October 21, 2011 | Women's Gymnastics
Oct. 21, 2011
2011-12 Women's Gymnastics Schedule 
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The 2012 women's gymnastics schedule was announced on Friday by head coach Kim Landrus and features six home meets, including an NCAA Regional and the State of Illinois Classic. The Fighting Illini, who ended last year with the highest ranking in school history at No. 11, will face six opponents who finished the 2011 season in the top 25. Illinois also will host a women's gymnastics regional for the first time in school history, which is slated for April 7 at the Assembly Hall.
The Illini will once again join the men's squad in the annual Mixed Pairs Exhibition on Sunday, Dec. 4 before kicking off the season at home for the first time since 2001. The Orange and Blue will welcome the Minnesota Golden Gophers to Huff Hall on Jan. 14 for the season opener before hitting the road the following two weeks.
On Jan. 21, Illinois travels to Iowa City, Iowa, which is also the site of the 2012 Big Ten Championships, to square off against the Hawkeyes. The next week, the Illini head north to Ann Arbor, Mich., for a showdown with last year's conference champion Michigan.
The Illini then return to Champaign for a meet against Ohio State at Huff Hall on Feb. 4 followed by a trip to Navy Pier in Chicago, Ill., for a quadrangular meet against Missouri, UCLA and Boise State on Feb. 10. The Orange and Blue have two meets in three days the next weekend, as they are home against Michigan State on Feb. 17 and on the road in Tempe, Ariz., versus Arizona State on Feb. 19.
A week later, the Illini travel to Chicago, Ill., for a meet at UIC on Feb. 25 followed by a home competition the next weekend against Kentucky on March 2, where they will celebrate Senior Day. Illinois' final road dual meet is the following week at Western Michigan on March 11 before it hosts the State of Illinois Classic on March 17, which the Illini have won four years in a row.
Iowa will host the 2012 Big Ten Championships on March 24 where Illinois will face the Hawkeyes, Michigan State, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State and Penn State in hopes of earning the program's first Big Ten title since 1990. With the addition of the Cornhuskers, this will be the first time that eight teams try and vie for a Big Ten Championship.
Illinois is one of six sites hosting an NCAA Regional along with Washington, Utah, Arkansas, North Carolina State and Auburn. Two weeks after regionals, the NCAA Championships will be hosted by Georgia Tech from April 20-22 at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga. The Illini made their second-ever national appearance last season and earned a program record six All-America honors.
