Although the Illini failed to repeat its team title at the Windy City Invitational last weekend, they were able to put up a team score of 210 points, the second-highest in the country. When the No. 2 Illinois men’s gymnastics team hosts No. 9 Minnesota on Saturday at 7 p.m., it will be looking to find some of that same consistency.

Illinois (4-1, 3-1 Big Ten) will be without senior standout and National Team member Justin Spring who will be at an international joint training program with the Japanese national team at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. But while injuries – and people coming back from injuries – continues to still be an issue for the Illini, they know that more team members will need to step up.

“We’re gonna have to struggle for some depth, but that’s what’s going to make a team strong, when you’re missing some people where the other guys are going to come in and step it up,” senior Adam Pummer said. “It could be helpful right now to know we don’t have our best guys out there, but it’s going to push the guys who are on the mark.”

Pummer said that he has been impressed with the entire team as of late, but mainly the underclassmen. Consistency, he said, is what is going to “win everything.” Although Minnesota took fifth place at the Windy City Invite, Pummer said that while they are a “new and upcoming team,” the new code system in place for collegiate gymnastics makes “no team easy.”

“We beat them by a few points at Windy City, but I think they’re striving to be up there (in the rankings),” said Pummer, who is looking to redeem himself from low high bar and parallel bar scores last weekend. “They got a lot of drive right now, because we are a lot higher ranked than them.”

Easing the Illini’s depth troubles, is the return of sophomore Wes Haagansen, who was the only Illini to capture an event title in Chicago. Haagensen tied for first place on the vault with a score of 9.400, improving on his previous best of 9.300.

Haagensen is hoping that he will be back at 100 percent come the first week in March after having shoulder surgury last summer.

“Right now I’m still doing watered-down routines,” he said. “There’s some days when it’s not great, but I can always work through it.”

Knowing the Illini have more talent than any team out there, he is focusing on pommel horse and the floor exercise, looking to add something new each week.

With the loss of Spring and the return of Haagensen, head coach Yoshi Hayaskai said he would like the Illini to put up at least 210 points in this meet, if not more. With better training this past week and a “tremendous workout,” improvement will come.

“I think this team,” he said, “is not nearly where their potential is.”