ABOUT THE MEET
The Fighting Illini men's gymnastics team is set to begin postseason copetition this weekend at the 2022 edition of the Big Ten Men's Gymnastics Championships. The Illini head into the postseason peaking at the right time after setting new season-highs in team score the past three meets entering the weekend, including the second-highest team score in the NCAA (416.000) set at Air Force in the regular-season finale. During the team competition Friday, Illinois will be looking for their 29th team championship, while Hamish Carter, Clay Mason Stephens, and Michael Fletcher will compete in the all-around.
LAST TIME OUT
The fifth-ranked Fighting Illini men's gymnastics team tallied the second-highest score in the NCAA on Saturday afternoon, scoring a 416.000 en route to a quad meet victory over Navy, Army, and Rocky Mountain Pride. Illinois will now enter the postseason after eclipsing their previous season-high team score in each of the past three meets.
Illinois eclipsed their season-highs in team total (416.000), floor exercise (71.350), pommel horse (69.700) and parallel bars (69.500), posting the third-highest floor score in the NCAA, the highest pommel horse score in the NCAA, and third highest parallel bars score in the NCAA.
Senior Hamish Carter earned the all-around title at the meet with an 82.900, his second week in a row posting an 80+ in the all-around, while senior Ian Skirkey claimed the pommel horse title with his second score above 15 this season, scoring a career-high 15.400.
ILLINI HISTORY AT THE BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Illinois will be looking for their conference-leading 29th team championship on Friday during the team competition after most recently winning in 2018. Individually, Illinois gymnasts will also look to add to the conference-leading 166 individual champions (146 event, 20 AA).
IN THE RANKINGS
Illinois currently ranks fifth in the nation with a four-score average of 405.067. UI ranks first nationally on pommel horse, and third on vault and high bar. Individually, Connor McCool ranks 7th on floor, Ian Skirkey ranks first on pommel horse, Evan Manivong ranks fifth on vault, and Hamish Carter ranks fourth on high bar.
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.
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS AND CHAMPIONS
Spring welcomes back two gymnasts that were named All-Americans in 2021, as well as two event champions. Ian Skirkey (NCAA Pommel Horse national champion, Pommel Horse All-American, Second Team All-B1G), Connor McCool (Floor Exercise All-American, Second Team All-B1G), and Michael Fletcher (B1G Vault champion, First Team All-B1G) all look to build off of their successful 2021 campaigns in the upcoming season.
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 Ashton Anaya (SR) will also be key additions to the Illini rotation this season.
MCCOOL, 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.
RETURNING FROM INJURY
After season-ending injuries last season, the Illini welcome back two contributors to the 2021 roster: senior Clay Mason-Stephens and sophomore Will Hauke. Spring says the team will be much stronger in the 2022 campaign with the two returning from injury.
LOOKING AHEAD
Illinois will head back home to Huff Hall on Mar. 13 for Senior Day vs. Michigan. The meet will be broadcasted live on the Big Ten Network, set for a 2:30 p.m. start time.
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