March 28, 2007

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The No. 7 Illinois men's gymnastics team looks to build on its success as of late, as it heads to the 2007 Big Ten Championships hosted by the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis March 30-31, at the Sports Pavilion. The Illini, who finished second a year ago to defending Big Ten Champion Ohio State, looks to make a run in the postseason again, this time against a loaded field that features every league squad ranked in the top 10 in the country.

" It will be an interesting to see how we perform," head coach Yoshi Hayasaki said. "It is going to be a challenging weekend for this young Illinois team. We will be competitive, and if we compete to our potential, there will be some surprises at Big ten's this year."

A full recap of the Illini's results can be found at fightingillini.com, following the conclusion of each day's events. The 2007 team champion will be decided on Friday, March 31, with action beginning at 7 p.m., while Saturday, March 31, at 7 p.m. is reserved for individual competition in each event.

Fans can follow the action through live scoring available at both the host website at www.gophersports.com and at the Big Ten web site at www.bigten.org.

THIS WEEK
The seventh-ranked Illini (7-9, 2-4 Big Ten) head to Minneapolis for the 2007 Big Ten Championships hosted by the University of Minnesota on Friday-Saturday, March 30-31 at the Sports Pavilion. The team and all-around champions will be crowned on Friday, while the individual event titles will be handed out on Saturday. Competition begins at 7 p.m. on both days.

CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
With all six Big Ten teams ranked in the top 10 nationally, the 2007 Big Ten Championships are sure to keep fans and athletes alike on the edge of their seats. Ranked No. 1 and 2 in the nation, respectively, Ohio State and Michigan will face each other for the third time this year as both are contenders for the title this season. For Ohio State, a win in Minneapolis would be its third consecutive title, making it the first team to do so since host Minnesota accomplished the feat from 1990-92.

For Illinois, a 214.950 set against Iowa is the Illini's season high and was achieved without the Orange and Blue's top gymnast, Wes Haagensen, entered in all six events. "If all expectations come to fruition," head coach Yoshi Hayasaki said, "Illini fans can hope to see scores between the range of 215-217 come NCAAs, giving them a shot for a finish in the top-three this weekend."

FLOOR EXERCISE
Heading into this weekend, the Illini will face some of their toughest competition on all six events. Leading the nation on floor exercise is Michigan's Kent Caldwell, posting a three-score average 9.667. Paving the way for the Illini on the event is freshman-phenom Chad Wiest, who is ranked fifth nationally with a three-score average 9.450.

POMMEL HORSE
An event that the Orange and Blue have struggled on all season, the team will look toward freshman Luke Stannard to carry the load. The Waukegan, Ill., native holds the Illini's top season score of a 8.950.

Penn State's Casey Sandy is the Big Ten's top competitor in the field, posting a three-score average 9.367 on the event, second only to MPSF gymnast Tim McNeill of California.

STILL RINGS
The Illini have two nationally ranked team members on rings heading into the Championship weekend in Tyler Yamauchi and Jon Drollinger. Yamauchi, who has been ranked in the top 10 all season on the event, currently holds a season-high 9.750 and three-score average of 9.483, tying him for sixth nationally with Iowa's Jacques Bouchard and Penn State's Matt Cohen. Fellow Nittany Lion Tommy Ramos is ranked the highest out of all Big Ten competitors in second, tallying a three-score average 9.642.

VAULT
The strongest event for the Illini, the Orange and Blue head into competition with a second-place ranking and three-score average of 35.583, topping the Big Ten. Leading the Illini on the event is junior Tyler Yamauchi, who currently ranks first with a three-score average 9.217. Ohio State's Jimmy Wickham follows Yamauchi in third place, recording an average of 9.100.

PARALLEL BARS
Big Ten Gymnast of the week (March 7) Andrew Elkind of Michigan leads the country on the event with a three-score average 9.550, followed closely by fellow Big Ten Athlete of the Week (March 21) Ohio State's DJ Bucher in second (9.533). Leading the way for Illinois is junior all-arounder Wes Haagensen, who is tied for 19th nationally on the event. Haagensen, who garnished co-Big Ten Athlete of the Week and CGA Gymnast of the Week honors (Jan. 17), posted a season-high 9.300 at the Pacific Coast Classic.

HIGH BAR
Penn State's Tommy Ramos holds a second-place national ranking on the event, the highest in the Big Ten. Ramos, who has a three-score average 9.417 on high bar, will be met with tough competition from Michigan's Andrew Elkind and Ohio State's Willie Ito, who are ranked third and fourth, respectively. Junior Wes Haagensen and Chris Silcox have been the go-to guys all season for the Orange and Blue on high bar, and both are currently ranked within the top 20. Haagensen holds the team's three-score high of a 9.400, which he tallied against Big Ten rival Iowa earlier this year.

ILLINOIS AT THE BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Illinois has won 23 Big Ten team titles and 132 individual crowns in its history, the most in the Big Ten for either accomplishment. Minnesota is a close second with 21 team and 98 individual titles, respectively. Illinois last captured the title in 2004.

LIVE SCORING
The results of the 2007 Big Ten Men's Gymnastics Championships will be posted on the University of Minnesota Athletics website at www.gophersports.com and also on the Big Ten Conference website www.bigten.org. Live scoring also will be available on both sites.

BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS ON TV
The 2007 Big Ten Men's Gymnastics Championships are scheduled to air on College Sports Television (CSTV) on a tape-delay basis, They are slated to air at 7 p.m. (CST) on Thurs., March 30, and at 11 a.m. (CST), on Saturday, April 8.

LOOKING AHEAD
The 2007 Big Ten Championships will be the Illini's last major test before heading to the 2007 NCAA Championships April 12-14 in University Park, Pa.