Illinois competed in the 2022 Big Ten Championships at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio.

After a solid stretch of competition, Illinois looked to improve upon its 2021 finish and make a strong showing against nationally ranked opponents.

The Illini started the day off on the floor with sophomore Kaitlyn Ewald scoring a 9.825. And while junior Mia Takekawa has been on fire in the month of March, she was unable to match the initial level of the competition. 

However, junior Mia Townes was able to anchor the team with a 9.900 on the floor, which tied her for seventh at the meet across all individuals.

Later in the vault while two Illini scored a pair of 9.775s, freshman Ruthuja Nataraj was able to support the team with a 9.900 performance, tying for sixth and ultimately earning her a spot on the All-Championship Team.

The bars saw Illinois struggle, scoring a 9.000, 8.350, 9.750 and 9.775. Takekawa started to show what made her an All-Big Ten selection, anchoring the event with a 9.925, tying for fourth across all competitors.

In the final event, Illinois started to settle the waves of inconsistency for the meet. Takekawa ended the meet with a 9.950 for the third time in her career and tied for first on the beam, helping earn a share of the Big Ten Title.

After a rough start for Takekawa, her ability to help her team and shine individually earned her a spot on the All-Championship team.

The Illini did not have the same luck, ending the event in eighth place out of ten with a score of 195.825. Michigan won the event overall.

Their biggest enemy throughout the mean and the season as a whole was inconsistency, while the team hoped that the waves would die down as the season went on. This was not the case, however, as the Illini could not have the event they needed to climb above the Big Ten elite.

The team will wait to see if they or any individual gymnasts will be invited to the NCAA Regionals.

@JonathanAlday7

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