University of Illinois
Ohio State
Men’s Gymnastics Wins Third-Straight Windy City Invitational Title
January 14, 2017 | Men's Gymnastics
Five Illini win event titles
CHICAGO – The Illinois men's gymnastics team won the Windy City Invitational title for the third-straight year. Five Fighting Illini gymnasts won event titles on the day, as the Orange and Blue recorded a team score of 412.150.
"I saw a team that rose above all expectations," said head coach Justin Spring. "They really did an amazing job. I'm very proud of our guys that competed tonight, and I think we are only going to get better from here on out."
Illinois opened the season on high bar, posting a team score of 70.750, four points higher than any other squad in the event. Junior Tyson Bull won the event title with a score of 14.400, and redshirt junior Chandler Eggleston was right behind with a 14.350.
In the second rotation, the Orange and Blue squad was on floor. Redshirt senior Joey Peters, in his first meet since the 2014-15 season, turned in a score of 14.300, the third-best on the day. Freshman Sebastian Quiana had a strong performance as well, with a 14.200 for fifth place, helping Illinois to a 69.650 team score.
The Fighting Illini were on pommel horse next, where they finished with a team score of 64.500. Senior Matt Foster's score of 14.300 earned him the title in the event.
Heading into the fourth rotation, Illinois trailed Minnesota, 205.350-204.900. Sophomore Alex Diab claimed a share of the title on rings, with Ohio State's Tristan Burke, turning in a 14.250. Senior Tom Gibbs scored a 13.800, finishing the event in fourth. With a team score of 67.900, UI narrowed the gap with the Golden Gophers to 273.100-272.800.
On the fifth event, the Illini turned in a team vault score of 69.600. The event title was claimed by junior Bobby Baker, who posted a 14.700.
With only one event left, parallel bars, Illinois led second-place Ohio State by more than six points. Sophomore Johnny Jacobson took the parallel bars title with a score of 14.600. Peters and Eggleston each turned in 14.000 outings, good enough for third-place finishes.
The Illini bested the runner-up Buckeyes, who posted a final score of 403.450. Michigan finished in third with a 397.100, followed by Minnesota (397.100), Iowa (387.550) and host UIC (360.250).
In the all-around competition, Jacobson finished in second place with a score of 80.050, and Peters' 79.550 was good for third place.
Title Winners
- Vault - Bobby Baker
- Parallel Bars - Johnny Jacobson
- High Bar - Tyson Bull
- Rings - Alex Diab (tie)
- Pommel Horse - Matt Foster
Up Next
Illinois Men's Gymnastics heads to Arizona State next weekend to take on the Sun Devils. The meet is set for Jan. 21 at 3 p.m. CT.
