Dec. 5, 2006

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Fighting Illini men and women's gymnastics teams will join together on Friday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. for the annual Mixed Pairs exhibition meet at Huff Hall. Members of each team will pair up and compete against each other in preparation for both squads' upcoming seasons.

The Mixed Pairs meet offers an opportunity for fans to catch their favorite gymnasts in action. Both teams will be signing autographs and handing out team schedule cards at the conclusion of the event. Doors open at 6 p.m., and admission is free.

Both squads are primed and ready to make a run in the Big Ten Conference and on the national stage. The men boast a No. 6 ranking in the GymInfo national preseason poll, and return 10 letterwinners, including four All-Americans. The team is coming off a stellar 2005-06 campaign, where they finished second at both Big Tens and NCAAs. Leading the Illini this season will be returning All-Americans Ross Bradley, Wes Haagensen, Chris Lung and Tyler Yamauchi, who combine for a total of seven All-America accolades between them.

Also joining the returnees is the 2006-07 recruiting class of Brian Hulbert (Mokena, Ill. / Lincoln-Way East), Brian Liscovitz (Hillsborough, N.J./ Immaculate), Luke Stannard (Waukegan, Ill. / Warren Township) and Chad Wiest (Butler, Pa. / West Sunbury).

"It's a fun meet for the fans and the student-athletes," head men's gymnastics coach Yoshi Hayasaki said. "The night is a great competition for us to see where we are early in the season. It also gives us an opportunity to reintroduce our four All-Americans, all the letterwinners from last season and see the newcomers on the floor for the first time this year."

The women's gymnastics team has high hopes for the upcoming season. During the 2005-06 season, the Illini earned their third-straight regional appearance. At the event, they tied the highest finish in school history by placing fourth at the South Central Regional. The Illini finished with a 10-4 regular-season record and a No. 25 national ranking. This season, the women begin the season just outside of the top 25, coming in at No. 27 in the GymInfo national preseason poll.

The Illini women return nine letterwinners and add four freshmen to their roster. The Orange and Blue return 10 gymnasts in all, including senior captains Danye Botterman, Cara Pomeroy and Melissa Singer. Of those returning, Cara Pomeroy and Julie Crall are expected to make the biggest impact. Pomeroy and Crall were both All-Big Ten performers from a year ago, while overall, the women's squad is returning 21 of 24 routines from 2006. Also joining the Illini is the talented recruiting class of Lori Hamilton (Mississauga, Ontario/Lorne Park), Sarah Schmidt (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead), Laura Woolf (Deerfield, Ill./Deerfield) and Nicole Cowart (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove).

"Mixed pairs is always an exciting event for our team," head coach Bob Starkell said. "The opportunity to compete at Huff in front of our fans under a more entertaining format gives us an advantage for the upcoming season. Being able to compete with the men's team also provides us a larger team feeling. The atmosphere is always energetic, and the stress level is a little lower. As a coaching staff, it gives us a great opportunity to see what each individual has accomplished during preseason. I look forward to this meet each year."

Both squads begin the regular season on the road. The women kick things off on Friday, Jan. 12 in Columbia, Mo., against the University of Missouri at 7 p.m., while the men head to the Windy City Invitational hosted by the University of Illinois-Chicago on Saturday, Jan. 13 in Chicago

The men and women open their home schedule with a co-ed meet on Saturday, Jan. 27. The women will take on Iowa, while the men face defending Big Ten champion Ohio State, with action kicking off at 7 p.m. at Huff Hall.