CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The 2016 Fighting Illini women's gymnastics team will look to ride momentum from a record-breaking 2015 season as its kicks off the 2016 slate Jan. 8 at Missouri. The Orange and Blue enter the season ranked 15th in the 2016 Preseason Coaches Poll.
Head coach Kim Landrus and the women's team are coming off a stellar 2015 season, where the Illini posted a school-record team score of 197.350 at the Big Ten Championships and turned in a second-place finish at Big Tens. The Illini return all three 2015 All-Americans in addition to adding a talented group of five freshmen.
Illinois lost three gymnasts to graduation, including Kelsi Eberly, Jordan Naleway and Gabrielle Nguyen. Eberly and Naleway were central components to the Illini rotation on floor. Naleway, who also competed on bars and beam in every meet last season, will return to the Illini in 2016 as student assistant coach.
Landrus will begin her fifth year as head coach for the Illini and 14th overall at Illinois. Returning to the staff are Chad Wiest and Jacob Lee, who begin their third and second years with the program, respectively. Additionally, Maci Sump will join the Illini as a volunteer assistant coach. The staff leads a strong balance of upperclassmen (three seniors, three juniors) and underclassmen (three sophomores and five freshmen). Illinois will lean on three talented upperclassmen in Mary Jane Horth, Sunny Kato and Giana O'Connor who all earned NACGC/W 1st or 2nd Team All-America honors and First-Team All Big Ten in 2015. O'Connor was pegged to the 2016 Big Ten Gymnast to Watch List.
Illini fans will have a chance to see the women compete inside Huff Hall four times, highlighted by the home opener on Jan. 22 against reigning Big Ten Champion Michigan. UI hosts Iowa on Feb. 13 for Think Pink Night and Iowa State on Feb. 26 for Senior Night & Fan Appreciation Night. Illinois will also host the annual State of Illinois Classic on March 5.
Seniors
Heather Foley, Sunny Kato and Giana O'Connor round out this year's senior class. Kato and O'Connor were rewarded for their stellar seasons, as they earned NACGC/W All-America honors. Kato was named an All-American in two events, earning Second Team All-America on bars and beam, while O'Connor was named Second Team All-America in the all-around. The duo also earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors, as they both earned their third career All-Big Ten selection. The two join a prestigious group of Illini gymnasts who have received at least three all-conference awards (Denise Lamborn, Ashley Williams, Nicole Cowart, Cara Pomeroy, Allison Buckley, Kelsey Joannides and Amber See).
Kato and O'Connor both individually qualified for the NCAA Championships. Kato claimed her second straight regional crown on bars, while O'Connor was the top all-arounder on a non-qualifying team. O'Connor excelled at the NCAA Championships totaling a 39.425, the best all-around score by an Illini in NCAA Championship history, which finished sixth in the country and secured her a First-Team All-American honor.
Foley was one of the most consistent Illini in 2015, having competed on bars, beam and floor in every meet. She posted her season-high of 9.800 on floor four times and posted a 9.750 or higher in 10 of 13 meets.
"The senior trio of Giana, Heather and Sunny will be an integral ingredient in leading this team to greater heights," Landrus said. "Every year is a new chapter in the Illinois Gymnastics record book and I am confident that they understand what it will take to make this chapter the best one yet. Each of these three have considerable experience and a great deal of passion for this team. They truly love gymnastics and pride themselves on showing the underclassmen 'our' culture. This triple dose of heart, drive and competitiveness will set the tone for the 2016 season."
Juniors
Erin Buchanan, Mary Jane Horth and Sarah Lyons enter 2016 with a wealth of experience. Erin Buchanan also completed her first season competing in the all-around in 2015. Buchanan was a consistent contributor for the Illini, averaging a 39.019 for the season, with her career-best performance (39.375) coming at the Big Ten Championships.
Horth joined O'Connor and Kato in qualifying for the NCAA Championships and also earning NACGC/W All-America honors and First-Team All-Big Ten honors. Horth was named NACGC/W First Team All-America on bars and Second Team All-America in the all-around. 2015 was the first season Horth competed in the all-around.
In her first collegiate season competing, Lyons was a consistent competitor in the bars rotation, where she achieved her career-high of 9.875 twice, posted at least a 9.775 in 11 of 13 meets and claimed one event title. Lyons also competed on vault in 2015.
"Similarly to the senior class, the junior class adds a wealth of experience to the lineups," Landrus said. "Erin, MJ and Sarah contributed ten routines consistently in 2015. With another year under their belt, their expectations for both themselves and their team have risen as well. They expect perfection out of themselves and are disappointed when it is not achieved."
Sophomores
Becca Cuppy, Jordyn Givens and Bridget Hodan will look to make an impact in the lineup in 2016. Givens was the lone freshman to compete last season and hit 11 of 12 of on vaults. Cuppy and Hodan hope to make their debuts for the Illini in 2016 after exhibitioning last season.
"Becca, Bridget and Jordyn had limited action on the competitive floor last season," Landrus said. "However, they have worked hard this preseason to provide more depth to our team and break into the lineups. I believe they have witnessed the 'keys to success' from the upperclassmen and will take what they have learned and put it into action. Look for them to contribute more and be key players in our lineups."
Freshmen
The Illini add five newcomers who will look to provide an immediate impact to the squad in 2016 in Rachael Donovan, Julia Hutcherson, Lizzy LeDuc, Brielle Nguyen and Haylee Roe. The talented LeDuc was also named to the 2016 Big Ten to Watch List.
"This group of five freshmen have worked very hard at making the high school/college transition a successful one," Landrus said. "They understand the standards and what the goals are for this team. We have asked them to 'COMMIT' themselves in and out of the gym so that 'success becomes a lifestyle.' It's been rewarding to see them grow from their arrival until now. The collective talent they bring to this team in addition to their competitiveness will result in a great amount of success. I am excited to watch them in their Illini debuts."
Coach Landrus' Event-by-Event Breakdown:
Vault
"In years past, depth has been an issue with our vault squad. Losing no vaulters to graduation, along with adding a couple key freshmen vaulters in LeDuc and Roe, the expectation is to climb up the ladder in 2016. I anticipate a slightly slower start on this event, but I am confident we will have a full line-up of 9.95 vaults as the season progresses. Buchanan, Foley, Horth and O'Connor will once again lead the way for the vault team. Their power and experience will show the freshmen the amplitude and execution we expect every meet. Form and landings will be critical to the end result, but the veterans understand this and have passed the message down. Look for Givens and Lyons to see action again in 2016 which will make our lineup one of the deepest that we've had."
Uneven Bars
"Five competitors return from last year's squad that brought high flying releases, unique skills and transitions, and E level dismounts. With the change in the code this year, a great deal of emphasis this preseason was to ensure each girl met the new requirements. This resulted in a few routine changes that we are excited to debut. Buchanan, Horth, Kato, Lyons and O'Connor will be looked to continue their consistency and success that they have established so far in their collegiate careers. Donovan and LeDuc will also be vital members of our bar squad as we look to replace Jordan Naleway who was a staple in the bar lineup for the past three seasons. Others who will be looked upon to contribute and provide depth are Givens, Hodan and Roe."
Balance Beam
"Beam will be graced with poise and experience in 2016. Our beam team should captivate the judges and audience weekly. Similar to bars, only one routine was lost to graduation. With at least four new faces that excel on the balance beam, this event will be extremely competitive. Hodan will take the role of lead-off competitor and will add uniqueness with her series and illusion turn. Kato and LeDuc will anchor the beam team by displaying their beauty and consistency both in the gym and on the competitive floor. The beam excitement builds with Nguyen and Roe vying for spots in the lineup as well."
Floor Exercise
"Despite the graduation of Kelsi Eberly and Naleway, the floor team has risen to the occasion this preseason to the fill the void. They have been focused on meeting the new requirements set forth by the NCAA this year; in addition to raising the level in order to move up in the rankings. Slightly weaker compared to the other events in 2015, look for floor to be one of the team's strengths in 2016. Buchanan and O'Connor will deliver power and skill towards the end of the line-up, while Foley and Horth will continue their roles as staples on this event. Givens, Hodan, LeDuc and Roe should also be consistent contributors to the floor team. As season progresses, the depth will increase with Cuppy and Hutcherson's contributions."
All-Around
"There will be several athletes seeing all-around action this year. Buchanan, Horth, LeDuc and O'Connor are four that excel on all four events. The three returnees are very familiar with this role as they competed all-around in every meet last year. With the addition of LeDuc, the all-around strength increases. This depth has raised the bar throughout the preseason which has in turn, raised the level of performances daily."
