Illinois (4-4) heads to St. Charles, Missouri, on Friday for the Zou to the Lou quad meet hosted by the Missouri Tigers (7-3). Coming off a 1-1 record last weekend, Illinois will face off against No. 14 Alabama (1-4), Iowa (2-2) and, for the second consecutive weekend, the hosts: No. 9 Missouri.
During Alumni Weekend, the Illini had much to be proud of. The team started the weekend strong with a solid victory over No. 20 Ohio State (2-5) Friday night. Although it fell to Missouri on Sunday, Illinois put up its highest team score of the season.
Gearing up for a competitive meet, here are head-to-head matchups to look forward to at Zou to the Lou.
Floor: Cho vs. Moore vs. Gladieux
Freshman Chloe Cho continues to be a shining star on this Illinois squad. In the dual meet against Missouri, Cho scored a career-high 9.950 on floor exercise. This near-perfect score secured her the lone event title of the contest.
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Cho will have her work cut out for her this weekend, though. The first-year will be tested against two of the most experienced gymnasts on floor exercise.
Missouri senior Jocelyn Moore is a favorite to secure the event title on floor exercise. Moore is tied for No. 22 in the event nationally, an impressive feat given the competition in NCAA women’s gymnastics.
But Cho isn’t a stranger to competing against Moore. The two faced off last weekend in Champaign, where Moore shared the event title with Cho. The pair is primed for another exciting showdown this weekend.
It won’t only be Cho and Moore fighting for the crown, however. Alabama junior Gabby Gladieux may be favored the most in this event — and rightfully so. Gladieux sits at No. 2 in the NCAA rankings this week.
Gladieux scored 9.975 on floor exercise, enough to take home the event title against defending national champion LSU last weekend. The competition between Cho, Moore and Gladieux will be tight and exciting for all fans.
Uneven bars: Green vs. Celestine
This matchup will be at the forefront of the uneven bars competition for the second consecutive weekend. Illinois senior Makayla Green has a chance for redemption after a fifth-place finish last weekend.
The Illinois veteran has had a stellar year on the uneven bars. Green is in a tie for No. 26 in national uneven bars rankings this week after a career-high 9.925 in the event against Ohio State.
Although Green didn’t have an ideal finish against the Tigers, she is ready to bounce back. To get the elusive event title, Green must conquer the gymnast who defeated her last weekend.
Missouri senior Amari Celestine is at the top of her game on the uneven bars. Celestine is currently sitting at No. 17 in the country and continues to climb the rankings weekly.
In the dual meet against Illinois, Celestine scored a 9.925 to secure the event title over Green. Although Celestine may have an edge over Green, the rematch between the seniors will be one to watch.
Vault: Ward vs. Hudson
The last head-to-head matchup to look out for this Friday is on vault. The Illini have found plenty of success on vault this season, partly credited to sophomore Arielle Ward.
Ward is one of three Illinois gymnasts with a 10.0 start value for their vaults. This is the highest start value a gymnast can have in the NCAA. Her consistent performances for her difficult vault have tied Ward for No. 26 in the NCAA vault rankings. After a career-high 9.950 last weekend, Ward aims for a second consecutive event title.
It won’t be an easy path to do this, though. The gymnast standing between Ward and a first-place title is Alabama senior Lilly Hudson.
Coming off a fifth-place finish against LSU, Hudson is ready for more. The Crimson Tide expert sits at No. 14 in the NCAA vault rankings. According to the rankings, Hudson is the favorite to win the title this weekend. But it will be a toss-up with Ward’s recent strong showings.
