After flipping its way to victory against No. 12 Army (2-5) and No. 13 Greenville (1-2), No. 5 Illinois (4-2, 1-1) still seeks to be better. Following a whirlwind of injuries that tackled the team the past few weeks, assistant coach Connor McCool spotlighted the highs and lows of the Illini’s recent performance.
“It was by far not a perfect meet,” McCool said. “We have a lot that we expect to do going into the gym this week.”
McCool also noted that the team didn’t get the final score it wanted. After gaining two more wins, he said they have work to do in the gym.
Improvement
With lineup changes, McCool spoke about how the team aims to improve overall scores to fill gaps in the lineup.
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“Trying to fill those holes,” McCool said. “We do have a ton of depth and people we replaced in the lineup … They’re not brand new and getting thrown without preparation.”
The new additions to the lineup did not come unprepared. McCool highlighted a trio of athletes: junior Connor Micklos and sophomores Preston Ngai and Garrett Schooley.
Micklos has been quieter on the pommel horse this season in terms of scoring. However, he stepped up to the apparatus Saturday to earn third place with a score of 13.450.
After returning from the Winter Cup, Ngai conquered the still rings with an event win and career high of 13.800.
Schooley and Ngai earned a tie for second place on the vault with a score of 14.150. However, a mistake got the best of Schooley, and he suffered a deduction of 0.1. Even with the small mistakes, Schooley competed in three events on Saturday to fill gaps in the lineups due to recent injuries.
“The competition was a really big test moment for a lot of people,” McCool said. “Getting thrown into routines that they haven’t maybe competed yet this year and seeing how they can handle that. A lot of guys really did step up.”
These athletes certainly have the experience, but McCool noted that the new lineup additions may not have the highest scoring capability. However, they showed they are athletes the team can rely on to put up 24 strong routines.
Injuries
Part of the reason for lineup changes is the recent wave of injuries that have taken out several key athletes.
“We just had two injuries at the Winter Cup,” McCool said. “Hasan (Aydogdu) just had to undergo surgery, which is really unfortunate.”
With key athletes like freshman Hasan Aydogdu and redshirt fifth-year Sam Phillips recovering from apparent serious injuries, McCool mentioned how several of the team’s injuries are not as severe, and those athletes could return to the team.
“It’s been pretty heartbreaking, to be completely honest,” McCool said. “Seeing some really, really strong athletes … Sam Phillips, we’re so grateful he chose Illinois, but it is really heartbreaking that he doesn’t get to finish out this season with us.”
Phillips transferred from Nebraska to compete in a sixth year of NCAA gymnastics, taking two redshirt years back-to-back. Unfortunately, after this injury, he is unable to go another year.
Interest
After an amazing performance at the Olympics by the United States men’s team, it is clear this has acted as a catalyst to bring more interest to the sport.
“Generally, men’s gymnastics does its best in Olympic years,” McCool said. “People really tend to tune in for the Olympics, and our thing is how can we continue that viewership?”
One of the most popular names coming out of the Olympics was Stephen Nedoroscik. McCool highlighted his impact since helping the U.S. win bronze.
“Stephen Nedoroscik going on Dancing with the Stars — he’s still on tour and bringing home that medal,” McCool said. “It’s so key to the growth of the sport by getting enrollment at a very young age. Getting them into the sport so we can continue to feed these programs and make sure that we have strong talent to recruit into the NCAA and then onto the world stage.”
Amid such a craze, McCool talked about how this also gives opportunities to current athletes to gain more experience at a higher level.
“(After the Olympics) comes a wave of either people taking a break from the sport or retirement,” McCool said. “It leaves open spots for people to really jump in and try to make a splash on the world stage. Brandon Dang, for instance, came in. He did his job and earned his first national team.”
Sophomore Brandon Dang has been making waves since his start on the team. McCool noted that Dang was on a plane going to Baku, Azerbaijan, to compete against the world’s top athletes. This marks one of three upcoming international competitions Dang will head to as one of the newest Senior National Team members.
Besides Dang’s accomplishments, McCool highlighted Ngai’s performance at the Winter Cup, which is something to look out for in a future national team placement.
Innovation
With Nedoroscik’s alma mater being No. 6 Penn State (4-1, 1-1), another Big Ten school, No. 4 Michigan (6-3, 1-1), is paving the way for men’s gymnastics with the help of Olympian and junior Fred Richard.
Richard is attempting to pave the way for change with the sport’s uniform. McCool mentioned that they aren’t similar to other sports.
“I’m all about innovation for the sport,” McCool said. “I think the big thing about the uniforms that sometimes gets left out of the conversation is there is utility to why it is the way it is.”
McCool also said that much of the scoring criteria for gymnastics is based on how the uniforms look. This includes the pants, which are constructed to allow judges to recognize potential mistakes, like straying from a straight line during pommel horse or while holding strength positions on the still rings.
While Richard is trying to steer away from the traditional singlet, McCool touched on inspiration from basketball or track and field uniforms that could develop in the future.
It’s clear that men’s gymnastics has been making headlines at the international and college level. For a sport whose college-level popularity is dwindling, any chance to increase enrollment would mean improvement for fans and athletes alike.
@lauram0131
