That list includes sophomore transfer Cordelia Hoover as well as incoming freshmen Adara Austin, Alyssa Beyer, Lilyanna Blais, Isabella Fuentes, Charlee Gibson, Ava Rau, Zoe Roberts, Vanessa Teel and Mackenzi Thomas.
“We had a lot of work to do to fill roster spots that were vacated via graduation by some very talented student athletes, and we are very pleased with the outcome,” Hillyard said. “There is a load of talent in this class, and we expect that a few of them will make big contributions right away.
“Long term, this group has the potential to produce multiple regional qualifiers in future years,” Hillyard concluded.
Cordelia Hoover (Evansville, Indiana) transfers from Ohio Valley Conference member Southeast Missouri State University, where she finished 57th at the OVC Cross Country Championships as a freshman in 2024. She also was 21st in the 5,000 meters at the OVC Indoor Track & Field Championships as well as 18th in the 5,000 meters at the OVC Outdoor Championships.
A graduate of Reitz High School, Hoover was a two-time state qualifier on the grass as well as a two-time Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches (IATCCC) honorable mention All-State honoree. Hoover also was a two-time state qualifier on the track and was a USA Track & Field Junior Olympics Indoor All-American in the 3,000 meters as well as the cross country course in 2023.
Adara Austin (West Lebanon, Indiana) is a graduate of Seeger High School and the younger sister of USI sophomore standout Hadessah Austin. Adara Austin posted top-five finishes in the 1,600 meters and the 3,200 meters at the IHSAA Sectional 15 Championships as a senior in 2025 after finishing second in the 3,200 meters at the IHSAA Section 9 Championships as a junior in 2024.
Alyssa Beyer (Evansville, Indiana) comes to USI after graduating from Reitz High School, where she competed in the 100-meter hurdles, 4×100-meter relay and 4×400-meter relay as a senior in 2025. She was third in the 100-meter hurdles at the IHSAA Sectional 32 Championships before finishing 10th at the IHSAA Regional 8 Championships.
Lilyanna Blais (Bloomfield, Indiana) graduated from Eastern Green High School, where she was a two-time state qualifier on the grass as well as a state qualifier in the 1,600 meters on the track. Blais finished 14th in the 1,600 meters at the 2025 IHSAA Track & Field Championships and was a three-time IATCCC Class 2A All-State honoree in cross country, earning first-team honors as a senior in 2024.
Isabella Fuentes (Whiteland, Indiana) is a graduate of Whiteland High School, where she was a two-time state qualifier in the 4×800-meter relay as well as two-time semi-state and four-time regional qualifier on the cross country course. She earned All-State honors in the 4×800-meter relay after helping WHS to a seventh-place finish at the IHSAA Championships.
Charlee Gibson (New Castle, Indiana) comes to USI after graduating from Blue River Valley High School, where she was a two-time state qualifier and four-time IATCCC Class 1A first-team All-State honoree on the grass.
On the track, Gibson was the Mid-Eastern Conference and Pendleton Sectional champion in the 800 meters as well as the Henry County champion in the 1,600 meters as a senior in 2025. Gibson also was a state qualifier in the 800 meters as a sophomore in 2023.
Ava Rau (Waterloo, Illinois) graduated from Waterloo High School, where she was a four-time IHSA Class 2A state qualifier on the grass. Rau also finished ninth in the 3,200 meters at the 2024 IHSAA Class 2A Track & Field Championships while helping WHS’s 4×800-meter relay to respective finishes of sixth and 12th at the 2024 and 2023 state meets.
Zoe Roberts (Elkhart, Indiana) is a graduate of Concord High School, where she was a state qualifier on the grass as a senior in 2024. Roberts finished 88th at the IHSAA Cross Country Championships and was named the CHS Female Athlete of the Year in 2024-25 after becoming the school’s first female cross country state qualifier since 1995.
Vanessa Teel (Pinckneyville, Illinois) comes to USI after graduating from Pinckneyville High School, where she was a four-time IHSA Class 1A state qualifier on the cross country course.
On the track, Teel was a six-time state qualifier, competing most-recently in the 800 meters at the 2025 IHSA Class 2A Track & Field Championships. Teel is a two-time state-qualifier in the 400 meters (2022, 2023) and the 4×800-meter relay (2022, 2023) as well as a one-time state qualifier in the 4×400-meter relay (2023).
Mackenzi Thomas (Olney, Illinois) graduated from Olney (Richland County) High School, where she was an IHSA Class 2A Cross Country state qualifier as a senior in 2024.
On the track, Thomas was a two-time IHSA Class 2A state qualifier in the 800 meters, finishing eighth as a junior in 2024. She also helped OHS to seventh-place finish in the 4×800-meter relay at the 2025 IHSA state meet and to a 15th-place finish in the 4×400-meter relay at the 2023 IHSA Class 2A Championships.
This group joins a Screaming Eagles team that won the 2024 OVC Cross Country title before finishing fourth at the 2025 OVC Indoor Track & Field Championships.
