|
Men's Gymnastics
Illini Men's Gymnastics Receives No. 5 Ranking Academically
July 27, 2006 CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - For the second straight year, the University of Illinois men's gymnastics team garnered a top-five ranking in the national academic team standings as awarded by the College Gymnastics Association, grabbing the honor with a team 3.153 GPA. In back-to-back years, head coach Yoshi Hayasaki has led the Illini to a fifth-place finish, while seven individual Illinois gymnasts earned first or second team All-America Scholar-Athlete accolades. Earning first team nods were redshirt freshman Michael Boyer (3.875), senior Anthony Russo (3.743) and sophomore Jon Drollinger (3.722). Second team selections included sophomore Chris Silcox (3.499), freshman Kyle Padera (3.383), freshman Chris Lung (3.264) and sophomore Tyler Yamauchi (3.242). The Orange and Blue had only three total selections in 2005. Russo, a recent graduate of Illinois, garnered the honor for the fourth time in his Illinois career, while Drollinger earned his second straight academic honor. Boyer, Silcox, Padera, Lung and Yamauchi all make their first appearance on the national list. "Our goal as a team has always been to excel both in competition and academics," Hayasaki said. "I am very proud that this team once again achieved that goal this past season by placing second at NCAAs and fifth in the nation academically." The national academic honor asks that first team selections earn a varsity letter while upholding a 3.5 GPA or above. Second team requirements include a varsity letter while boasting between a 3.2 and a 3.499 GPA. This year's first team included 55 honorees, while the second team consisted of 56 gymnasts. Stanford captured their fourth-straight national academic team title with a team 3.567 GPA, while the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (3.192), William and Mary (3.186), Navy (3.178) and Illinois rounded out the top five. The prestigious honor comes after a stellar year for the Illini men in- and out-of-the-gym. The Fighting Illini fought to a second-place finish at the 2006 NCAA Championships, while the team finished second at Big Tens.
|
