HOSTING UIC
Illinois Men's Gymnastics will commence 2016 action by hosting UIC on Saturday, January 9 at Huff Hall. Competition is slated for 4 p.m. CT. Live results and a free video stream will be available from FightingIllini.com. Following the meet, a free youth clinic will be held for kids eighth grade and younger. Athletes will also sign autographs following the meet.
Illinois has claimed the last 23 head-to-head meetings with UIC dating back to the 1994 season. The Illini hold a 70-16 all-time record against the Flames.
ABOUT THE FLAMES
The Flames finished the 2015 season ranked 16th with a National Qualifying Average of 407.163. This year's squad returns three of five NCAA competitors form last season. UIC will commence its 2016 campaign
NO. 6 IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Illinois was slated to finish sixth in the 2016 National Pre-Season Coaches poll, marking the first time since 2008 that the Orange and Blue were picked to finish outside of the top five. After being dubbed eighth in 2008, the team went on to finish third at the NCAA Championships.
BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL
In the Big Ten Pre-Season poll, Illinois was picked to finish third in the league for the third-consecutive season. The Fighting Illini claimed a second-place finish at last year's Big Ten Championships, falling just six-tenths of a point short to the hosts, Penn State. Baker and Eggleston were named as Illinois' "Gymnasts to Watch".
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
This season, Justin Spring returns five athletes that account for eight All-America accolades between them. Logan Bradley, Chandler Eggleston and Bobby Baker have each claimed a pair of honors while Fred Hartville and Joey Peters have each been honored as well.
Hartville won the NCAA Vault title his freshman campaign while Eggleston finished second on both the vault and floor his rookie season.
CAREER TITLE COUNT
Hartville claimed four vault titles last season to up his career count to 13 titles on the apparatus. He currently resides in a tie for the fifth spot for all-time vault titles with Gilberto Albuquerque. Hartville also holds a spot on the single-season vault titles list with eight back in 2013 to share fifth place with Charlie Lakes and Hal Shaw.
In 2014, Eggleston notched six titles to move into a six-way tie for the most floor titles won in a single season.
CURRENT ILLINI IN THE RECORD BOOK
Entering the season, two Illini currently own places in the top scores section of the record book. On vault, Hartville has a hold on four of the top-five places in the modern era scoring. His top score, and the school record, of 15.550 came in 2013, his freshman season at the Big Ten Team Finals. Hartville and Paul Ruggeri share the second-best score on the event at 15.550.
COACHING STAFF
During the off season, Daniel Ribeiro was promoted to the position of associate head coach after serving four seasons as an assistant under Spring. The Illini also welcomed back Don Osborn who rejoins the Orange and Blue after serving as the head coach from 1994-96 and an assistant coach under Yoshi Hayasaki for the eight seasons prior to that. This will mark his first season working with Spring and Ribeiro though.
LOOKING AHEAD
After hosting the Flames this weekend, UI will head to Chicago next weekend for the UIC-hosted Windy City Invitational on Sunday, January 17. The field will feature six teams including Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State and UIC. Last season at the event, the Illini took home the title, getting the best of two-time defending national champion Michigan.
