April 8, 2005
Results
WEST POINT, NY - Despite putting forth a valiant effort after a rough start, the Fighting Illini men's gymnastics team were unable to maintain the momentum of Friday's preliminary competition and fell short in their pursuit of a national title. Oklahoma placed first with a score of 225.675, followed by Ohio State (225.450) and Illinois (223.750).
Spending most of the season in a battle with the Buckeyes for the top spot, both Big Ten teams were shocked by the Sooners, who grabbed the title by .225 of a point.
The Orange and Blue began the weekend in great shape, leading all teams with a school record score of 225.250 in the preliminary round Friday. Illinois exceeded their season average on five out of six events en route to the record-breaking mark.
Tonight, Illinois began the competition in the bye position before heading into the standard Olympic rotation, starting on floor. Junior Adam Pummer led the lineup with a 9.650, followed by freshman Chris Silcox (9.275) and Justin Spring (9.100).
In the third rotation, pommel horse, usually one of Illinois' best events, brought the team a considerable amount of trouble, hitting on only two routines. Senior Peter Shostchuk delivered a solid set, earning a 9.450, while rookie Wes Haagensen posted a 9.150.
Despite an average showing in the first two events, the Illini kept their composure and regained focus on rings. Another one of Illinois' strongest events, the lineup once again put together a solid showing that could not have come at a better time. After disappointing performances on pommel horse, both Ben Newman and Tyler Yamauchi rebounded on rings with scores of 9.650 and 9.675, respectively.
In the fifth rotation, the Illini vault team came through with a team score of 37.400. The team score was an improvement on the 37.325 the Orange and Blue posted in the preliminary round. Pummer led the group with a score of 9.500, while Silcox (9.400) and Spring (9.300) also notched competitive marks.
With parallel bars and high bar still up, the Illini began to feel a sense of urgency as the pressure mounted and the race for first grew tighter. Spring and Pummer responded on parallel bars, with the duo both earning a score of 9.775.
In the final rotation, the Illini continued to perform at their best, despite the déjà vu of 2004 beginning to set in. Pummer set the tone with a 9.750, while Spring brought the crowd to their feet with a near-perfect high bar performance that earned the Burke, Va. native a career-high 9.900.
Spring earned All-American status in the all-around, notching a score of 55.250. Several Illini, including Spring, continue competition tomorrow in individual event finals, as they placed in the top-10 on an event. Pummer leads the Illini, qualifying on four events (floor, vault, parallel bars and high bar). Spring (parallel bars, high bar), Shostchuk (pommel horse), Silcox (vault) and Yamauchi (rings) will all contend for individual titles Saturday at 6 p.m. EST.
Competition continues tomorrow with the event finals at 6 p.m. CST where five Illini will fight for their chance to earn more hardware. The Illini are scheduled to return to Champaign-Urbana Sunday. Tonight's team championships are scheduled to air Wednesday, April 13 at 4 p.m. CST on ESPN2.
2005 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships
Hosted by the U.S. Military Academy
Team Finals
1. Oklahoma 225.675
2. Ohio State 225.450
3. Illinois 223.750
4. Penn State 222.400
5. California 222.075
6. Michigan 219.775
Illinois Results Breakdown
Total - 223.750
Floor - 37.025
Pommel Horse - 35.975
Rings - 37.800
Vault - 37.400
Parallel Bars - 37.325
High Bar - 38.250
Illinois Individual Qualifiers
Adam Pummer (Floor, Vault, Parallel Bars, High Bar)
Chris Silcox (Vault)
Peter Shostchuk (Pommel Horse)
Justin Spring (Parallel Bars, High Bar)
Tyler Yamauchi (Rings)
