2017 OUTLOOK

Head Coach Kim Landrus and the Illini gymnasts are coming off a successful 2016 season. The Illini return 2015 All-American, Mary Jane Horth and 2016 NCAA National Championships individual qualifier, Lizzy LeDuc. The Orange and Blue have also welcomed assistant coach, Kristina Comforte to the Illinois family as well as a highly-talent freshman class of Rae Balthazor, Lindsay Dwyer, Karen Howell, Brittany Jones. UI will return 19 routines from last season.

PRESEASON RANKINGS

The 2017 Illini are ranked No. 24 in the Road to Nationals Preseason Coaches Poll. The Orange and Blue have now landed in the Top-25 preseason poll for the tenth straight year. Including Illinois, six Big Ten schools once again earned a spot in the top-25, Michigan received the highest ranking at No. 7, five spots ahead of Nebraska (12). Illinois is also preceded by Minnesota (16), Iowa (22) and Penn State (23).

COMFORTE JOINS STAFF 

Former UCLA gymnast and five-time All-American, Kristina Comforte joined the Illini coaching staff in September. Comforte brings a wealth of knowledge to Illinois gymnastics and serves as the main coach on vault and floor, as well as, the team's primary choreographer. 

KEY RETURNERS

The Illini return 19 routines from the 2016 season. Key returners for the Illini include: 2015 All-American, Mary Jane Horth, NCAA National Championships individual qualifier, Lizzy LeDuc and Erin Buchanan, who took seven individual event titles in 2016. 

ILLINI NEWCOMERS

The Orange and Blue welcomed four freshmen to the Illinois gymnastics team this season. Rae Balthazor, Lindsay Dwyer, Karen Howell and Brittany Jones join the Illini after highly-successful junior careers on the mat. The 2017 

team is looking to see big contributions from the first-year class. 

2016 IN REVIEW: LEDUC REPRESENTS ILLINI AT NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 

Fighting Illini women's gymnast Lizzy LeDuc competed individually at the NCAA National Championships Friday, April 15 at the Fort Worth Convention Center Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Competing in her home state, the freshman gymnast produced a 9.6375 on floor. LeDuc became the 14th Illini to qualify individually for nationals. Illinois was represented at the national meet for the ninth year in a row.  

LeDuc punched her ticket to the NCAA Championships by earning the floor title at the Salt Lake City Regional. The freshman produced a career high routine of 9.950, which surpassed her previous career best of 9.875, which ranks third in program history on the event. She is the first Illini freshman to qualify individually for the NCAA National Championships since Allison Buckley in 2008.

2016 SALT LAKE CITY REGIONAL 

Lizzy LeDuc earned the regional floor title in Salt Lake City finishing first with a career-high 9.950. As a team, the Orange and Blue fought back from an early deficit to finish fourth with a 195.350, behind Utah (197.125), UCLA (196.375) and Washington (195.825). Illinois finished ahead of Utah State (195.025) and Southern Utah (194.950). UI had six top-10 finishers on the night. Erin Buchanan was fourth (9.900) on floor and sixth on vault (9.850), while LeDuc placed first on floor and ninth (9.825) on beam. Sunny Kato ended her Illini career with a third place finish on beam (9.850) and a eighth place finish on bars (9.825). 

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