Illinois men’s and women’s gymnastics kicked off their seasons with the annual Orange and Blue meet at Huff Hall on Saturday. The meet featured a mix of seasoned athletes and promising freshmen, providing a preview of the gymnasts’ skills for the upcoming season.
Among the newcomers, freshmen Nathan Whitaker and Chloe Cho stood out, scoring key points for their respective teams. Whitaker impressed with his clean execution and composure on floor, scoring a point for Team Orange during the first rotation. However, Cho was unfazed by the Orange team’s lead during the second rotation. With that, she scored a point for Team Blue on uneven bars.
Not all the freshmen had smooth debuts, however. Freshman Matthew Nguyen struggled with landings on his floor routine, highlighting an area for growth. Despite these challenges, fifth-year Logan Myers emphasized the importance of the Orange and Blue meet.
“(Orange versus Blue) is the competition right before winter break, so it really shows the guys what we need to work on during that break and our shortcomings,” Myers said. “We can dial in and focus on (our skills) at home, come back stronger and get ready for our first competition in January.”
The Orange team carried a two-point lead into the third rotation. On the beam, senior Makayla Green widened the Orange team’s lead to three points with a steady and clean routine, securing the win over sophomore Mareli Muller.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
Freshman Hasan Aydogdu and junior Tali Joelson helped close the gap for the Blue team. Aydogdu delivered an impressive routine on rings, while Joelson showed great control, landing a stick to finish her routine. Despite Team Blue’s strong comeback, Team Orange continued to bring the heat.
Redshirt fifth-year Sam Phillips executed a poised parallel bars routine, refusing to let the Orange team’s lead slip away. Senior Ruthuja Nataraj kept the momentum strong for Team Orange on the beam. Also, freshman Ian Sandoval added a strong performance on the parallel bars, ensuring the Orange team held its ground.
Heading into the final rotation, the Blue team wasted no time narrowing the gap. Cho took the win over sophomore Olivia Coppola on the beam. Meanwhile, sophomore Vahe Petrosyan also claimed victory over sophomore Alex Tapanes on parallel bars.
Fifth-year Amelia Knight bested senior Emmalise Nock on the floor, disrupting Team Blue’s momentum. The energy intensified as junior Ryan Vanichtheeranont and Joelson pulled ahead with wins for Team Blue.
However, it was Phillips who sealed the deal for Team Orange. His near-flawless performance on the high bar against Myers secured the Orange team’s 13-11 win. Reflecting on the energy of the meet, junior Alea Byrne praised the atmosphere in Huff Hall.
“We are so united as a team,” Byrne said. “We have such great friendships and relationships. We did a great job with the energy and working on the details in the gym to put into the routines.”
Looking ahead, the women will officially start competition on Jan. 12 against Ball State, while the men will begin on Jan. 18 at the Windy City Invitational.
