ABOUT THE MEET
The Fighting Illini men's gymnastics team is set to wrap up the season at the 2022 NC Men's Gymnastics Championships, held Friday, April 15 to Saturday, April 16 at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla. Illinois will be looking to advance to the championship session for the 13th time in 14 seasons under the guidance of head coach Justin Spring, and will be looking for their 11th overall national title. Illinois' last national title came in 2012 in the same building as this years championships.
LAST TIME OUT
The Fighting Illini men's gymnastics team started strong, but ultimately placed fourth at the 2022 Big Ten Men's Gymnastics Championships Friday evening inside Rec Hall. The Illini placed fourth at the championships for the second year in a rown, scoring a 396.950 in this years competition.
Senior Hamish Carter placed fourth in the all-around, scoring a 79.400, while eight individual Illini gymnast advanced to the event finals occurring tomorrow evening.
"This team was prepared to do very well this championship weekend. We made a few mistakes on our second and third event that spiraled out of control" head coach Justin Spring said. "We are a great team this year; we just had a really rough night. I look forward to a great showing at the individual finals tomorrow night."
On day two of the 2022 Big Ten Men's Gymnastics Championships, six individual event titles were given out with the top 10 competitors on each event vying for an individual title. The Fighting Illini men's gymnastics team sent eight competitors out and placed five individuals on the podium, and first-year junior Ashton Anaya claimed the still rings individual Big Ten championship Saturday evening inside Rec Hall.
Anaya's championship secured Illinois' fifth individual rings title in the past six championships after 2020 Tokyo Olympics alternate and former Illini all-american Alex Diab won four straight rings titles from 2015-19. Junior Connor McCool and senior Ian Skirkey placed second on the floor exercise and pommel horse, respectively, while senior Clay Mason Stephens and graduate student David Pochinka finished third on floor and parallel bars.
Senior Hamish Carter placed fourth on the high bar and junior Dylan Kolak placed eighth on the floor exercise, while sophomore Will Hauke placed eighth on the parallel bars. Illinois was well represented in the all-Big Ten awards as well, with Anaya and Carter claiming first team all-Big Ten honors while McCool, Stephens, Skirkey, and Pochinka claimed second team all-Big Ten honors.
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.
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