Train with no regrets.

This has been the motto for the No. 7 Illinois men’s gymnastics team over the past two weeks. Coming off of a fifth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships, the Illini have strived to keep the energy in the gym high while training for NCAA Championships. With its last meet of the season this weekend, Illinois — reining NCAA champions — will leave everything on the competition floor trying to defend its title.

“I hope that we can end this season having a good meet and not leave the meet with a loss, knowing that we left so many missed routines on the floor with the ‘what could have happened’ mentality,” Illinois head coach Justin Spring said. “If you can walk off of the NCAA competition floor knowing that for the last part of the season you did everything you could, you won’t beat yourself up for how the season ended.”

This week’s obnoxiously loud music and cheers could be heard from inside Huff Hall during the hours of 3 to 6 p.m. The Illini have been using these as distractions while practicing routines in preparation for the crowd at the NCAA Championships. Team captain and senior Vince Smurro said Illinois’ success will come by putting everything together.

“Everyone has had their highlights throughout the year,” Smurro said. “I think we have been the king of single performances and great highlights. In general putting six events together on the same day has been a struggle for us. … For us to place top three and make it to the second day, we are going to need some hits.”

For the first time in years, Illinois will be competing in the afternoon session Friday along with No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 3 Michigan, No. 6 Minnesota, No. 10 Nebraska and No. 11 Air Force. But sophomore Josh Wilson said what time the team competes will not affect the its performance.

“We could compete at 4 a.m., and we are still going to do what we do anyways,” Wilson said. “At this point it is muscle memory and whatever happens is programed into our muscles. Not a lot goes into it except how you approach the competition and your mental state.”

The new five-up, five-count format will be used at the NCAA Championships this season, making the competition unpredictable. Having to count a fall or multiple falls on an event could potentially damage a team’s score so badly that they are out of the running for qualification to the finals and for the title. Consistency is detrimental for this weekends competition. Spring said though the new format is difficult, it brings more excitement to the competition.

“This year every mistake counts very heavily against you and that allows for anyone who makes the Super Six to have a shot this year,” Spring said. “That’s sports.”

The Illini will have to keep up with Oklahoma and Michigan to qualify to compete in the second day of competition. Something that the Illini have been stressing this season is belief. Spring believes that will be an important ingredient needed this weekend for Illinois to earn the title of back-to-back NCAA champions.

“We need a true sense of belief that we can do it,” Spring said. “I do think that these guys believe in themselves. They realized that we peaked very late because of all the setbacks, but that’s OK. No one will remember our season average if we end up national champions. That’s been the missing key, believing they still have what it takes to win.”

Gina can be reached at [email protected] and @muelle30.