Milestones: Theresa Grentz, head women's basketball coach at the University of Illinois, Champaign, recorded her 600th career victory December 29 as her Illini knocked off previously unbeaten Auburn, 80-68. Grentz, in her 29th year overall and eighth at Illinois, becomes just the eighth women's coach in history to record 600 wins. She has an overall record of 600-243 (.712), including a 139-88 (.612) mark at Illinois.

Miscellaneous: Eastern Illinois University quarterback Tony Romo was named the 16th winner of the Walter Payton Award during a ceremony preceding the Division I-AA Football Championship game. Romo passed for 2,950 yards and 33 touchdowns in 2002, completing 237 of 363 passes (65.3 percent) in leading Eastern Illinois to an 8-3 record, an Ohio Valley Conference co-title and a Division I-AA playoff berth. Romo is the seventh quarterback to win the Payton Award, which was established in 1987 by The Sports Network ... McNeese State University head coach Tommy Tate was named the 16th winner of the Eddie Robinson Award as the top head coach in Division I-AA football. Tate guided McNeese State to a berth in the Division I-AA Football Championship game after being ranked No. 1 for much of the regular season. The Eddie Robinson Award, established in 1987 by The Sports Network, is named for legendary head coach Eddie Robinson, who retired in 1997 after 56 years at Grambling State University ... Bethune-Cookman College free safety Rashean Mathis was named the ninth winner of the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in Division I-AA football. The senior recorded a Division I-AA record 14 interceptions during the 2002 regular season. Mathis, who also set a record for interception return yardage with 445, helped Bethune-Cookman to an 11-1 record and its first Division I-AA playoff berth. Mathis is the seventh consecutive senior to win the award, which is named for all-pro defensive end Junious "Buck" Buchanan, who played for the Kansas City Chiefs after beginning his career at Grambling State University ... The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) named Stanford University outside hitter Logan Tom as the 2002 Division I player of the year. Tom, who also was named player of the year in 2001, helped Stanford earn a berth in the Division I Women's Volleyball Championship match, where the Cardinal lost to the University of Southern California in four games. Tom averaged 4.94 kills, 0.82 blocks and 3.17 digs per game and tallied a .320 attack percentage in 57 games during the regular season ... The AVCA also named Bobbi Petersen, head women's volleyball at the University of Northern Iowa, as 2002 Division I coach of the year. Petersen led her Panthers to the Division I regional semifinals for the second straight year. Northern Iowa, ranked as high as sixth during the regular season, finished with a 34-3 record and captured its fifth consecutive Missouri Valley Conference title. Petersen holds a career record of 83-14 in three seasons as a head coach ... University of Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz and his wife Mary have pledged $100,000 to the University of Iowa Foundation to support the school's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The gift, establishing the Kirk and Mary Ferentz Excellence and Innovation Fund, will enable the college to recognize and stimulate the development of innovative educational programming by its departments and programs. "Mary and I have always been impressed by Iowa's tradition of distinctive, top-quality education," Ferentz said. "We see Iowa's educational excellence reflected in the student-athletes in the football program, and we wanted to find a way to help ensure that the university can maintain and improve upon that spirit of innovation. We are very pleased to help the college create the best possible experiences for Iowa students."

-- Compiled by Gary T. Brown