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Men's Gymnastics
#3 Illini Post Nation's Top Score Of 221.575 In Win Over #11 UIC
Feb. 14, 2004
Champaign, Ill. - Eight school records fell as the third-ranked Fighting Illini men's gymnastics team (6-3, 2-0 BigTen) overcame a slow start to easily defeat #11 Illinois-Chicago by the score of 221.575-211.375. Illinois' score is not only a new school record under the new scoring system, topping the old mark of 219.0 set two weeks ago at Ohio State, but it also is the top score in the nation this season, besting OSU's total of 220.2 against the Illini at that same meet back on Jan. 31. The Illini got out of the gates slowly with a season low score on floor exercise (35.300), an event on which they rank #1 in the country. But they would rebound set school records on pommel horse (38.150), parallel bars (36.600) and high bar (38.000), sweeping at least the top four individual places on each of the three events. In addition, the team's rings score of 36.875 was a season-high. UI head coach Yoshi Hayasaki was thrilled with how is team bounced back after the slow start. "The team showed great character tonight," said Hayasaki. "After the poor start on floor I wasn't sure if we would be able to post a high score, but our pommel horse team came up big and got us going in the right direction. I really believe this is the best pommel horse team in the country and is one of the best in Illinois history. Once we hit on pommel horse, I think our confidence started to build up. Then we went to rings and really showed improvement, posting our top score this year. I am very happy with how we performed tonight, but I think this team has the potential to post an even higher score than we did tonight." Sophomore Justin Spring and junior Ben Newman again led the way for the Orange and Blue. Spring won the parallel bars (9.600) and high bar (9.800) with career-high and school record scores and also tied for first on vault (9.250) and posted a career-high on rings (9.200). Newman also set two school records. He tied his own school mark to win the pommel horse (9.800) and also set a school record on rings (9.575) to take second place. Bob Rogers was also an event winner for the Orange and Blue. The senior co-captain won the floor exercise (9.200) and also took second on pommel horse (9.700) and fourth on high bar (9.250 - season high). Sophomore Adam Pummer set career-highs on parallel bars (9.400) and high bar (9.600), taking second on both events. Two-time pommel horse All-American Peter Shostchuk set a new career-high on the event with a 9.600. Casey Hayasaki also tied a career-high on pommel horse with a 9.050. In all, the Illini set or tied four individual school records, 10 career-highs and 14 season-highs.
"Justin Spring and Adam Pummer stepped up again and posted some high scores after struggling on floor," said Hayasaki. "Bob Rogers had a great meet, very nice floor routine, very nice high bar routine, which he was struggling on, and he had another great pommel horse performance. Casey [Hayasaki's] pommel horse routine was important because it got us going after the slow start on floor. Ben Newman was tremendous again on pommel horse and rings. Everyone is starting to put it together at this point."
Up Next: The Illini will hit the road to face #6 Iowa in Iowa City next Saturday, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. They will return home the following Friday, Feb. 27, to face #13 Temple in another double-dual meet at Huff Hall.
#3 ILLINOIS vs. #11 UIC Feb. 14, 2004 * Huff Hall, Champaign, Ill.TEAM SCORES FX PH SR VT PB HB Total |
