Illinois (3-5, 1-4) traveled to Nebraska (4-4, 2-3) this weekend, hopeful to begin a winning streak against Big Ten conference opponents but fell 195.750-194.000 after counting two falls on the uneven bars and balance beam. It was an uncharacteristic performance for a team that looked to have been finding its footing across the four events. 

This loss comes at a pivotal make-or-break moment in the season for the Illini as they face a double meet weekend against two top-10 teams. The team takes on No. 7 Missouri (6-3, 2-3) on Friday on the road, then hosts Big Ten juggernaut No. 4 UCLA (9-1, 5-0) on Sunday. With these low scores fresh in mind and on paper, the Illini will hope to clean things up and be in top form and composure. 

What are these deductions, though? Gymnastics scoring is subjective, a unique factor that makes it increasingly unpredictable and a weekly game for fans to decipher and argue what the judges did or didn’t miss. Using the available camera angles, here’s what I saw from Illinois this week in an effort to provide some meaning behind the numbers.

Rotation 1: Uneven Bars

Kennedy Brown (Sophomore): Leg separation on the Geinger (-.100), leg separation on the bail (-.05), handstand positions (-.100), body shape on double layout (-.05), two steps on double layout landing (-.100), arm circle (-.05). 

My score: 9.550

Judges’ score: 9.650

Destiny Denning (Junior): Leg separation on the Maloney (-.05), body shape on bail (-.05), leg separation, foot movement and arm adjustment on double layout landing (-.150).

My score: 9.750

Judges’ score: 9.775

Skylar Ray Dixon (Freshman): Handstand position (-.05), leg separation on Maloney (-.200), fall (-.500), leg separation on bail (-.05), leg separation on double layout (-.05).

My score: 9.150

Judges’ score: 9.050

Piper Gow (Freshman): Leg separation and bent knees prior to regrasp on Shaposhnikova (-.150), fall (-.500), leg separation (-.05), body shape and handstand position on bail (-.100) clear hip handstand finished position (-.100), leg separation (-.100), hop on landing (-.05), low chest (-.05).

My score: 8.900

Judges’ score: 8.975

Chloe Cho (Sophomore): Leg separation on double layout (-.05).

My score: 9.950

Judges’ score: 9.950

Lyden Saltness (Junior): Empty swing (-.300), handstand (-.05), finishing position on giant full pirouette (-.05).

My score: 9.600

Judges’ score: 9.650

Total

My rotation score: 48.000

Judges’ rotation score: 48.075

Cho did her job as the No. 8-ranked gymnast in the country in this event and was the highlight of the meet, winning all four event titles and the all-around, a performance praised by head coach Josh Nilson.

“Chloe continued to shine for Illinois tonight,” wrote Nilson to Fighting Illini Athletics. “She won every single event – tying for first on floor – and the all-around, marking six competitions in a row winning the all-around title.”

Rotation 2: Vault

A major differentiating factor between the top teams in the NCAA and the lower-ranked ones are start values on vault. Teams that can put out a lineup of five or six 10.0 start values, which Illinois currently can’t, have an automatic advantage over others. However, the team is working on upgrades and focusing on good technique in an effort to mitigate this difference.

Olivia Coppola (Junior), 9.95 SV: Pre-flight leg separation (-.100), piked body shape (-.100), hop (-.05), low chest (-.05).

My score: 9.650

Judges’ score: 9.675

Summer Clancy (Freshman), 10.0 SV: Bent knees throughout post-flight (-.100), medium hop forward (-.100).

My score: 9.800

Judges’ score: 9.825

Tali Joelson (Senior), 9.95 SV: Body position (-.05), flexed feet (-.05), low chest (-.05), hop (-.05).

My score: 9.750

Judges’ score: 9.700

Callie Kauffman (Freshman), 9.95 SV: Bent arms on block repulsion (-.05), insufficient distance (-.05), piked body shape (-.05), leg separation (-.05), flexed feet (-.05), step (-.05).

My score: 9.650

Judges’ score: 9.775

Rachel Goldstein (Sophomore), 9.95 SV: Piked body position (-.100), large hop back (-.200), arm swing (-.05), step (-.05). 

My score: 9.550

Judges’ score: 9.625

Cho: Piked body position (-.05).

My score: 9.900

Judges’ score: 9.875

Total

My rotation score: 48.750

Judges’ rotation score: 48.850

After the team’s vaulting performance, Nilson described this rotation as a highlight of the meet.

“Vault was much improved tonight, and we saw many improvements in individual performances throughout the meet on all events,” Nilson wrote to Fighting Illini Athletics.

Rotation 3: Floor Exercise

Joelson: Low chest (-.05), foot adjustment (-.05), flexibility (-.05), body shape on Wolf 1/1 (-.05), low chest (-.05), shuffle (-.05).

My score: 9.700

Judges’ score: 9.775

Brown: Low chest (-.05), foot adjustment (-.05), bent leg in front-handspring (-.05), leg separation (-.05), balance after straddle jump (-.05)

My score: 9.750

Judges’ score: 9.775

Ava Banks (Freshman): Large step (-.200), flexibility (-.05), body shape (-.05), precision in dance series (-.100)

My score: 9.500

Judges’ score: 9.500

Gow: Foot adjustment (2x) (-.100), lack of flexibility in split leap full to split jump full combination (-.100), precision in dance series (-.100), poor body posture in tuck 1/1 (-.05), crossed feet (-.05), foot adjustment (-.05).

My score: 9.550

Judges’ score: 9.725

Cho: Low chest (-.05), overrotated double tuck (-.100).

My score: 9.850

Judges’ score: 9.875

Eden King (Sophomore): Overrotation (-.100), precision on Popa landing (-.05), leg separation (-.05)

My score: 9.800

Judges’ score: 9.675

Total

My rotation score: 48.65

Judges’ rotation score: 48.825

Rotation 4: Balance Beam

Kauffman: Balance correction (-.100), shoulder dip on switch leap (-.05), rhythm on dance series (-.100), precision on pirouette (-.05), medium step on dismount (-.100).

My score: 9.600

Judges’ score: 9.600

Goldstein: Bent leg in acro series (-.05), concentration pause (-.100), fall (-.500), medium hop forward on dismount (-.100)

My score: 9.150

Judges’ score: 9.100

Coppola: Shoulder dip on switch leap (-.05), upper body balance correction after two-foot aerial cartwheel (-.05), leg form on 1 ½ twist dismount (-.05).

My score: 9.850

Judges’ score: 9.825

Clancy: Precision on full turn (-.05), insufficient sureness on acrobatic series (-.05), foot form in 1 ½ twist dismount (-.05).

My score: 9.850

Judges’ score: 9.850

Saltness: Fall (-.500), balance correction on switch side (-.05), balance correction on straddle full (-.05), flexed foot and shuffle on landing (-.100)

My score: 9.200

Judges’ score: 9.125

Cho: Body shape on wolf full (-.05), rhythm on dance series (-.05), adjustment on landing (-.05).

My score: 9.850

Judges’ score: 9.850

Total

My rotation score: 48.350

Judges’ rotation score: 48.250

Final total

My meet score: 193.750

Judges’ meet score: 194.000

I didn’t have much discrepancy from the final score but did have an overall lower total with my biggest under and overscores in comparison to official totals being King and Gow on the floor exercise. 

Illinois will have to make some of these corrections if they hope to perform as a strong underdog contender against two high-level teams. Regardless, this weekend will be a great experience for the Illini in Nilson’s eyes.

“We have a tough schedule ahead of us with the Mizzou and UCLA competitions all happening in the next weekend, but both are great opportunities to build on the good and eliminate the mistakes,” Nilson wrote to Fighting Illini Athletics.

The Sunday matinee meet will be held at State Farm Center, a departure from the typical home of Huff Hall. This is in an effort to bring a large crowd that Nilson hopes will be repping the orange and blue.

“We hope to see you in State Farm Center next Sunday as we take on UCLA,” Nilson wrote. 

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