Jan. 13, 2010
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Week 2
#23 Illinois at #3 Nebraska with #20 Minnesota
Friday, Jan. 15, 2010 // 7 p.m. CT // Bob Devaney Sports Center // Lincoln, Neb.
The Meet
No. 23 Illinois returns to the site of its first NCAA Championship appearance when it travels to Lincoln, Neb., for a tri-meet with No. 3 Nebraska and No. 20 Minnesota on Friday, Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. CT at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The Illini closed out a memorable 2009 season at the Devaney Center, finishing in sixth place in the evening preliminary session and watching Melissa Fernandez become Illinois' first NCAA first team All-American by tying for first place on balance beam in the evening session of the team prelims of the NCAA championships with a score of 9.900.
Scouting the Competition
The Cornhuskers posted the third-best team score in the nation during the first week of competition, earning a victory over No. 25 Washington (195.70-193.45) in Seattle. The Huskers hit 49.00 or better on beam and floor and swept individual honors on all four events. Individually, they boast five gymnasts ranked in the top 25 nationally, holding nine spots total across the five events. Junior Maria Scaffidi is tied for 18th in the all-around (39.00) and seventh on floor (9.875). Senior Kylie Stone is tied for 11th on vault (9.85) and 9th on beam (9.85), along with senior Kathryn Howard and junior Brittnee Habbib. Habbib also comes in tied at ninth on bars (9.85). Sophomore Lora Evenstad is tied for 14th on floor (9.85) and is included in the bars standings with an average of 9.825 for 25th.
The Golden Gophers lost to Denver 193.375-195.575 in their home season opener, but had two event winners in senior Alexis Russell (all around) and freshman Janell Campbell (floor exercise). Minnesota started the meet on vault, where it earned a team score of 48.40. Lucy Ennis, a sophomore, was the top scorer for the Gophers, placing third overall with a 9.775 to tie her personal best score. The Gophers struggled on bars, counting two falls in the team score of 48.025. Alexis Russell and Kendra Elm were bright spots for Minnesota on the unevens, as Russell took first place with a 9.875 and Elm tied for third place with a 9.825. Minnesota had its highest team score of the night on balance beam with a tally of 48.550.
Last Time When...
Illinois faced Nebraska: The Illini and Huskers met on Feb. 29, 2004 at the Master's Classic, with host Nebraska winning the quad meet with a score of 196.525 and Illinois placing fourth with a mark of 194.025.
Illinois faced Minnesota: The Illini and Gophers squared off at the 2009 Big Ten Championship, where Illinois placed second with a 196.750 and Minnesota was fourth with a 196.000.
A Look Back
The Illini began the season with a runner-up finish at the Salbasgeon Suites Invitational, hosted by Oregon State, on Friday night. The Fighting Illini turned in a number of solid performances to tally a score of 192.850, but fell short of knocking off the 10th-ranked Beavers, who won the quad meet with a score of 195.625. Junior Allison Buckley led the Illini in the season opener, winning the vault title and finishing third in the all-around. Illinois finished the night with the second-best score in every event, topping Air Force (184.475) and Alaska-Anchorage (183.475) overall.
The Orange and Blue started off slow with uncharacteristic mistakes on uneven bars and balance beam, but posted their best performance in the meet's last rotation, scoring a 48.800 on vault and boasting two of the top-three competitors in the event. Buckley tied for first with a vault of 9.850, while sophomore Kelsey Joannides placed third with a score of 9.825.
Fresh Faces
Head coach Bob Starkell welcomes five new faces to the team this season in freshmen Elise Gill, Macy Hyatt, Jaclyn Kantecki, Abbie Leber and Alina Weinstein. Kantecki and Weinstein made their debuts at the Oregon State quad meet, and both newcomers contributed in their first collegiate competition. Kantecki counted her only two routines (vault and bars), while Weinstein turned in the third-best Illini beam score.
Tough Tests Early
According to the latest GymInfo poll, three of Illinois' opponents at its first three meets are currently ranked in the top five in the nation, with next week's foe, Oklahoma, coming in at No. 2, Nebraska at No. 3 and last week's opponent, Oregon State, now ranked No. 5.
Big Ten Preseason Poll
Illinois was picked second by the conference coaches in the inaugural Big Ten preseason gymnastics poll, just behind early favorite Penn State. Each coach also selected two of their gymnasts to form a 14-member Gymnasts to Watch List, which included Melissa Fernandez and Allison Buckley.
2009 in Review
• Illinois made its first-ever team appearance at the NCAA Championships, finishing in sixth place in the evening preliminary session. With the national appearance, the Illini finished at No. 12 in the final national rankings, the highest final national ranking in school history.
• Sophomore Melissa Fernandez became Illinois' first NCAA first team All-American by tying for first place on balance beam in the evening session of the team prelims of the NCAA championships with a score of 9.900. Fernandez went on to compete in the individual event finals, where she took seventh (9.8375) among the eleven beam competitors. Junior Sarah Schmidt also earned All-American honors, tying for sixth place on floor in the evening session to earn second team honors. It marks the first time that Illinois has had more than one All-American in a season.
• Illinois head coach Bob Starkell was named National Coach of the Year and assistants Kim Landrus and Amy Kruse were named co-Assistant Coaches of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches for Women (NACGC/W) at the NCAA Championships.
• Sophomore Allison Buckley shared the West Regional Beam Title with an individual school record score of 9.95. Her score tied Stacy Redmond (1995) at the top of the individual record books. Buckley is just the third Illini in school history to earn an individual regional title, joining Nancy Thies (1976 and `77) and Cara Pomeroy (2004).
• Freshman Kelsey Joannides won the 2009 Big Ten Vault title with a career-high 9.925 and junior Sarah Schmidt shared the Big Ten Floor crown with a school-record tying 9.950 to give Illinois multiple event champions at the conference meet for the first time since 1990.
A Look Ahead
After two road meets to start the season, Illinois returns home to Huff Hall for a dual meet against No. 2 Oklahoma on Friday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m.
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