The No. 19 Fighting Illini women's gymnastics team looks to garner its first dual match victory of the 2016 season as it heads to Piscataway, New Jersey, to face Rutgers. The meet is scheduled for noon CT inside the Rutgers Athletic Center. 

SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS

Rutgers opened the season on the road with losses to George Washington (196.175-193.100) and New Hampshire (195.100-193.100). RU scored best on vault (48.750), led by the junior April Baker with a career-best 9.900 on the event, which is currently tied for the fifth-best score in the nation. Rutgers and Illinois will meet for the second time in a Big Ten Conference regular season meet. The Illini defeated Rutgers, 196.175-192.775, last January in Huff Hall. 

LAST WEEK

Illinois fell to Missouri 195.350-195.075 in the 2016 season opener. Trailing by a margin of just .275 heading into the final rotation, the Illini were unable to overcome the Tigers. The Orange and Blue started the season with a score over 195 for the third time in program history, a feat the Illini also accomplished in 2014 and 2015. All-Americans Giana O'Connor and Mary Jane Horth garnered event titles for the Illini. O'Connor claimed the all-around title (39.275) and finished tied for first on beam (9.850) and floor (9.900). Horth finished first on bars (9.900) and also finished second in the all-around (39.175).

ILLINI DEBUTS

Four Illini made their competitive debuts for the Orange and Blue in the season opener. Freshman Lizzy LeDuc competed in the all-around, finishing with a 38.850. Fellow freshmen Rachael Donovan and Haylee Roe competed on bars and floor, respectively. Additionally, Bridget Hodan led off on beam in her first competitive routine.

2016 OUTLOOK

Landrus and the women's team are coming off a record-setting 2015 season, where the Illini posted a school-record team score of 197.350 at the Big Ten Championships and turned in a second-place finish at Big Tens. The Illini return all three 2015 All-Americans (Mary Jane Horth, Sunny Kato and Giana O'Connor) in addition to adding a talented group of five freshmen. O'Connor and standout freshman Lizzy LeDuc were named to the 2016 Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch List. UI will return 20 routines from last season.

2015 IN REVIEW

All-Time School Record Holder: On March 21 at the Big Ten Championships, the 2015 Illini made history. The Orange and Blue broke the team total school record by scoring a 197.350, which propelled them to a second-place finish. The Fighting Illini posted scores inside the program's top-10 all-time list on three events (VT, UB, BB). First, the Illini recorded a 49.400 on vault, followed by a 49.425 on bars. Next, Illinois moved to beam where they posted a 49.275 before ending on floor with a 49.250.

NCAA Championships Recap // O'Connor All-American: Illinois was represented at the national meet for the eighth year in a row, as Sunny Kato, Mary Jane Horth and Giana O'Connor qualified for the NCAA Championship in Fort Worth, Texas. Junior Giana O'Connor totaled a 39.425 which finished tied for sixth in the country, securing her a First-Team All-America honor. O'Connor turned in the best all-around score by an Illini in NCAA Championship history. The junior is the eighth NCAA All-American in Illini history and just the second Illini to earn NCAA First-Team All-American in the all-around. Also competing in the all-around, Horth finished in 12th with a 39.200. Kato, who qualified as an event specialist by sharing the Morgantown Regional bars title, finished tied for 29th (9.825) on the event.

5 All-American Honors // 3 All-Big Ten Selections: Sophomore Mary Jane Horth, senior Sunny Kato and junior Giana O'Connor were rewarded for their stellar seasons, as they were named NACGC/W All-Americans. Horth was named First Team All-America on bars and Second Team All-America in the all-around. Kato was also named All-American in two events, earning Second Team All-American on bars and beam. O'Connor was named Second Team All-American in the all-around. The five regular season All-American selections in one season are the most in program history. The trio also earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors, marking the second time (2010) in program history that three Illini were named to the First-Team and the seventh straight year the Illini had at least three gymnasts claim All-Big Ten accolades. O'Connor garnered her third career All-Big Ten selection and first First-Team nod. Kato also achieved her third career All-Big Ten selection and second straight First-Team honor. The two join a prestigious group of Illini gymnasts who have received at least three all-conference awards (Denise Lamborn, Ashley Williams, Nicole Cowart, Cara Pomeroy, Allison Buckley, Kelsey Joannides and Amber See). Horth asserted herself among the top gymnasts in the Big Ten in her first season competing in the all-around, earning her first All-Big Ten accolade.

Record Setting: The Illini left their mark on the record books recording three scores inside the top-10 all-time list. Along with posting the school-record score of 197.350 at the 2015 Big Ten Championships, The squad achieved a 196.975 at Iowa on Feb. 14, which tied the third-highest team score in program history. At the Morgantown Regional, UI totaled a 196.675, which is the tenth-best total. Illinois has posted six scores on bars that rank in the top-10 all-time list, attaining the third highest total (49.425) at the Big Ten Championships. Furthermore, Illinois posted four scores on beam that rank in the program's top-10 list. Lastly, the Illini cracked the top-10 in vault twice, achieving the second-best total (49.400) in school history at the Big Ten Championships.