CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illini travel to Toledo, Ohio for the Big Five Meet hosted by Elevate the Stage on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT. This will give the Orange and Blue a chance to compete on podium before the postseason. Illinois will compete against No. 8 Michigan, No. 14 Minnesota, No. 22 Ohio State, and Rutgers to determine the seeding for next month's Big Ten Championships hosted by Penn State. The meet will stream live on FloGymnastics.

Last season, Illinois had tremendous success at the Big Five Meet held in East Lansing, Mich. The Illini won the meet with a season-high 196.850, defeating Maryland, Ohio, Nebraska, and Michigan State. The team score also placed the Orange and Blue in the record books for the seventh-highest team score in program history. Rae Balthazor led the way with titles on bars, beam, and in the all-around.

Elevate the Stage: Big Five Meet – Session II: Scouting the Opposition

No. 8 Michigan (9-2, 5-0 Big Ten): The Michigan Wolverines are led by head coach Bev Plocki, who is entering her 30th season at the helm… Plocki holds an overall record of 749-252-3 (.748) and 289-45 (.865) conference record… Michigan has made 10 NCAA Super Six appearances (1994-97, 1999-2001, 2003, 2005, 2011) and 16 consecutive NCAA Championships Appearances (1992-2008)… Under Plocki, the Wolverines have earned 23 Big Ten Conference titles, which is tied for the most conference titles by any coach in Big Ten history for any sport… Plocki's illustrious career at the helm has earned her many coaching honors, including: 11-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, three-time NCAA Central Regional Coach of the Year, and five-time NCAA Northeast Regional Coach of the Year… Last season, Michigan picked up wins over NCAA Championship qualifiers Alabama and Utah, while earning the program's 24^th conference title (23 under Plocki)… The experienced roster is led by All-Americans Olivia Karas, Emma McLean, and Lexi Funk… Sophomore Lauren Farley has added depth, while Freshman Natalie Wojick and Abby Brenner have already made an immediate impact for the Maize and Blue.

No. 14 Minnesota (9-2, 5-0 Big Ten): Minnesota is led by former Gopher gymnast (2000-2003) and head coach Jenny Hansen, who is entering her fifth season in the position...Under her guidance, the Gophers advanced to the 2016 NCAA Championships as a team for the first time since 2013...Their eighth-place finish was the highest ever in program history… Hansen was also named the 2016 Big Ten Coach of the Year, as the team finished with a 9-0 conference record... Last season the Gophers finished No. 22 overall and No. 10 on bars, while going undefeated at home and setting home attendance records for both regular season and postseason competition… The talented roster is led by the dynamic duo of junior Ivy Lu and sophomore Lexi Ramler who have totaled eight Big Ten Weekly honors amongst each other this season.

No. 22 Ohio State (4-3, 3-2 Big Ten): The Ohio State Buckeyes are led by Meredith Paulicivic, who is entering her second season in the position… She joined the Buckeye family in May 2017 after being named the fifth head coach in Ohio State women's gymnastics history… Last season, the Buckeyes hosted NCAA Regionals, finishing third with the highest regional score in program history (196.500)… Stone represented the Scarlet and Grey at the 2018 NCAA Championships as an individual on vault… The talented squad is led by All-Big Second-Team honorees Jamie Stone and Olivia Apeli. Senior Amanda Huang and sophomores Jenna Swartzentruber and Morgan Lowe also add depth to the lineups. The Buckeyes welcome five fantastic freshman.

Rutgers (2-9, 1-4 Big Ten): The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are led by first year coach, Umme Salim-Beasley, who was named the eighth head coach of Rutgers gymnastics on May 11, 2018. She previously was an assistant coach with Rutgers from 2012-15 before spending three seasons at Temple… Last season, the Scarlet Knights defeated Michigan State to take third (194.400) in the opening session of the Big Ten Championships in Champaign, Ill… This year, Rutgers defeated ranked Penn State for the first time in program history with a 195.825 at home… Led by NCAA Regional Individual qualifier, sophomore Belle Huang, the Scarlet Knights welcome four newcomers.

All a Borden

From team manager to student-athlete, sophomore Rachel Borden was only on the team one day until she donned the Orange and Blue for an exhibition beam routine at Iowa on Feb. 16. An overnight sensation, Borden's 9.700 routine went viral and has taken the gymternet by storm with unique skills and originality that is unseen in collegiate gymnastics.

The in-state product from Naperville, Ill. spent her club career at the prominent and elite Chicago area-based club, Legacy Elite Gymnastics. Under the guidance of owners and head coaches, Jiani Wu and Yuejiu Li, Borden spent five years as a level 10 gymnast and persisted through the ups and downs of the sport to reach her goal of qualifying to the Junior Olympic National Championships during her senior year in 2017.

The Chemical Engineering major's inspirational story has gotten the attention of national media, such as FloGymnastics, Inside Gymnastics, and the Gymternet podcast. With her cast handstand to reverse planche mount and perfect toe point, Borden puts the "artistic" back in Artistic gymnastics.  

Otto Nominated for AAI Award

Redshirt senior Mary Jane Otto was named one of the 25 nominees for the prestigious AAI Award. The preliminary ballot will be narrowed down to six finalists later this season. The award recognizes the most outstanding senior female gymnast in the nation and is considered the "Heisman Trophy" of gymnastics. The honor is voted on by NCAA women's gymnastics head coaches and sponsored by American Athletic, Inc. (AAI).

A sixth-year gymnast, Otto exemplifies leadership in the gym and in the classroom. Otto is a multiple All-American and All-Big Ten honoree that has been ranked in the top 10 in the nation on uneven bars and top 15 in the all-around. She has collected 23 individual titles on all four events and the all-around, including 12 on bars and seven on beam. Otto holds the second-highest bars score in Illinois history with a 9.975 and fifth all-around score with a 39.575.

Missing the first half of her freshman season due to injury, Otto hit all 16 routines, competing on vault, bars, and floor. She was also a key contributor to the 2014 NCAA Championship team, which was the last time Illinois qualified to NCAAs as a team. After a successful sophomore campaign, Otto battled injuries during the next two years before returning to the all-around at the Michigan State meet on Feb. 8, to capture her first all-around title since 2016.

Excelling in the classroom, the 2017 Big Ten bars champion is a four-time Scholastic All-American, three-time All-Academic Big-Ten honoree, and two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. Graduated with a B.S. in Kinesiology in 2017 and Master of Public Health (MPH) in 2018. She will graduate in August with a Masters in Recreation, Sport, and Tourism degree.

For three years, Otto was a part of the Illinois Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the Illini Leadership Program. She also gives back to the local community by volunteering with Buddy Walks, Feed My Starving Children, and the Hope Center.

Last Time Out

With a season-best beam rotation that saw a career-high and two season-bests, the Illini women's gymnastics team earned their first road victory of the season with a 195.650 against the Hawkeyes on Feb. 16 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. The last time the Orange and Blue won at Iowa was Feb. 14, 2015.

Following the first rotation, the Illini jumped out in front with an impressive 49.100 on bars. Afterwards, it was a back and forth battle between the Illini and Hawkeyes until the last rotation. The Illini recorded a season-high 49.050 on beam with freshman Shaylah Scott earning her second beam title with a season-high 9.875, while sophomore Nicole Biondi clinched the victory for Illinois with a season-high 9.825.

Individually, sophomore Kasey Meeks captured her seventh vault title with a 9.775, while junior Karen Howell battled through an aggravated rib to win the all-around with a 38.975. The Illini also went 1-2-3 on beam with Scott taking the title and Otto and Biondi following.

Next rotation

The Illini return to Huff Hall to complete their home slate, starting with Senior Night vs. No. 6 Denver on Friday, March 1. The Daddy-Daughter theme will begin at 7 p.m. CT with the competition and the senior night festivities to follow. Illinois has four seniors that will be honored – Mary Jane Otto, Rachael Donovan, Julia Hutcherson, and Haylee Roe. The meet will stream live on BTN Plus and FloGymnastics.

All families with children who are in 8th grade or younger are invited to pre-register for the event HERE. Those that register will receive a picture frame and bows for their children. Additionally, the first 300 fans will receive special a special senior poster with our graduating class.

Follow the Illini

Stay tuned to FIGHTINGILLINI.com for all the latest information on Fighting Illini Women's Gymnastics. Follow the Orange and Blue on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for complete coverage.