University of Illinois
UIC
No. 5 Illini Take Down UIC Flames
January 9, 2015 | Men's Gymnastics
CHICAGO - The Illinois men's gymnastics team opened the 2015 season with a 429.100 - 390.150 win over UIC on Friday, Jan. 9 at the UIC Pavilion. Illinois has bested the Flames the last 23 head-to-head meetings dating back to the 1994 season.
Illinois was forced to start the season without sophomore Chandler Eggleston and junior Fred Hartville. Eggleston underwent surgery on Wednesday to repair a ruptured patella tendon. He will redshirt the 2015 season. Hartville is expected to return in a few weeks after hyper-extending his knee.
Freshman Bobby Baker made his collegiate debut at the meet and finished with both the pommel horse and parallel bars titles. Redshirt-junior C.J. Maestas also clinched a pair of titles at the meet coming on floor and rings. Reigning national champion, Jordan Valdez, brought home the high bar title. Joey Peters topped the scoreboard in the all around competition and tied UIC's Brett Valin for the vault title to account for the Illini's other two titles of the evening.
Illinois started the evening on the pommel horse where the Orange and Blue claimed the top four spots. Baker clinched the title with a score of 14.050. Maestas followed with a 13.950. Matt Foster and Logan Bradley tied for third at 13.900. Jacob Tilsley (13.450), Brandon Ngai (13.250) and Joey Peters (12.950) ranked sixth through eighth in the standings.
Head coach Justin Spring's crew headed to floor next where they again turned in the four best scores for the event. Maestas took the title with a 14.900 effort. Peters took the second spot with a score of 14.700 while Taylor Smith and Baker grabbed third and fourth with scores of 13.750 and 13.550, respectively. Mike Wilner turned in a 12.550 and Foster a 12.000 on the floor.
The Illini headed to the vault next where Peters shared the top spot with UIC's Valin. A career-high score of 15.000 for the junior Illini gymnast was enough for the title. Illinois claimed spots three through seven in the vault standings. In order, Baker (14.900), Maestas (14.700), Tom Gibbs (14.450), Valdez (14.000) and Tyson Bull (13.900).
On the still rings Illinois turned in a record-best team score of 71.200. The previous mark was 71.000 set at Ohio State on Feb. 23, 2013. Maestas recorded the fifth-best all-time rings score with a 15.850 and took the title. The Illini accounted for the top six scores on the rings. Wilner took second place with a 15.650 while Peters registered a 15.300 for third. Max Mayr (14.800), Gibbs (14.600 - career-high) and Baker (13.900) finished fourth through sixth on rings.
Valdez scored a 14.800 to take home the high bar title. Maestas took second with a 14.200 followed by Mayr at 13.950. Peters tied for fourth at 13.800 while Gibbs turned in a 13.700 followed by Bull at 13.500. Baker recorded a 13.300 on the high bar.
In the final event, parallel bars, Illinois' Baker nabbed the title with a 14.850 followed by Peters at 14.800 and Valdez with a score of 14.650. Gibbs finished fifth at 13.950. Bull registered a 13.150 and Maestas a 12.750.
The all around competition featured three Illini and one UIC gymnast. Peters took the all around title with a score of 86.550 to best his previous career-high of 85.850. Maestas finished second with an 86.350. Baker finished at 84.550 while UIC's Jason Gaides turned in a score of 80.400.
Spring and company will return to Chicago next weekend for the Windy City Invitational. The event is slated for Saturday, Jan. 17 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the UIC Pavilion.
