FightingIllini.com
The Official Home of University of Illinois Athletics
- Men's Sports
- MEN'S SPORTS
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cheerleading
- Football
- Golf
- WOMEN'S SPORTS
- Basketball
- Cheerleading
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Soccer
  |
|
Illinois takes on Michigan this Saturday in Ann Arbor.
|
Feb. 10, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format 
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The third-ranked Illini (8-0, 6-0 Big Ten) return to dual competition this Saturday at defending national champion and sixth-ranked Michigan (4-2, 3-2) at 12 p.m. CT. Illinois defeated the Wolverines at the Windy City Invitational on Jan. 15 by a significant margin, as the Illini tallied a 355.400 to Michigan's 346.100.
Live results for the meet will be available HERE.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN
Saturday's meet will mark just the second dual competition this season for Michigan. The Wolverines fell to Penn State, 350.400-346.900, on Jan. 22 despite top finishes from senior Thomas Kelley on high bar and all-around, junior Syque Caesar on parallel bars and senior Adam Hamers on pommel horse. Newcomer Sam Mikulak earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors following his performance at last weekend's U.S. Winter Cup Challenge, as he placed second on vault (32.200) and tied for 14th on floor exercise (28.650), while senior Ian Makowske took third on high bar (29.700).
As a team, Michigan ranks in the top five on several events including fourth on floor (57.750), pommel horse (56.600) and high bar (56.850) and fifth on parallel bars (56.450). Individually, Kelley ranks eighth on floor (14.850), high bar (14.650) and all-around (85.850), while senior Chris Cameron is third on pommel horse (15.000) and tied for eighth on rings (14.900), redshirt junior Devan Cote is ninth on pommel horse (14.400) and senior Ian Makowske is seventh on high bar (14.700).
ILLINI IN THE RANKINGS
This week's GymInfo team and individual rankings are based on the total season average. The Illini rank in the top three nationally on five events including first on pommel horse (57.967), second on floor exercise (59.467), vault (63.033) and parallel bars (58.100), and third on high bar (57.900).
Individually, senior Daniel Ribeiro ranks first on pommel horse (15.580), while classmate Paul Ruggeri is second on high bar (15.487), fourth on floor (15.225), seventh in the all-around (86.017) and 10th on parallel bars (14.525). Junior Tyler Mizoguchi checks in at third on parallel bars (14.930) and sixth on floor (14.850) and the all-around (86.300), and sophomore Yoshi Mori is fourth on pommel horse (14.800) and eighth on vault (15.800). Rounding out Illini in the top 10 are juniors C.J. Padera and Anthony Sacramento, as Padera ranks sixth on parallel bars (14.750) and Sacramento is fourth on rings (15.100).
NUMEROUS WEEKLY HONORS
For the fourth straight week an Illinois gymnast garnered a weekly conference accolade, as Daniel Ribeiro was named this week's Big Ten Gymnast of the Week after securing his second straight gold medal on pommel horse.
For the week of Jan. 31, Tyler Mizoguchi was named Big Ten and NCAA Gymnast of the Week and newcomer Jordan Valdez earned Freshman of the Week honors. The duo each captured individual event titles in helping lead the Illini to a dominating win over Iowa on Jan. 29. It is the first such accolade for Mizoguchi and Valdez and third straight week an Illinois gymnast has been honored.
Mizoguchi won the all-around (89.300) and parallel bars (15.300) with career-high scores for both, while also placing second on pommel horse (14.800) and high bar (14.000), tied for third on floor (14.800), fourth on rings (14.700) and fifth on vault (15.700).
Valdez led all Illini freshmen with two third-place finishes on parallel bars (14.400) and high bar (13.900). He has finished in the top three on high bar in each of his first three collegiate meets this year.
RIBEIRO WINS GOLD, MIZOGUCHI NAMED TO U.S. SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM FOLLOWING 2011 WINTER CUP
Senior Daniel Ribeiro claimed his second straight gold medal on pommel horse and junior Tyler Mizoguchi was named to the U.S. Men's Senior National team for the second time in his career to highlight the final day of action at the 2011 Winter Cup Challenge in Las Vegas.
The seven members of the 2010 World Championships Team, which includes senior Paul Ruggeri, who was an alternate, retained their spots on the national team. Based on performances, four gymnasts were selected to the U.S. Men's Senior National Team using the National Team Point Program, while three additional athletes were selected by the Men's Program Committee, including Mizoguchi, who finished in seventh place with 26 points. Jacob Dalton of the University of Oklahoma was the top finisher with 92 points. All-around and individual event champions were determined by a two-day combined score.
Ribeiro, who also took gold at the 2010 USA Visa Championships this past August, retained his pommel horse title with a two-day combined score of 31.400, and also added an eighth-place finish on floor exercise (29.450). Mizoguchi placed ninth in the all-around with a two-day combined score of 166.800 and also secured a pair of top-five finishes including third on parallel bars (30.150) and fourth on floor (29.800).
Also competing for the Illini was current assistant coach Luke Stannard, who took third on pommel horse (28.900), 11th on high bar (27.750) and 12th on floor (28.950), while freshman Jordan Valdez placed fifth on high bar (28.600) and 19th in the all-around (159.500), and redshirt senior Chad Wiest finished eighth on parallel bars (28.900) and 16th on floor (28.500) and vault (29.850). Ruggeri placed 12th on vault (30.300), but an ankle injury prevented him from participating in the remainder of the competition.
The 15-member U.S. Men's Senior National team, which also includes Chris Brooks, Chris Cameron, Jake Dalton, Joshua Dixon, Andrew Elkind, Jonathan Horton, Glen Ishino, Steven Legendre, Danell Leyva, CJ Maestas, Alex Naddour, Jesse Silverstein, Brandon Wynn, will represent the U.S. through the 2011 Visa Championships in St. Paul, Minn., Aug. 17-20.
UP NEXT
The Illini return home next Saturday, Feb. 19 to host Penn State at 5 p.m. at Huff Hall.
FOLLOW THE ILLINI
Keep up with all the latest news, updates and videos from the men's gymnastics team.
On Twitter: www.twitter.com/IlliniGym
On YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/Illinigym
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/IlliniGymnastics
