ROSEMONT, Ill. – Four members of the Illinois women's gymnastics team were selected to the 2019 All-Big Ten teams, as announced by the conference office Monday night. Redshirt senior Mary Jane Otto earned First Team All-Big Ten honors, while junior Karen Howell and sophomores Kasey Meeks and Kylie Noonan collected Second-Team All-Big Ten awards.
The Illini tied Super Six finalist, Nebraska, with the third-highest number of gymnasts to be honored by the conference with only Michigan (six) and Minnesota (five) earning more spots. This marks the sixth-time in program history that the Orange and Blue had at least four gymnasts selected to the all-conference team.
For the third-time in her career, Otto also received First Team All-Big Ten recognition in 2015 and 2017. With the addition of Howell, Meeks, and Noonan, the Fighting Illini now has 25 gymnasts named to All-Big Ten teams.
Otto garnered the third All-Big Ten accolade of her career. The Akron, Ohio native has earned 21 top-three finishes including nine individual event titles this season. Over 75% of Otto's event titles this season come on bars (four) and beam (three). The sixth-year gymnast is currently ranked No. 28 nationally and No. 6 in conference on bars with an NQS score of 9.895. Otto matched the program's fifth-highest bars score with a season-high 9.950 in the regular season finale at California (with Sacramento State and San Jose State) on March 17. With teammate Shaylah Scott, the redshirt senior also hit the program's seventh-highest beam score with a career-high 9.925 at the State of Illinois Classic on March 9. On Feb. 8 against Michigan State, Otto captured her first all-around title since 2016 with a 39.325.
Returning to the all-around this season, Howell ranks 10th in the Big Ten with an NQS score of 39.125. The Sterling Heights, Mich. Native made her season debut in the all-around versus Maryland on Jan. 19 with a 39.125. This marked the first time Howell competed in the all-around since her freshman year at the 2017 Big Ten Championships. On Feb. 2, Howell captured her first bars title of the season with a 9.850 against Penn State. Hitting her stride on vault, the 2018 Academic All-Big Ten honoree recorded a career-high 9.900 against Michigan State (Feb. 8) to notch her first career title on the event. Howell closed the regular season with a career-high 39.400 in the all-around at California (with Sacramento State and San Jose State) on March 17. She tied Otto for a third-place finish and also bested her previous career-high by over a tenth. Twice this season, the junior also matched a career-high 9.900 on floor.
Noonan collected her first All-Big Ten honor. The Vadnais Heights, Minn. native is currently tied for eighth on floor in the conference with an NQS score of 9.885. For the first time, Noonan earned back-to-back event titles, winning floor vs. Maryland (Jan. 19) and the quad meet vs. Kentucky, Oregon State, and Lindenwood (Jan. 13). Adding bars to her repertoire, the sophomore earned a career-high 9.875 to capture her first title on the event against Michigan State on Feb. 8. Also, against the Spartans, Noonan earned her fourth-floor title with a career-high 9.925. On March 1 against Denver, Noonan was solid on beam, notching a career-high 9.875. The sophomore earned her fifth score of 9.900 or higher on floor at UC-Davis (with Washington and Yale) on March 15.
Meeks earned her first All-Big Ten honor. She has been a standout vault specialist for the Illini this season, posting five scores of 9.800 or higher. Against Penn State on Feb. 2, Meeks earned her first vault title of the season with a 9.825. The Shawnee, Kan. Native recorded a career-high 9.900 against Michigan State on Feb. 8. For the first time in her career, the sophomore won her third consecutive vault title of the season and seventh overall at Iowa (Feb. 16) with a 9.775. Meeks is ranked No. 11 in the Big Ten on vault with an NQS score of 9.835.
Postseason play begins this weekend when Illinois treks to Happy Valley for the Big Ten Championships on Saturday evening inside Rec Hall in University Park, Pa. After placing third in the evening session of the Big Five Meet in February, the Fighting Illini earned a spot in the evening session starting at 4 p.m. CT. The afternoon session begins at 11 a.m. CT with both sessions airing live on BTN.
2019 All-Big Ten Conference Honors
FIRST TEAM*
Mary Jane Otto, ILL
Clair Kaji, IOWA
Abby Brenner, MICH
Lauren Farley, MICH
Olivia Karas, MICH
Emma McLean, MICH
Natalie Wojcik, MICH
Ona Loper, MINN
Ivy Lu, MINN
Lexy Ramler, MINN
Paige Williams, MINN
Sienna Crouse, NEB
Sierra Hassel, NEB
Taylor Houchin, NEB
Jamie Stone, OSU
Lauren Bridgens, PSU
SECOND TEAM
Karen Howell, ILL
Kasey Meeks, ILL
Kylie Noonan, ILL
Nicole Chow, IOWA
Lauren Guerin, IOWA
Audrey Barber, MD
Lexi Funk, MICH
Gabrielle Douglas, MSU
Lea Mitchell, MSU
Tiarre Sales, MINN
Adnerys De Jesus, NEB
Olivia Aepli, OSU
Jenna Swartzentruber, OSU
Sabrina Garcia, PSU
Belle Huang, RUT
*Additional honorees due to ties
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