points vs. Maryland (Jan. 21)
• Eight 20-point games
Stojakovic is the third men's basketball player of head coach Brad Underwood's tenure to win Illinois Newcomer of the Year in the four-year history of the award, joining Terrence Shannon Jr. (2023) and Marcus Domask (2024).Â
Humphries Highlights
• NCAA Heptathlon All-American
• Big Ten Pentathlon Champion
• Big Ten Heptathlon Bronze Medalist
• Second-highest pentathlon score in school history (4,459 points)
• Second-highest heptathlon score in school history (6,008 points)
Humphries is the third consecutive member of head coach Petros Kyprianou's women's track & field program to be selected Illinois Newcomer of the Year, following Darja Sopova (2024) and Abria Smith (2025).
