By FRED KRONER
fred@mahometnews.com
The original goal for Tara Hurless was to see how far soccer could take her.
A review of her career shows an impressive list of destinations from Germany to Belgium to France to Holland and to Brazil, before an eight-month stint in Sweden as a professional player.
The Rockford native was a member of the United States’ Olympic Development Team and later a full-scholarship recruit at the University of Illinois.
And now, more than a decade after playing in her final collegiate soccer match, Mahomet resident Hurless is heading to one more location, thanks to the sport.
She is one of 21 members — only four of whom are women — to be chosen for the second University of Illinois Hall of Fame class.
Hurless will be the first person to represent the Illini women’s soccer program.
“You can’t ask for a better life experience than to do something you love,” Hurless said. “It never felt like a chore and it was able to take me all over the world. I still have friends all over the world.”
Hurless set the UI career scoring mark, netting 47 goals between 2001-04. Her record held for 11 years after her departure.
Even so, she was blown away when athletic director Josh Whitman called to let her know she had been selected.
“It’s hard to put into words,” Hurless said. “I’m proud to be part of such an amazing accolade.
“What an honor to be with big-time names like Lou Henson.”
The official induction will take place on Sept. 22 at State Farm Center. The group will first be feted in Chicago on June 15 at the Hall of Fame Gala at the Field Museum of Natural History.
Hurless, and others, were recognized on the court at the final UI men’s home basketball game last week.
A speech communication major, she has served as a UI police officer for nearly five years.
“A lot of people say they remember me as the officer who unlocked their bike or gave a presentation to their class,” Hurless said, “but I think it might be there’s not another officer with short blonde hair and blue eyes.”
Hurless tries to be a presence around campus even when there’s not a report to investigate.
“When you’re called, it’s not at the best point of a person’s life,” she said. “That’s why I try to get out and have conversations with students about random things when they’re not in a crisis, to show there’s no reason to be intimidated by the police.
“We’re here to help.”
Before graduating from Rockford Boylan, Hurless received interest from more than 100 colleges for soccer as well as several for basketball.
“How do you narrow down such a big decision,” she wondered.
At first, the experience was fun.
“I enjoyed coming home every day and checking the mail,” she said. “The mailman rubber-banded all the letters together and I’d look to see who the letters were from and what they were saying.”
After a time, the realization hit her that the more options she had, the tougher the decision was becoming.
Selecting a school was harder than choosing a sport.
“Soccer was my passion,” she said.
Hurless recalls just one time when she was uncomfortable on the soccer pitch.
“In youth league, one time, they put me in goal,” she said. “That wasn’t working.
“I love to be active and go after the ball. My mom remembers me sitting on the ground in front of the goal, picking four-leaf clovers.”
As Hurless pondered her post-high school future, she had a different mindset than some of her classmates.
“A lot of kids were like they couldn’t wait to move out and go to college,” Hurless said. “To me, it was important to be close.
“My sister was young. We’re 11 years apart and it was important to be close so my parents could see a lot of my games so it wouldn’t be me calling and saying, ‘it was a great game and we ended up winning.’ “
The 3-hour commute from Rockford to Champaign was a manageable distance for the family.
“My parents were there for every home game,” Hurless said.
They watched a player who had an outstanding career.
As an Illini, Hurless was a two-time second-team All-America selection. She led the Illini to the Big Ten Tournament title as a junior (scoring the clinching goal in the title game) and helped the UI advance to the NCAA Elite Eight as a senior. She was chosen as the school’s most valuable offensive player all four years.
She was continuing a family tradition. Her grandfather and great-grandfather had played professional soccer in Scotland.
“I tried swimming and my parents put me in gymnastics,” Hurless said, “but at 5, they put me on a soccer field and I knew I’d play soccer. I think my parents thought, ‘Put the little kid in soccer so she can run off energy.’
“Soccer was my whole life from 5 to 24.”
When Hurless returned to Champaign from her time playing professionally in Sweden, she first tried to get on with the Champaign Police Department and held several jobs before settling in with the UI police force.
While in Sweden, communication was an issue for Hurless, who has made her home in Mahomet since 2010.
Team meetings were especially trying.
“There would be a lot of words, then ‘Tara,’ then a lot of words and ‘Tara,’ “ she said. “The coach would sum it up. ‘You run. Get ball. Score.’ “
She decided not to return to Sweden because, “I realized nothing could top the experience of playing at the University of Illinois. I can’t describe how great it was, but it was time for me to make a name for myself other than as a soccer player.”
After spending time in what she called her dream sport, she now has what she calls a dream job.
“I feel like I won the lottery,” Hurless said. “I represent the University I have so much pride in and I’m still able to work with students and athletes.
“I get to be involved with students and have positive interactions with them so they can feel they can reach out to me.”
When she received the voice message from Whitman, she couldn’t imagine why he was making contact.
“I was thinking, ‘Why is he calling me? I haven’t dealt with an athlete,’ “ Hurless said.
It turns out he was calling to talk about a former Illini that Hurless knew well.
While the Hall of Fame accolade is an individual achievement, Hurless knows where to give credit.
“I wouldn’t be in the Hall without my teammates,” she said. “There were 22 to 26 on the team and they are the ones who put me in.
“I didn’t do any of this by myself. I made memories with people who will be in my life forever.”
2018 UI Hall of Fame Members
Alex Agase, Football (1941-42, ‘46)/ Wrestling (1942-43)
Kevin Anderson, Men’s Tennis (2005-07)
Nancy Brookhart Cherin, Volleyball (1986-89)
Charles Carney, Football (1918-22)/ Men’s Basketball (1918-22)
Dave Downey, Men’s Basketball (1961-63)
Ray Eliot, Football Coach (1942-59)/ Hockey Coach (1937-39)
Darrin Fletcher, Baseball (1985-87)
Maxwell Garret, Fencing Coach (1941-72)
Kendall Gill, Men’s Basketball (1987-90)
Jim Grabowski, Football (1963-65)
Lou Henson, Men’s Basketball Coach (1975-96)
Dana Howard, Football (1991-94)
Tara Hurless, Women’s Soccer (2001-04)
John “Red” Kerr, Men’s Basketball (1952-54)
Scott Langley, Men’s Golf (2008-11)
Celena Mondie-Milner, Women’s Track & Field (1987-90)
Charles Pond, Men’s Gymnastics Coach (1949-73)
Joe Sapora, Wrestling (1928-30)
Justin Spring, Men’s Gymnastics (2003-06)
Tonya Williams, Women’s Track & Field (1993-96)
Willie Williams, Men’s Track & Field (1952-54)
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