The Fighting Illini men’s gymnastics team claimed its second straight Big Ten championship Friday night in Columbus, Ohio, with a score of 359.700.
The Illini edged out Michigan on the final rotation to take the title, giving associate head coach Justin Spring his first Big Ten championship at the helm of the men’s program.
“Today, the guys really embodied what it means to be a Fighting Illini,” Spring said in a press release. “I’m so proud of the way they kept their heads in it and rallied together as a team. No one gave up and their perseverance paid off. They were relentless in their pursuit of the title.”
In the individual event finals on Saturday, three Illini took home titles: Junior Paul Ruggeri on vault and high bar, junior Daniel Ribeiro on pommel horse, and sophomore C.J. Padera on parallel bars.
In addition, coach Spring was named Big Ten Coach of the Year, and freshman Yoshi Mori was named Co-Freshman of the Year.
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“It was an amazing weekend,” Spring said. “I’m so proud of the guys. They did everything they needed to. We’re just blessed with guys who have the ability to turn it on. We’re thrilled and we’ll take this momentum into NCAAs.”
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
