Illinois (1-0, 0-0) took home the team title over then-No. 4 Michigan (2-1, 0-0) at the Windy City Invitational on Saturday. Strong performances from graduate student Sam Phillips helped lead the young team to an early season victory. The five Illini newcomers didn’t disappoint, earning three event titles to defeat the Wolverines 321.700-316.600.
Phillips makes early mark
The Illini began the night on still rings, where Nebraska transfer Phillips began his dominant all-around performance. Phillips scored a 13.900 and earned his first event title as an Illini. He also recorded high scores in high bar, parallel bars and floor, finishing the competition as the individual champion in the all-around, scoring 80.100.
This placement qualified Phillips for the 2025 Winter Cup in February. Competing at the Winter Cup allows gymnasts to earn national points to qualify for the U.S. Gymnastics Championships. The all-around experience Phillips brings to this Illinois squad will give them an advantage moving forward.
Dominance of young talent
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From the first rotation until the last, the Illinois underclassmen delivered high scores, keeping a lead over Michigan the entire meet. Freshman Hasan Aydogdu posted a strong score of 13.500 on still rings.
The Illini then moved to the vault. Senior Amari Sewell and sophomore Garrett Schooley shared the event title, each scoring a 14.450. Disrupting their consistent strong scoring, the parallel bars proved to be a challenge for the Illini squad. Freshman Nathan Whitaker earned a 12.250, and freshman Matthew Vu Nguyen scored a 12.600.
Although Phillips scored a strong 13.500, the Wolverines would outscore the Illini on an event for the first time in the competition, 51.200-54.450. Michigan also outscored Illinois on the next rotation, but Illinois continued to lead in the total team scores. On high bar, Nguyen achieved 13.400, while Phillips scored 13.900.
However, Michigan’s momentum was short-lived, halting when Whitaker scored 13.700 on the floor to take the event title. Sewell also put up a strong score of 13.600 on the event.
Illinois finished the invitational on pommel horse. Specialist sophomore Brandon Dang showcased his talent with a score of 14.700. Sophomore Preston Ngai also scored a career-high 14.350. The underclassmen proved their mettle, competing with the top teams in the nation. Their talent will grow as they continue to improve and gain confidence throughout the season.
Illinois won’t revel in this victory for long, though. Illinois takes on No. 2 Oklahoma (4-1, 0-0) on Saturday at 6 p.m.
