March 7, 2007

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. ­ - Junior Tyler Yamauchi earned his second career Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honor after being named co-Gymnast of the week along with Andrew Elkind of Michigan for the week ending March 4, announced the Big Ten Conference office today. Yamauchi is coming off a stellar meet in which he helped lead the Illini to their first duel-meet win of the season over Iowa in a 214.950-209.500 victory.

The Sugarland, Texas native received his first league honor of 2007 after claiming two first-place finishes against the Hawkeyes, while also leading the Fighting Illini to a season-high team total. The junior tumbler shared the rings title with teammate junior Jon Drollinger, as both gymnasts carded 9.600, while Yamauchi also won the parallel bars with a score of 9.300.

As a team, the No. 6-ranked Orange and Blue squad claimed four event titles, seven career-highs and seven season-highs in the performance. The Illini also walked away recording new season highs on three events, including pommel horse (34.250), still rings (37.550) and high bar (35.800).

Elkind also took home two individual event titles over the weekend for the No. 1-ranked Wolverines. The Michigan tumbler helped U-M maintain an undefeated duel-meet record as he grabbed the meet's highest score of the evening with a 9.700 to finish first on the parallel bars, and won the high bar with a score of 9.250.

Yamauchi and Elkind will next be in action when the Illini take on the Wolverines this Saturday, March 10, for a 6 p.m. (CST) duel-meet start at the Cliff Keen Arena on the campus of the University of Michigan.