Final Results
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
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.
