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Women's Gymnastics
Watch Illinois at the Big Ten Championships Tonight on the Big Ten Network
April 3, 2008
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Big Ten Women's Gymnastics Championships from Saturday, Mar. 29, will air tonight (Apr. 3) on the Big Ten Network at 7 p.m. CT, with Jim Kelly and Mary Lee Tracy calling the action. The Fighting Illini upset four ranked teams to finish second at the championships with a season-high score of 195.750 and junior Julie Crall won the balance beam title for the Orange and Blue. The meet will also be re-aired several times over the next week on BTN: (all times CDT) The Big Ten Network is available on DirecTV Ch. 220 and Dish Network Ch. 439, as well as hundreds of cable providers across the country. Illinois' runner-up team finish was its best since winning the title on 1990. Crall won the balance beam title with a career-high tying 9.900 to lead the Illini to their season-best score on beam of 49.050. Big Ten Freshman of the Year Allison Buckley also had an impressive showing on beam, scoring a 9.875 to finish in a tie for second. Led by Buckley and junior Lindsey Smith's 9.850s, the Illini scored the third-highest vault score in program history of 49.100. Sophomore Sarah Schmidt paved the way for the Illini on bars, scoring a career-high tying 9.900 to tie for third place. Buckley was the Illini's top all-around performer, earning a spot on the podium with a score of 39.200 to take fourth. No. 4 Michigan (196.750) won its ninth team title in the last 10 years on its home turf. Illinois' 195.750, a season-high score and the sixth best score in school history, was enough to edge No. 23 Penn State for second. No. 17 Michigan State finished fourth (195.050) and was followed by No. 22 Iowa in fifth (194.775), No. 25 Minnesota in sixth (194.425) and Ohio State in seventh (194.075). The 24th-ranked Fighting Illini will now head to the South Central Regional Championships in Norman, Okla, on Saturday, April 12, at 6 p.m. CT at the Lloyd Noble Center.
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