University of Illinois
Winter Cup
Illini Show Resiliency at First Day of Winter Cup
February 19, 2015 | Men's Gymnastics
So far, @illinimgym freshman @rk_bakes is making it known that he's hungry for a spot on the Sr Natl Team. He's sitting in 2nd after 3.
-- StickItMedia (@StickItMedia) February 19, 2015
Winter Cup
Session I Results
LAS VEGAS - The Illini took their talents to the road this week, competing against the nation's best gymnasts at the 2015 Winter Cup Challenge held in Las Vegas, Nevada. All five current Illinois gymnasts competed in the first preliminary session of the day in search of spots on the U.S. Senior National Team.
C.J. Maestas quickly jumped to the top of the pack, finishing second all-around in the early session with a score of 84.050, thanks to a prelim-leading 14.450 on vault. Along with Maestas was Bobby Baker, who finished the day with an all-around mark of 83.000, good for a sixth place standing. Baker's strong performance on vault (14.900) was tied for fourth highest in the prelim.
Another bright spot for the Illini were the high bar performances. Jordan Valdez led all competitors in the early session with a score of 14.900. Maestas ended up a narrow second, with 14.800.
Mike Wilner and Logan Bradley also competed for the Illini in the prelim, with Wilner earning an impressive 14.050 on rings, the sixth-best mark in the first session.
The top 42 gymnasts, according to the Men's Program Committee's points ranking system, will advance to the final competition, along with the top three gymnasts on each apparatus. The all-around and individual event champions will be determined via a combined two-day score.
"We had some mistakes today, but overall it was a good day," shared head coach Justin Spring. "The team was resilient and we are looking forward to day two."
The Illini now turn their focus towards Saturday, with both Maestas and Baker in the hunt for the all-around crown while Valdez, Wilner and Bradley are looking to challenge for individual event titles. The Winter Cup Finals will begin at 9 p.m. CST on Saturday, Feb. 21.
| Floor | Pommel | Rings | Vault | P Bars | High Bar | All-Around | |
| C.J. Maestas | 14.400 | 13.950 | 14.450 | 14.400 | 12.050 | 14.800 | 84.250 |
| Bobby Baker | 12.750 | 14.250 | 14.300 | 14.900 | 12.600 | 14.200 | 83.000 |
| Logan Bradley | 13.950 | 13.800 | -- | -- | -- | 12.400 | 40.150 |
| Jordan Valdez | -- | -- | -- | -- | 13.450 | 14.900 | 28.350 |
| Mike Wilner | 11.600 | -- | 14.050 | -- | -- | -- | 25.650 |
