CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – For the first time since the Illini hosted Michigan and Penn State on Mar. 7, 2020, fans will be welcomed back into Huff Hall when Ohio State comes to Champaign for a dual meet on Saturday, Feb. 5. The meet will begin at 2 p.m. CT and will be broadcasted live on B1G+. Illinois will also host Pride Night during Saturday's meet, and Pride Progress buttons will be given out to the first 200 fans in attendance.
HUFF HALL COVID-19 PROTOCOLS
With the recent surge in COVID-19 cases on the University of Illinois campus and throughout the Central Illinois region, the University will institute a proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative-test protocol for all university sponsored events open to the public with more than 200 people in attendance beginning January 1, 2022. All guests ages 12 and older entering Huff Hall will be required to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination OR a negative COVID-19 PCR or rapid test taken within 72 hours of the event to enter the facility.
The state of Illinois and University of Illinois remains under a mask mandate. Face coverings must be worn by all fans over the age of 5 years.
LAST TIME OUT
After trailing through five rotations, the Fighting Illini men's gymnastics team rallied from behind to defeat Penn State 397.250-396.550 in the first B1G meet of the season.
The meet had originally ended in a 397.550-397.250 victory for Penn State. However, it was found that after the meet a clerical error had occurred when a score was inputted with the wrong start value. After contention, Penn State's score was reduced by one point, giving Illinois the victory, 397.250-396.550.
Sophomore Sebastian Ingersoll had a career day for the Illini, setting new career-high scores on pommel horse (13.250), vault (14.150) and high bar (13.550). Junior Evan Manivong also set a new career-best on the vault (14.850) to take the event title, while senior Hamish Carter took the high bar title with a season-high 13.800 and junior Connor McCool won the floor with a season-best 13.500.
SCOUTING OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes come to Champaign ranked fifth in the nation with a team average score of 393.425. Ohio State edged the Illini at the 2022 Windy City Invitational earlier this season, placing second at the event with a 387.700. Ohio State also defeated GymACT program New York Alliance on Jan. 22. The Buckeyes as a team currently rank tops in the NCAA on the pommel horse, producing a team average score of 66.050 on the event. Individually, Trevor Cummings currently ranks first in the NCAA on the pommel horse with an average score of 14.075, and Jesse Tyndall is tops on the high bar in the NCAA with an average score of 14.200. The Buckeyes will also open B1G competition this weekend in Champaign.
IN THE RANKINGS
Illinois currently ranks sixth in the nation with an average team score of 391.600. UI ranks tops in the NCAA on the high bar with a team average 66.100, and also ranks third on the vault with a 70.850 average score. Individually, junior Evan Manivong currently ranks eighth in the NCAA on vault (14.475 avg.) and sophomore Sebastian Ingersoll ranks 10th on the high bar (13.425 avg.). Illinois' entire high bar lineup is ranked in the top 30 individually in the NCAA.
NEW DUAL MEET FORMAT FOR 2022 SEASON
In August, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved new changes to the dual meet format and team scoring for men's gymnastics. Dual meets will now follow a head-to-head format, and the five-up, five-count format will now be followed throughout the entirety of the season.
The head-to-head format includes gymnasts from both teams alternating routines on the same apparatus. This allows the competition to be easier to follow for spectators and will provide consistency for judging. A six-minute "halftime" has also been added to dual meet formats following the first three events, and will not be used during multiteam events.
Scoring will also change as all meets will follow the five-up, five-count format, meaning only five gymnasts compete per apparatus with each of their scores counting towards the team total. Previously, a six-up, five-count format was used prior to the annual Winter Cup competition, with the five-up, five-count format in use after the Winter Cup.
FIGHTING ILLINI MEN'S GYMNASTICS 2022 OUTLOOK
Illinois returns 17 letter winners from the 2021 squad that placed sixth in the nation and fourth in the B1G. 2021 NCAA Pommel Horse national champion Ian Skirkey returns looking to defend his title, while fellow All-American Connor McCool looks to improve upon a sixth-place finish on the floor at the 2021 NCAA Championships. The defending B1G vault champion Michael Fletcher also returns and looks to lead the team in the all-around along with seniors Hamish Carter and Clay Mason-Stephens. Â
NEWCOMERS
Four newcomers join the Fighting Illini roster in 2022, including three freshmen and a graduate transfer. Graduate Student David Pochinka joins the team after transferring from Minnesota, and will contribute to Illinois' pommel horse, rings, parallel bar and high bar rotations. Freshmen Yan Inhaber-Courchesne (FX, SR, PB, VT), Maksim Farkhadau (PH), and junior transfer Ashton Anaya (SR) will also be key additions to the Illini rotation this season.
MCCOOL AND SKIRKEY NAMED B1G GYMNASTS TO WATCH
Ahead of the 2022 men's gymnastics season, junior Connor McCool and senior Ian Skirkey were named Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch, and the Illini were picked to finish fourth in the B1G by the conference coaches.
Skirkey enters the 2022 season as the reigning NCAA National Champion on the pommel horse after a stellar 2021 season that included an all-American honor and second team all-B1G honors following his runner-up performance at the 2021 B1G Championships.
McCool enters the 2022 season following an all-American season on the Floor Exercise and a runner-up performance on the floor at the 2021 B1G Championships, earning him second team all-B1G honors.
LOOKING AHEAD
A big non-conference test awaits the Illini next weekend as the second-ranked Sooners of Oklahoma travel to Huff Hall for a Saturday evening dual. The meet will be held on Saturday, Feb. 12 with a 4 p.m. CT start time, with live streaming available on B1G+.
FOLLOW THE #ILLINI
Follow @IlliniMGYM on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest photos and videos from Fighting Illini men's gymnastics, and tune in to fightingillini.com for the latest news on the team.
