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Feb. 25, 2007

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Champaign, Ill. - The Fighting Illini women's gymnastics team recorded its best performance of the season by over a full point, and the third best team score in school history with a 195.925 Sunday afternoon at Huff Hall. The 24th-ranked Illini finished second in the triangular meet, behind #10 Iowa State (196.425) and ahead of Northern Illinois (191.225). Sophomore Julie Crall and senior tri-captain Cara Pomeroy each won event titles for the Orange and Blue.

"I think, looking at all four events, we had a very strong performance," said Illini Head Coach Bob Starkell. "There were a couple of mistakes, but with our team chemistry, each person was able to pick up after the other."

From the beginning it looked to be a good day for the Illini, as they put together a school record-tying score of 49.100 on the vault in the first rotation. Sophomore Marijka Botterman, freshman Nicole Cowart and sophomore Lindsey Smith each scored a 9.850 to pace the Orange and Blue in their record-setting performance and tie for fourth place overall. Smith's score was a new career-high, while Botterman's was a new season-high. Junior Michelle McGrady followed close behind with a season-high 9.825. After one rotation, the Illini held a narrow lead over ISU, 49.100-49.025, while NIU was in third with a 48.150.

The Illini didn't lose a step in the second rotation as they put up a new season-high of 49.200 on the bars, a score that ranks third on the UI top-10 list for that event. For the second week in a row, Cara Pomeroy put together a strong performance, tying for the event title with a season-high 9.925. Additionally, freshman Sarah Schmidt (9.875) and Marijka Botterman (9.800) each bested their previous career-highs. Illinois did not count a score lower than 9.800 on the event. At the conclusion of two rotations, Illinois (98.300) narrowly trailed Iowa State (98.375), but was ahead of Northern Illinois (96.000).

The Orange and Blue kept rolling in the third rotation, as they once again put up a new season-high (48.875) on the balance beam. Julie Crall tied her career-high (9.875) and led all gymnasts to collect her third beam title of the season. Botterman and Cowart, who set a new career-high, finished in a third-place tie with 9.775s. With three rotations complete, the Illini (147.175) were well ahead of Northern Illinois (142.525), but still trailing the higher-ranked Iowa State Cyclones (147.750).

In the fourth and final rotation, the Illini slipped just a bit on the floor, but they still recorded their second best performance of the season with a 48.750. Sarah Schmidt and Julie Crall tied for third place with 9.775s, while Lindsey Smith tied her career-high with a 9.750 and Kim Kruk equaled her season-high with the same score.

After the meet, Coach Starkell stressed the need for the team to continue to work and improve on floor, despite the great overall performance.

"If there was anything to improve on after today, I think we need to work on hitting clean floor routines," Starkell said.

Cowart (39.025), Botterman (38.875) and Kruk (38.825), the team's three all-around competitors, finished 2-3-4, respectively, to cap off a banner day at Huff Hall.

In total, the Illini set or tied six career-highs, while also tying the school's vaulting record. The Orange and Blue also set or tied 15 season-highs, while recording their top scores of the season in all event titles but the floor exercise.

The Illini hope to continue their success as they travel to Illinois State next Sunday to take on the Redbirds and Wisconsin-Lacrosse in a tri-meet in Bloomington, Ill. The action is set to get underway at 2 p.m.