March 19, 2008

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. ­- University of Illinois freshman Allison Buckley was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Week by the conference office Wednesday afternoon. The Schaumburg, Ill., native won four individual titles and led the 24th-ranked Illini to their highest team score of the season (195.725) in a win over Illinois-Chicago on Saturday.

Buckley posted the second best all-around score in Illinois history with a 39.450 to earn her fourth all-around title of the season. That score was just shy of Ashley Williams' school all-around record of 39.475 and came on the heels of a 39.375 last week against Missouri, which equaled the second-best score in school history at the time. She also won titles on vault (9.900), beam (9.925) and floor exercise (9.900) against the Flames. Her 9.925 mark on the beam tied her for the second best score in program history in that event and her 9.900 on vault equaled her career-high.

Buckley now has 16 individual titles in her freshman campaign, which ties her for the fourth-highest season total in school history. She has won at last one title on all four events and in the all-around this season (six on floor, four in the all-around, four on vault, one on bars and one on beam).

This is Buckley's first career weekly honor and the first for an Illini since Cara Pomeroy on Feb. 8, 2006.

Buckley and the Illini close out the regular season this Saturday by hosting the State of Illinois Classic at Huff Hall. Illinois will compete for the unofficial state title with Northern Illinois, Illinois State and Illinois-Chicago. Action begins at 2 p.m.