No. 21 Illinois (5-7) received its highest NCAA ranking of the season this week after a third-place finish at Zou to the Lou on Friday and a loss at Iowa (3-2), 196.200-194.975, on Sunday.
Inconsistency in individual scores between meets was an issue for the Illini over the weekend. This could be due to the fatigue of a long competition weekend with multiple performances away from home. However, a week of recovery should help the team regroup before Senior Day on Saturday.
Ups, downs
Last weekend featured many familiar faces for the Illini. After falling to now-No. 8 Missouri (10-3) on Feb. 9, Illinois saw the team again at Zou to the Lou. The Tigers finished in the top spot at the quad meet, scoring 197.150 compared to the Illini’s 196.200. Illinois also competed against Iowa twice in three days.
The same results are unexpected when competing against an opponent numerous times. Gymnastics is an unpredictable sport where results vary based on who steps up. This was clear last weekend for the Illini.
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Illinois’ fifth-year Amelia Knight and sophomore Olivia Coppola are shining stars on the balance beam. However, the pair struggled to break the top 10 at Zou to the Lou. Knight finished in 17th place (9.750), while Coppola earned four spots higher at 13th (9.800).
Although the results weren’t ideal, Knight and Coppola bounced back Sunday. Knight won the event title on the balance beam (9.875) after besting her Friday score. Coppola also improved her score — by 0.05 points — and took home third place (9.850).
While some Illini gymnasts recovered from poor finishes, others ended the weekend disappointed. This was true for junior Arielle Ward. The junior finished right behind Alabama senior Lilly Hudson in third place (9.875) on vault Friday. Her performance here was a bright spot for the Illini, who struggled on vault.
However, in the dual meet with the Hawkeyes, Ward wasn’t at her best. She finished 11th out of 12 competitors, scoring a 9.275. Nevertheless, Ward is still one of the best in this event in the nation, so there’s no doubt she can recover this weekend.
Getting back to 100%
Gymnastics is a physically demanding sport. Between weekday practices and many weekend meets, it takes a toll on an athlete’s body. Rest and recovery are crucial for success during a strenuous season.
Against Iowa, Illinois was missing freshman Eden King and sophomore Mareli Muller. It forced the Illini to use the depth of their roster to make up for the absences. Head coach Nadalie Walsh was proud of the girls who stepped up.
“While the outcome was not what we wanted, we grew today,” Walsh said to Illinois Athletics. “With Mareli and Eden out today, the depth of our team needed to step up and fill those roles, and I’m very proud of the athletes who did that … This loss will ultimately serve as fuel for next weekend.”
To prepare for Senior Day, a recovery period will do Illinois some good. Getting the team back to full strength will have them poised for a good finish to the season.
Cho shines yet again
In a quad meet stacked with talent, freshman Chloe Cho stood out among the crowd. The freshman claimed two event titles in uneven bars (9.950) and balance beam (9.925) to lead the Illini to third place. Her performance on uneven bars demolished her previous career high.
Walsh acknowledged that Cho had been dealing with a sickness that kept her out of the gym most of the week. Still, Cho pushed through her struggles and had two of her best performances of the season in St. Louis. Perseverance has been a strength of the entire Illinois squad at each meet this season.
However, Cho’s success didn’t end at Zou to the Lou. Her versatility was clear in Iowa City, winning two different titles. Cho took first place in the vault (9.900) and the all-around (39.375) to end the weekend.
Coming up
The Illini return to Huff Hall on Saturday to take on Washington (0-5) and Illinois State (12-4) on Senior Day at 1 p.m.
