It was a much-needed win for the No. 7 Illini (5-3, 2-2) after they competed in their final regular season meet against the No. 6 Buckeyes (4-4, 1-3). Following disappointment from the most recent loss against Penn State (6-1, 3-1), head coach Daniel Ribeiro shared his thoughts about the win.
“It really was an incredible team effort,” Ribeiro said. “We really had to hone down and focus on a lot of the little details and that effort. It’s tremendous effort to do that, you know, once you get down to the one percent. The closer you get to perfection, the more exponentially difficult it is to achieve it. But the guys have worked really, really hard to get their routines from good to great, and I think we saw a lot of those this weekend.”
After a nail-biter regular-season finale, several Illini stepped up, while others ultimately fell short.
Ian Sandoval, Floor (A-): Freshman Ian Sandoval made his return to the mat and soared to new heights on Tuesday. After being out for weeks with an injury, his first routine back earned him a new career high on the floor with a score of 13.700.
“The biggest improvement I’ve seen for my first season so far is the growth in my mindset as an athlete,” Sandoval said. “I struggled in the past to trust in my abilities as a gymnast and it really held me back. But I have built and discovered this new confidence that allows me to perform to the best of my abilities while just having a fun time with my teammates.”
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Sandoval mentioned his personal improvements in his first season, but his rookie status gives him even more time to grow and improve as an athlete to continue to aim higher in his scores.
Max Farkhadau, Pommel horse (A): Senior Max Farkhadau had a redemption vault. Following a score of 11.650 at the last meet, he came out with a bang on Tuesday’s vault with an astonishing 14.250. Not only was Farkhadau’s performance a huge moment for him, it helped push the team in the right direction for what Ribeiro says is one of their best events.
“If you look back at our whole season when we hit pommel horse, when we do well on pommel horse, our total team score is completely different,” Ribeiro said. “Not only does it impact that one event but I think it’s the mentality after hitting pommel horse saying ‘OK we’re in a really good position’ versus ‘Man, we really messed that up and now we have to climb back’.”
A high pommel horse score and a consistent lineup make the Illini a force to be reckoned with.
Preston Ngai, Still rings (B+): According to Ribeiro, still rings are a consistent low-scoring event for Illinois because of the team’s lower start values. However, that didn’t stop sophomore Preston Ngai from taking home the event title Tuesday. With a career-high 14.050, Ngai outscored his previous season best by 0.25 points.
While Ngai stepped up Tuesday, Ribeiro is worried about the still rings rotation continuing into the postseason.
“We did a much better job this weekend, but it’s still not enough,” Ribeiro said. “Even from what we did, a couple of routines might’ve been scored a little higher than they should’ve been. So from my eye as a coach, we still haven’t locked down. We need to be sticking all of our dismounts on rings.”
With another week until the Big Ten Championships, honing in on making those improvements is crucial for success in the coming weeks.
Amari Sewell, Vault (C+): Even the reigning Big Ten vault champion makes mistakes. Senior Amari Sewell suffered a fall on his vault performance Tuesday, which led him to earn a score of 13.000.
A fall was not expected because his energetic vaults score in the 14-point range on average.
“For the last few years, especially with Amari on the team, we’ve just dominated vault,” Ribeiro said. “Most of the season this year we’re ranked No. 1 in the country. We’re really consistent.”
Even the most consistent athletes and teams have their off days. Unfortunately, Tuesday was not the Illini’s best day on the vault.
Will Hauke, Parallel bars (C+): In Illinois’ last two meets, fifth-year Will Hauke struggled to score in the 13-point range on parallel bars. Hauke finished Tuesday’s meet with a 12.450 on the event, his lowest score of the season so far.
Although he has struggled, Hauke remains one of the most experienced gymnasts on this team. As a 2024 parallel bars All-American, the fifth-year knows what he must do to come out on top. His leadership is valuable for the younger gymnasts.
“The best part about being a part of this team is being able to build the relationships with all the younger guys and having the opportunity to lead and help them grow,” Hauke said.
Ryan Vanichtheeranont, Horizontal bar (A-): Junior Ryan Vanichtheeranont scored consistently in the middle to upper-13 range all season on high bar. That consistency didn’t falter against the Buckeyes. Earning a score of 13.650, Vanichtheeranont finished in second place behind Ngai.
Illinois’ finish on high bar was a bright spot to end the meet after shaky performances on vault and parallel bars. While consistency is key, moving forward Ribeiro wants his team to strive for more.
“We’ve spoken to a few things,” Ribeiro said. “When you stick your dismount, look at the difference. Garrett (Schooley), one of our best guys, has been doing a good job, but you don’t win with a good job. You need to be exceptional. He did the work to raise himself to that next level and those are the examples we’re gonna use to highlight for the rest of the guys.”
The Illini gets another period of rest before they hit the mat for the Big Ten Championships on April 4 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
