It won’t bring their team closer to a national championship, but for five Illinois gymnasts, this weekend may be one of the biggest meets of their lives.

Wes Haagensen, Tyler Yamauchi, Chris Silcox, Luke Stannard and Paul Ruggeri will go west to Las Vegas this weekend for the Winter Cup, a two-day event that is one of the biggest determining factors for both the U.S. Senior National team and U.S. Olympic team.

All but Stannard have competed in the meet in past years, but it will likely be Haagensen who will be under the most pressure. Haagensen finished seventh in the all-around competition last year and head coach Yoshi Hayasaki said at the time that “a little miss on his rings dismount … probably cost him from being a national team member.”

Haagensen has trained intensely hard for the past year trying to at least make the senior team this year.

“This is the first stage right here, if I put it all together here, it will be a jump on what I want to try to get done,” he said. “I think that I’m more physically and mentally charged than a lot of the guys that are going to be there.”

Haagensen may have the best chance of making the senior team, but the rest of the Illini, Stannard included, are hoping to advance to the second day. Some of his teammates have more modest goals.

“I’m not trying to win or do anything outrageously awesome,” Stannard said. “If I can make second day, that would make me very happy.”

The four members outside of Haagensen might have some less lofty goals, but that the five of them could travel to Las Vegas together is something they will feed off throughout the weekend.

“If I came here on my own, I would hate my life, yeah, it would be great and all but now your guys are there for you,” Silcox said. “I would rather stay home than go to this meet on my own.”

Point totals will determine which gymnasts will advance to the second day. While the second day performances aren’t the sole factor for deciding the senior team, they play a large role in the selection process.

So for those that are involved this weekend at the Winter Cup, the coveted spots on the men’s national team will be ready for the taking. Silcox, for one, is confident that Illinois should come away with at least one of the spots.

“Tyler and Luke have a chance of getting on the team somehow,” Silcox said. “Paul Ruggeri is a freshman, but he is so talented. If he executes on everything at this meet, I don’t see how he can be kept off this team. And, obviously, I’ll be rooting for Wes. If he doesn’t make the team, I would be really upset.”