The Illini (1-0) prepare to take on the No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners (4-1) in their first dual meet of the 2025 season on Saturday at McCasland Field House in Norman, Oklahoma. After defeating then-No.4 Michigan (2-1) last weekend, Illinois plans to use that momentum to get its second victory against a top-five team this season.
Creating a streak
Last season, the Illini recorded their first-ever regular season victory against the Sooners, defeating them at Huff Hall, 407.200-406.650. Illinois secured this victory as a team, with each performance building off of one another.
Former Illini Ashton Anaya and Sebastian Ingersoll brought home event titles in still rings and high bar, respectively. Current all-around fifth-year Will Hauke also put up the top score on parallel bars with a 14.100. Collective high scores from each Illini sealed the victory over the Sooners, and the 2025 squad is ready to repeat.
However, Oklahoma is still a top NCAA squad with plenty of returning talents. Securing a victory will take solid showings from Illinois’ top talent and team perseverance.
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Sooners prepare to rebound
At the Rocky Mountain Open on Jan. 18, Oklahoma took a close loss to now-No. 1 Stanford (5-0), 327.200-328.850. In the loss, Oklahoma had gymnasts on the podium in five of the six events. Senior all-around Brigham Frentheway took home the lone event title on the floor, scoring a 14.000.
The contest also saw the return of Oklahoma’s senior all-around Emre Dodanli and junior Kelton Christiansen from early season injuries. Dodanli tied for third on vault with a 14.300, and Christiansen placed second on high bar with a 13.800. Dodnali tied for fourth place on floor at the 2024 NCAA national championships. It was the highest placement for the Sooners from the six individual events.
Getting Dodanli and Christiansen back for a second straight meet means Oklahoma may be full strength in this top-five matchup.
Top-ranked gymnasts face off
Illinois and Oklahoma saw their gymnasts at top spots in this week’s individual NCAA rankings. Standout Illinois transfer Sam Phillips is currently ranked No. 3 in the all-around and second on high bar after leading Illinois to its Windy City Invitational title.
After sharing the event title on vault last weekend, senior all-around Amari Sewell and sophomore all-around Garrett Schooley landed at the top of the NCAA rankings.
Dodanli is also at No. 5 in the NCAA vault rankings after his comeback performance at the Rocky Mountain Open. While Sewell and Schooley are contenders for vault, Dodanli is a threat now as he returns to action.
Another Illini star who stood out in the NCAA rankings was sophomore Brandon Dang, who topped the rankings for pommel horse. Dang was also awarded Big Ten Specialist of the Week after he won the event title for pommel horse last weekend.
Other Sooners to look out for come Saturday include Christiansen on high bar and sophomore all-around Tas Hajdu on still rings. Phillips is also strong in these events; it will be a neck-and-neck battle for the crown.
The meet will be live on ESPN+ at 6 p.m.
