The Fighting Illini continued their success at home at Huff Hall in Champaign, Ill. after a 196.475-195.050 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Friday's Pink Meet was the first time this season the Fighting Illini posted a score of 49 or above on each event resulting in the program's sixth highest team score. 

Illinois began on vault where they scored a 49 for the first time this season. Freshman Erin Buchanan led the way for the Illini with a 9.875. Meanwhile, Iowa began on bars and earned a solid 48.725 after the Hawkeyes posted scores high enough to knock out freshman Mollie Drenth's 8.950 where she fell on her piked jaeger.

Continuing with the Olympic order, Illinois moved on to the uneven bars where they scored a season high 49.250 due to great routines from the entire Illinois lineup and stuck dismounts from juniors Sunny Kato and Jordan Naleway and senior all-around competitor Sarah Fiedler.

In the third rotation, the Hawkeyes posted their best total of the night on floor with a 48.925 after only counting scores of 9.700 or above. Despite being their floor finisher, junior Sydney Hoerr put her hands down on her last tumbling pass and earned a 9.250 which the Hawkeyes dropped.

While Iowa performed on floor, the Illini moved on to their best event of the season, the balance beam, which gave them trouble during their last meet at Minnesota. Freshman Giana O'Connor, who was named last season's Most Consistent Beam Award winner with Kato, started the event on a bad note after falling on her leap to back layout step-out combo. The second to last routine for the Illini on beam was Fiedler's, where she fought to stay on the apparatus as she put her hand on the beam. Despite the O'Connor's fall and Fiedler's balance check, Illinois scored a 49.025.

To finish the Pink Meet, Iowa posted a meet low 48.675. Illinois finished on floor counting no score below a 9.700.



The Iowa Hawkeyes are now 0-5 this season while the Illinois Fighting Illini are 3-1. Both the Hawkeyes and Illini have their next meets on Feb. 7 against Big Ten schools Michigan State and Michigan, respectively.

Team Scores

Place	Team	Score
1	University of Illinois	196.475
2	University of Iowa	195.050

 

University of Illinois Scores

Gymnast	VT	UB	BB	FX	AA
Erin Buchanan	9.875			9.875
Kelsi Eberly				9.625
Sarah Fiedler	9.700	9.875	9.575	9.800	38.950
Heather Foley	9.725
Sunny Kato		9.875	9.900
Emily Lennon	9.825		9.850
Elizabeth McNabb		9.825	9.900
Jordan Naleway		9.825		9.750
Giana O'Connor	9.800	9.850	8.800	9.850	38.300
Amber See	9.800	9.825	9.800	9.900	39.325