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04/19/2013
Weinstein Advances to Floor Final, Illini Finish 11th in Country
Weinstein tied for first on floor with a 9.9
04/17/2013
NCAA Championships Await #16 Illini
Illinois reaching NCAA's for third time in past five years
04/06/2013
Illini Earn 3rd Ever Trip to NCAA Championships
Illinois finishes second in Regionals with a 196.025
04/03/2013
#17 Illini Ready for Morgantown Regional
Illinois looking to qualify for third NCAA Championships
03/27/2013
Illinois Collects 52 Academic All-Big Ten Selections
52 Illini Honored By Conference for Second Time This Year
AT ILLINOIS
2013 - Sophomore: Second-Team All-Big Ten ...Competed in every meet on bars and beam ... Led the team on beam with a 9.85 at the NCAA Championships ... Delivered a crucial 9.875 on beam at the Morgantown Regional in what was the final apparatus ... Earned the second most individual titles on the team with four, two on beam and two on bars ... Set career highs of 9.9 on both bars and beam... Most Consistent Beam award winner ... Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree ... Academic All-Big Ten.
2012 - Freshman: Did not compete ... Was awarded Scholastic All-America.
High School/Club: Two-time JO Level 10 National Qualifier ... Five-time JO Level 10 Regional Qualifier ... 2010 JO Level 10 State bar champion ... 2007 JO Level 10 National bar champion ... All-Around champion at the 2006 Pre-Elite US Challenge ... Received her high school's Academic Excellence Award for earning a GPA over 4.0 ... Was part of her high school's College Prep and Veterinarian Mentor Program ... Competed for Team OC... Coached by Brent Gohres and Gaby Shirazi.
Personal: Born Dec. 23, 1992 ... Daughter of Sami and Joe Kato ... Has one sister, Milky ... Says she chose Illinois because "The team chemistry is amazing and we aren't just a team, we're a family. On top of that, the campus is beautiful, the education is one of the best, and the gymnastics program just keeps on growing and improving. Illinois has the potential to be in the top 12 spots every year, and the fight and drive to be in the top spots is the reason why I chose Illinois." ... Majoring in Communications.
Sunny's Career Highs
Bars - 9.9 (twice, last vs. Ball State and UIC, 3/10/13)
Beam - 9.9 (twice, last at Missouri, 3/8/13)
Individual Titles
Bars: 2
Beam: 2
Total: 4
The Kato File
My best memory as an Illini: It was at Big Ten's, last event and Kelsey was the last person to go up. The energy and vibe was just amazing and she stuck her dismount and it was the greatest moment in my life. I was so ecstatic!
What I've learned from Coach Landrus: Everyone has a place on the team. No matter if you compete every meet or if you don't you still have a tremendous impact on the entire team. Everyone is needed and if one person is missing, it's just not the same.
Being a Fighting Illini means: Being a part of something bigger than just myself. It means always being there for the fourteen other girls on my team. It's safe to say that being a Fighting Illini means everything to me.
Which teammate would you want with you if you were stranded on an island: Sarah
Favorite event: Beam
Favorite floor music: Run the World
Favorite Illini athlete (not on your team): Austin Teitsma (Football)
Favorite post-meet meal: Pineapples and Grapes
Favorite activity outside gymnastics: Shopping
Favorite thing to do on the quad: Sing the Oskee Wow Wow
Favorite road trip item/activity: My pillow pet
Favorite Fierce Five Gymnast: Gabby Douglas
Favorite all-time gymnast: Nastia Liukin
Favorite sports team: Los Angeles Lakers
Favorite movie: The Notebook
Favorite place to travel to for a meet: Travel right across the street to Huff Hall
Pre-meet superstitions: Eat pasta the night before
Plans after Illinois: Find a job that I enjoy doing
Met anyone famous?: Kobe Bryant
One thing you've dreamt about doing: Living in Africa with all the wild animals
If you could perform one of your routines anywhere on campus, where would you go? In front of Foellinger, facing the quad
What movie role would you like to act in: Regina George in Mean Girls
Actress I would want to play me in a movie about my life: Brenda Song
Name something most people don't know about you: I take my penguin pillow pet everywhere
