FIGHTING ILLINI TV ROSTER

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2 FIGHTING ILLINI TV ROSTER Marijka Botterman - Sr. Allison Buckley - So. Nicole Cowart - Jr. Julie Crall - Sr. Melissa Fernandez - So. Alyssa Harmon - Fr. Kelsey Joannides - Fr. Kim Kruk - Sr. Lashlee Morris - So. Samantha Perino - So. Sarah Schmidt - Jr. Lindsey Smith - Sr. Hannah Welker - Fr. Laura Woolf - Jr. Bob Starkell Head Coach NAME YR. HT. EVENT(S) HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL CLUB TEAM Marijka Botterman (muh-rye-ka) Sr. 5-3 AA New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central Gym-Kinetics Allison Buckley So. 5-2 AA Schaumburg, Ill./Conant Gymkhana Nicole Cowart Jr. 5-2 AA Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove Wright's Gymnastics Julie Crall Sr. 5-2 VT,UB,BB Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy Queen City Gymnastics Melissa Fernandez So. 5-0 AA Eudora, Kan./Eudora KGDC Alyssa Harmon Fr. 5-2 AA Odessa, Fla./Bishop McLaughlin Tampa Bay Turners Kelsey Joannides (joe-ann-i-dees) Fr. 5-2 AA Frederick, Md./Frederick Frederick Gymnastics Kim Kruk Sr. 5-2 AA Carol Stream, Ill./Bartlett Illinois Gymnastics Institute Lashlee Morris So. 5-1 AA Leesburg, Fla./Leesburg Brandy Johnson s Global Gym Academy Samantha Perino (purr-ee-no) So. 5-3 AA Yorktown, Va./Tabb Ocean Tumblers Gymnastics Sarah Schmidt Jr. 5-2 AA Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead Midwest Twisters Lindsey Smith Sr. 5-0 VT,BB,FX Collinsville, Ill./Metro-East Lutheran World Class Gymnastics Hannah Welker Fr. 5-2 AA Butler, Pa./Knoch Butler Gymnastics Laura Woolf Jr. 5-2 VT,UB,BB Deerfield, Ill./Deerfield Buffalo Grove Gymnastics Center HEAD COACH: Bob Starkell (star-kell), 10th season ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH: Kim Landrus, seventh season ASSISTANT COACH: Amy Kruse (CRUISE), third season STUDENT MANAGER: Lori Hamilton, second season THE 2009 FIGHTING ILLINI

3 09 U NIVERSITY OF I LLINOIS WOMEN S GYMNASTICS FOLLOW THE ACTION Livestats: fightingillini.com TV: CBS Tape delay - May 9, 1-3 pm (Tim Brando and Amanda Borden) FOR OPENERS The 11th-ranked Fighting Illini women s gymnastics team heads to Lincoln, Neb., to compete in the NCAA Championships April at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Illinois enters the competition as the 11th seed in the 12-team field. Illinois will participate in the evening session for the team preliminaries and all-around final on Thursday, April 16 at 7 p.m., along with No. 2 Utah, No. 3 Alabama, No. 6 Oregon State, No. 7 UCLA, and No. 10 Arkansas. Illinois will begin the competition on bars and will rotate as follows: bars, beam, bye, floor, vault, bye. #11 ILLINOIS AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS April 16-18, 2009 Bob Devaney Sports Center // Lincoln, Neb SCHEDULE & RESULTS Date Event Time/Result J #17 Michigan State 2nd of 4 ( ) (w #8 Michigan and W. Michigan) J 17 #11 PENN STATE W, J 24 IOWA L, J #15 Ohio State 2nd of 4 ( ) (w #13 Missouri and Michigan St.) F IGI Chicago Style Invite 1st of 4 ( ) (w #24 Boise St., UIC, Michigan St.) F #13 Missouri L, F 15 #18 OHIO STATE W, F #24 Washington 2nd of 4 ( ) (w #9 Oregon St. and E. Michigan) F Kentucky 3rd of 5 ( ) (w UNC, Ball St., William & Mary) M 7 ILLINOIS-CHICAGO W, M State of Illinois Classic 1st of 4 ( ) (UIC, Illinois State, N. Illinois) M 21 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS 2nd of 7 ( ) A NCAA West Regional 2nd of 6 ( ) Seattle, Wash. (University of Washington) A NCAA Championships (Lincoln, Neb.) A 16 Team Prelims & AA Final - Session 2 7 p.m. A 17 Super Six Team Finals 6 p.m. A 18 Individual Event Finals 6 p.m. * All Times Central Home meets are in bold and held at Huff Hall The top three teams from each of Thursday s preliminary sessions will advance to the Super Six team finals on Friday, April 17. The all-around champion will be crowned on the first day of competition, while individual event champions are scheduled for Saturday, April 18 at 6 p.m. The top four individuals on each event from each of Thursday s sessions will compete in the individual event finals. The Illini are coming off an impressive showing at the NCAA West Regional two weeks ago in Seattle, Wash., where they posted a to take second place, just.05 off the school record set at this year's Big Ten Championships. QUICK HITS A First For Everything: Illinois is making its first ever team appearance at the NCAA Championships this weekend. The Illini earned the spot by taking second at the West Regional with a score of Buckley Wins Beam at Regional: Sophomore Allison Buckley shared the West Regional Beam Title with an individual school record score of Her score tied Stacy Redmond (1995) at the top of the individual record books. Buckley is just the third Illini in school history to earn an individual regional title, joining Nancy Thies (1976 and '77) and Cara Pomeroy (2004). UI Duo Claims Big Ten Titles: Freshman Kelsey Joannides won the 2009 Big Ten Vault title with a career-high and junior Sarah Schmidt shared the Big Ten Floor crown with a school-record tying to give Illinois multiple event champions at the conference meet for the first time since Records Fall in Postseason: Illinois set school records for overall team score ( ), floor (49.500) and vault (49.375) at the Big Ten Championships en route to a second place finish. The Illini then went on to break the school beam record (49.200) at the West Regional, led by Allison Buckley s individual record tying score of A PROGRAM ON THE RISE By advancing to this year s NCAA Championships, Illinois has continued its gradual climb towards becoming one of the nation s elite teams. When this year s senior class of Marijka Botterman, Julie Crall, Kim Kruk and Lindsey Smith started their careers four years ago, the Illini program hadn t finished in the top half of the Big Ten in 15 years and had reached regionals only four times since During the last four years, Illinois has improved its Big Ten and regional finishes each year and has continued to climb up the national rankings. This year s trip to nationals is just more proof that Illinois gymnastics is a program on the rise. Take a look at the program s progress over the last four years: Year Big Ten Regional Final Nat. Rank th 4th rd 4th nd 3rd nd 2nd? ILLINOIS NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY Illinois is making its first NCAA Championship appearance this weekend. However, last year two Illini individuals Allison Buckley and Nicole Cowart competed at nationals in the all-around and both are back this year with that experience under their belts. Buckley earned second team All-America honors on the balance beam, joining Nancy Thies as the only Illini to earn All-America status. Overall, 12 Illinois individuals have competed at the NCAA Championships in the program s history. HANDICAPPING THE FIELD Four-time defending NCAA Champion Georgia leads the way with both the top NQS and the top regional score ( ) among the 12 teams. No. 2 Utah was right on their heels with a score of at the West Regional. Illinois had the seventh-best regional score with a , ahead of No. 7 UCLA ( ), No. 8 Oklahoma ( ), No. 10 Arkansas ( ), No. 9 Stanford ( ) and No. 12 Penn State ( ). The Illini have face three teams in the field this season, going 3-1 in those matchups. Illinois defeated Penn State twice ( on Jan. 17 and at the Big Ten Championships on March 21) and Oregon State once ( in a quad at Washington on Feb. 21) this year, and fell to Utah ( at the West Regional meet) University of Illinois Women s Gymnastics Notes // 1

4 THURSDAY S COMPETITION DRAW Session 1 // Thursday, April 16 at 1 p.m. CT Rank Team Region Regional Score NQS Starting Event 1 Georgia Southeast Bye before Floor 4 LSU Central Beam 5 Florida North Central Floor 8 Oklahoma Northeast Bars 9 Stanford South Central Vault 12 Penn State Southeast Bye before bars Session 2 // Thursday, April 16 at 7 p.m. CT Rank Team Region Regional Score NQS Starting Event 2 Utah West Bye before bars 3 Alabama Northeast Floor 6 Oregon State Central Beam 7 UCLA North Central Vault 10 Arkansas South Central Bye before floor 11 Illinois West Bars ILLINI TAKE SECOND AT WEST REGIONAL TO EARN FIRST EVER NATIONAL BID The Illini took second place behind No. 2 Utah at the West Regional Championship in Seattle, earning one of the two coveted qualifying spots to the NCAA Championships. Allison Buckley took home a share of the beam crown with an individual school record -tying score of 9.95 to lead the Illini to a team score, just.05 off the school record set at this year s Big Ten Championships. Buckley received a spot on the podium in three events, taking first on beam, second on vault (9.90), and fourth in the all-around (39.425). She led Illinois to the team record on beam (49.200), while Kelsey Joannides and Melissa Fernandez tied for fourth on beam with 9.875s. Buckley and Marijka Botterman (9.850) were the top Illini vaulters, leading the Orange and Blue to their third best score this season and in school history of Botterman led Illinois on bars (49.100), taking third place with a career-high 9.90, and Sarah Schmidt paced the Illini on floor (49.225), finishing sixth with a Joannides joined Buckley on the all-around podium with a to take sixth, while Nicole Cowart finished seventh with a ILLINI TAKE SECOND AT BIG TENS ONCE AGAIN Illinois posted a school record score of at the 2009 Big Ten Championships at Huff Hall, but it wasn t enough to earn the Illini their first conference title since 1990, as the Orange and Blue finished runner-up for the second straight year behind Michigan. Illinois made a late charge with team records on their final two events, floor (49.500) and vault (49.375), to put pressure on the Wolverines, who finished with a Following the competition, head coach Bob Starkell was honored as Co-Big Ten Coach of the Year along with Penn State's Steve Shephard. It is the second time that Starkell has received the honor, with the first coming in In addition to the team success, Sarah Schmidt shared the floor title with a school record tying and Kelsey Joannides won the vault crown with a personal-best 9.925, giving the Illini a Big Ten Champion for the third consecutive year and multiple winners for only the fourth time in program history. Allison Buckley (9.925) and Marijka Botterman (9.900) finished fourth and fifth, respectively, behind Schmidt on floor to help lead the Illini to the team event record. Nicole Cowart finished right behind Joannides on vault with a career-high to take second and pace the Illini to the team vault record. Joannides and Melissa Fernandez paved the way for the Illini on beam (48.925), tying for second with 9.875s. Joannides tied the third best all-around score in UI history of to garner a fifth place finish, while Cowart took eighth with a career-best and Buckley finished 10th with a RECORDS WERE MADE TO BE BROKEN This year s Illini squad has made several significant marks on the all-time Illinois record books, breaking team record in overall team score and in three of four events. The Orange and Blue have posted the top four team scores in school history this season and currently hold six scores on program s all-time top-10 list. The record coming into the season was a , but the team has gone on to surpass the record mark with scores of against Ohio State on Feb. 15 and at the Big Ten Championships on March 21. This year s Illinois squad also holds the top-four team vault scores in the record book, including the new record of at the Big Ten Championships. They moved past the old floor record (49.450) at the Big Ten Championships with a , and passed the old beam record (49.175), which had been tied twice earlier this season, at the West Regional with a NCAA WEST REGIONAL 1. Utah ILLINOIS Boise State Auburn Washington San Jose State BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS 1. Michigan ILLINOIS Penn State Minnesota Ohio State Michigan St Iowa ILLINOIS RECORDS BROKEN THIS YEAR Team Overall Score Big Tens (3/21) Vault Big Tens (3/21) Beam West Regional (4/4) Floor Big Tens (3/21) Individual Vault M. Botterman (2/15) Beam 9.950* A. Buckley (4/4) Floor 9.950* S. Schmidt (3/21) * tied old record ILLINI QUICK FACTS THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS Location: Urbana-Champaign Founded: 1867 Enrollment: 42,326 Nickname: Fighting Illini Colors: Orange and Blue Conference: Big Ten President: B. Joseph White (Michigan 75) Chancellor: Richard Herman (Stevens I.T. 63) Athletic Director: Ron Guenther (Illinois 67) Home Gym: Huff Hall (3,800) Athletics Website: TEAM INFORMATION Current National Rank: 11th 2009 Record: Big Ten Finish/Score: 2nd/ West Regional Finish/Score: 2nd/ High Score: Final RQS: Preseason Rank: 16th 2008 Final National Rank: 15th Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 11/2 Routines Returning/Lost: 22/2 Newcomers: 3 COACHING STAFF Head Coach: Bob Starkell, 10th season Alma Mater: UW-Oshkosh 92 Regular Season Record at Illinois: Overall Record: same Associate Head Coach: Kim Landrus (Iowa State 97) Assistant Coach: Amy Kruse (Nebraska 02) Student Assistant: Lori Hamilton (junior) Gymnastics Phone: Gymnastics Fax: Gymnastics Address: Bielfeldt Athletic Building 1700 S. Fourth Street Champaign, IL SPORTS INFORMATON Assistant SID: Derek Neal (traveling to NCAAs) Work Phone: Cell Phone: drneal@illinois.edu SID Fax: WGYM SID: Eric Giovanini Work Phone: egiovan2@illinois.edu SID Address: Bielfeldt Athletic Building 1700 S. Fourth Street Champaign, IL In addition to the team records, several gymnasts have placed themselves on top of the individual record books. Marijka Botterman took sole possession of first place on the all-time vault list with her on Feb. 15 against Ohio State. Sarah Schmidt joined four other performances at the top of the individual floor record book with her at the Big Ten Championships. Allison Buckley tied the school beam record with a 9.95 at the West Regional championship, after posting two 9.925s earlier in the year. Several individuals have notched a spot in the top-10 all-around list this season, with Buckley leading the way with to sit in third, behind the second place mark that she set last season of Kelsey Joannides tallied a to sit in a tie for fourth, while Botterman scored a , seventh on the list. For complete Illinois performance lists, see page University of Illinois Women s Gymnastics Notes // 2

5 BALANCING ACT Much of Illinois improvement this year can be traced to the balance team. After struggling on beam a year ago, the Illini have used off-season training to become one of the nation's elite on the event. Allison Buckley s individual record tying 9.95 led Illinois to the school vault record (49.200) at the West Regional championship, after tying the old mark (49.175) twice earlier this season. The Illini were ranked in the top-15 nationally all season and were the top beam team in the Big Ten Conference with an average of , after finishing the 2008 campaign 30th nationally with a average. The Orange and Blue have topped the 49.0 mark six times this season, which only happened one time last year. The Illini return both 2008 Big Ten Beam Champion Julie Crall and 2008 beam All-American Allison Buckley, but this year the Illini's success on the balance beam has been aided by the addition of freshman Kelsey Joannides and rock-solid performances of Melissa Fernandez, Nicole Cowart, and Lashlee Morris. BOTTERMAN VAULTS INTO RECORD BOOK Senior Marijka Botterman broke Illinois' individual vault record on Feb. 15 against Ohio State with a She shared the old record of with Jessica Cole (2003) and Nicole Viernes (1996) already, but now sits alone at the top of the record book. A second team All-Big Ten selection, Botterman took fifth on floor at the Big Ten Championships with a career-high and third on bars at the West Regional with a career-high Botterman stepped into the all-around role at the State of Illinois Classic due to injuries and responded with a career-best , tying the fifth best score in school history and taking first at the four-team competition. She is ranks 21st in the nation on vault (9.885 RQS), scoring no lower than all season on the event. Botterman, who has emerged as one of the team s leaders and as one of the most consistent performers this year, now has eight titles on the season, including five on vault. Sibling Rivalry: Marijka Botterman s younger sister, Kylee, is a sophomore at Michigan and qualified for the NCAA Championships as an individual on the floor exercise. Kylee will also compete in the evening session on Thursday, and competes on floor while the Illini are on a bye. The sisters have gone head-to-head several times during the last two seasons and this weekend will be the final time, as Marijka is set to graduate from Illinois in May. Their older sister, Danye, competed for Illinois from BUCKLEY BACK TO FORM Sophomore Allison Buckley, a 2008 All-American and Big Ten Freshman of the Year, looks to finally be back to form following offseason surgery that had limited her throughout the early part of the season. The Schaumburg, Ill., native tied the school beam record (9.95) at the West Regional to share the title honors, and also finished second on vault (9.90) and fourth in the all-around with her season-high and third best score in Illinois history of She has competed in the all-around in each meet during the second half of the season, taking home the title twice, including a against Ohio State on Feb. 15. At the Big Ten Championships, she finished fourth on floor with a career-high tying 9.925, ninth on vault (9.850), and tenth in the all-around (39.250). She tallied two consecutive 9.925s on beam to take the title at the State of Illinois Classic and against UIC. Buckley now has 27 career-titles, placing her sixth among UI s career event title leaders. She also holds five of the top-7 all-around scores in school history, including the second-best mark of Despite the early injuries, she was still named second team All-Big Ten. MEET-BY-MEET SCORING BREAKDOWN ILLINOIS PROBABLE LINE-UP Vault Sarah Schmidt Melissa Fernandez Nicole Cowart Kelsey Joannides Allison Buckley Marijka Botterman Bars Melissa Fernandez Kelsey Joannides Allison Buckley Marijka Botterman Nicole Cowart Sarah Schmidt Beam Nicole Cowart Lashlee Morris Kelsey Joannides Julie Crall Allison Buckley Melissa Fernandez Floor Marijka Botterman Lindsey Smith Nicole Cowart Kelsey Joannides Allison Buckley Sarah Schmidt MEET RESULT TEAM VAULT BARS BEAM FLOOR at Michigan State Quad 2nd of #11 Penn State W Iowa L at Ohio State Quad 2nd of at IGI Chicago Style Invite 1st of at #13 Missouri L #18 Ohio State W at Washington Quad 2nd of at Kentucky Quint 3rd of Illinois-Chicago W at State of Illinois Classic 1st of Big Ten Championships 2nd of at NCAA Regional Championships 2nd of Season Average Season High Scores Regional Qualifying Score (Mar. 30) ILLINI INDIVIDUAL TITLES MARIJKA BOTTERMAN Vault 5 9 Uneven Bars 2 3 All-Around 1 5 TOTAL 8 17 ALLISON BUCKLEY Vault 2 6 Uneven Bars 0 1 Balance Beam 3 5 Floor Exercise 1 8 All-Around 2 7 TOTAL 8 27 NICOLE COWART Vault 0 2 Uneven Bars 0 1 Balance Beam 0 1 Floor Exercise 0 4 All-Around 1 4 TOTAL 1 12 JULIE CRALL Vault 0 1 Uneven Bars 0 1 Balance Beam 1 13 Floor Exercise 0 1 TOTAL 1 16 MELISSA FERNANDEZ Balance Beam 4 4 TOTAL 4 4 KELSEY JOANNIDES Vault 1 1 Balance Beam 3 3 Floor Exercise 1 1 All-Around 1 1 TOTAL 6 6 KIM KRUK Uneven Bars 0 2 Floor Exercise 0 2 All-Around 0 4 TOTAL 0 8 SARAH SCHMIDT Uneven Bars 4 9 Floor Exercise 5 7 All-Around 0 1 TOTAL 9 17 LINDSEY SMITH Vault 0 1 TOTAL University of Illinois Women s Gymnastics Notes // 3

6 JOANNIDES EXCELS EARLY IN CAREER Freshman Kelsey Joannides had stellar performances in her first two postseason competitions. Joannides won the Big Ten Vault title with the second-best score in school history of She also tied the third best all-around score in UI history of to finish fifth at the Big Tens, while taking runner-up on beam with a personal-best Joannides went on to finish in the top-10 on three events at the West Regional, taking fourth on beam (9.875), sixth in the all-around (39.300), and ninth on vault (9.825). The Frederick, Md., native has competed in the allaround in each meet for the Illini, capturing her first all-around title on Feb. 6 in Chicago. She also tied a career-best 9.90 on floor at the State of Illinois Classic to take second after winning her first floor title against UIC the week prior. Joannides, a second team All-Big Ten selection, has also captured the beam title three times this season, each with a score of She is ranked 34th in the nation on beam (9.860), 49th in the all-around (39.140), and 63rd on floor (9.850). SCHMIDT IS SMOKIN Junior Sarah Schmidt shared the 2009 Big Ten floor championship with a school record tying 9.950, after taking home the floor title the week prior at the State of Illinois Classic with a She also took home the bars crown at the Illinois Classic with a career-high tying 9.900, and set a new personal-best in the all-around (39.275) to take third. Schmidt took sixth at the West Regional on floor with a She was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Week by the conference (Jan. 19) after winning two individual titles with career-high scores of on both bars and floor to lead the Illini in their upset over Penn State. Those scores were the highest in the conference that week on the two events. The Hartland, Wis., native also tallied her career-high on vault (9.825) against the Nittany Lions. Schmidt has been Illinois' most consistent bars and floor performer this season, ranking 18th nationally on floor (9.890) and 45th on bars (9.850). A second team All-Big Ten honoree, Schmidt has nine event titles this season, including four on the uneven bars and five on floor. Performing with the Stars: This past fall, Schmidt had the opportunity to perform alongside several Olympic greats, including Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin, when the 2008 Tour of Gymnastics Superstars came to Champaign in November. SUKI S SMOOTH Junior Nicole Suki Cowart has been one of the most consistent Illini performers all season. She took runner-up at the Big Ten Championships on vault with a career-best and eighth in the all-around with a personal-best Cowart then went on to tie for sixth on bars (9.850) and take seventh in the all-around (39.150) at the West Regional. She has competed in the all-around in every competition this year for the Orange and Blue, topping the 39.0 mark nine times. A second team All-Big Ten pick, Cowart ranks among the top-100 nationally on vault (93rd), bars (57th) and in the all-around (40th). Cowart has 12 career titles, including four each on floor and in the all-around. MAGNIFICENT MEL Sophomore Melissa Fernandez has emerged as one of the Big Ten s best beam performers this season. She has competed on beam in 12 of 13 competitions this season, missing only the State of Illinois Classic due to injury. The Eudora, Kan., native tied the second best beam score in UI history of earlier this season to win the title against Missouri. She finished in a tie for second on the event at the Big Ten Championships with a Fernandez tied for fourth (9.875) at the West Regional Championship on beam. Fernandez has four titles on beam this season and ranks 36th nationally on the event with a RQS. She has also been a constant contributor on vault and bars this season, taking sixth at Big Tens on vault with a career-high RECORD FIVE ILLINI NAMED TO ALL-BIG TEN TEAMS Five Fighting Illini gymnasts - Marijka Botterman, Allison Buckley, Nicole Cowart, Kelsey Joannides and Sarah Schmidt - were all named second team All-Big Ten this season. With five athletes on the combined all-conference teams, Illinois had the most selections in school history and the most of any Big Ten team this season. TEAM RECORDS TOTAL SCORE Big Ten Championships 3/21/ at NCAA West Regional 4/4/ vs. Ohio State 2/15/ at State of Illinois Classic 3/12/ State of Illinois Classic 3/13/ vs. Iowa 3/3/ vs. Auburn 3/9/ vs. Illinois-Chicago 3/7/ vs. Iowa State & NIU 2/25/ at Washington 2/21/ vs. Ohio State 3/6/ at Big Ten Championships 3/29/ at Texas Women s Quad 2/26/ at State of Illinois Classic 3/23/03 VAULT Big Ten Championships 3/21/ vs. Ohio State 2/15/ at NCAA West Regional 4/4/ at Missouri 2/13/ at Washington 2/21/ at Illinois-Chicago 3/15/ vs. Illinois-Chicago 3/17/ at Big Ten Championships 3/29/ vs. Iowa State & NIU 2/25/ at Texas Women s Quad 2/26/05 BARS at NCAA Regionals 4/3/ at Big Ten Championships 3/31/ vs. Ohio State 2/15/ at State of Illinois Classic 3/25/ vs. Penn State 1/13/ vs. Iowa State and NIU 2/25/ at State of Illinois Classic 3/14/ at NCAA West Regional 4/4/ vs. Auburn 3/9/ State of Illinois Classic 3/13/ vs. Ohio State 3/6/ vs. Illinois State 2/28/98 BEAM at NCAA West Regional 4/4/ at State of Illinois Classic 3/14/ at Washington 2/21/ at Big Ten Championships 3/20/ at State of Illinois Classic 3/23/ vs. Ohio State 2/3/ vs. Iowa 3/3/ vs. Auburn 3/9/ vs. Ohio State 3/12/ at UIC 2/25/ State of Illinois Classic 3/13/ vs. Ohio State 3/6/99 FLOOR Big Ten Championships 3/21/ at State of Illinois Classic 3/16/ vs. Iowa 3/8/ at State of Illinois Classic 3/14/ vs. Ohio State 3/6/ vs. Ball State 2/21/ vs. Iowa State 2/14/ vs. Ohio State 2/15/ vs. Ohio State 2/3/ vs. Iowa 3/3/01 TOP SCORES IN ILLINOIS HISTORY INDIVIDUAL RECORDS ALL-AROUND Ashley Williams Allison Buckley Allison Buckley Kelsey Joannides 2009 Allison Buckley 2008 Kara Kapernekas Allison Buckley 2009 Marijka Botterman 2009 Allison Buckley 2008 Ashley Williams 2003 Phaedra Dixon Kelsey Joannides 2009 VAULT Marijka Botterman Kelsey Joannides 2009 Marijka Botterman 2009 Jessica Cole 2003 Nicole Viernes Allison Buckley 2009 Nicole Cowart 2009 Marijka Botterman 2009 Allison Buckley 2008 Allison Buckley 2008 Marijka Botterman 2007 Carissa Ericson 2001 BARS Cara Pomeroy Cara Pomeroy 2007 Cara Pomeroy 2007 Cara Pomeroy Cara Pomeroy 2007 Cara Pomeroy 2007 Cara Pomeroy 2005 Ashley Williams 2004 Cara Pomeroy 2004 Cara Pomeroy 2004 Kelli Farrar 1997 Kelli Farrar 1997 Natalie Forsthoefel 1996 BEAM Allison Buckley 2009 Stacy Redmond Allison Buckley 2009 Allison Buckley 2009 Melissa Fernandez 2009 Allison Buckley 2008 Kara Kapernekas 2003 Kara Kapernekas 2003 Jana Gallagher 2001 Jana Gallagher 2001 Jana Gallagher 2001 Jana Gallagher 2001 Kim Berres 1997 FLOOR Sarah Schmidt 2009 Kara Kapernekas 2004 Kara Kapernekas 2003 Amanda Kaufman 2003 Phaedra Dixon Allison Buckley 2009 Sarah Schmidt 2009 Lauren Newcomb 2004 Kara Kapernekas 2004 Carissa Ericson 2000 Carissa Ericson University of Illinois Women s Gymnastics Notes // 4

7 ILLINI IN THE RANKINGS The Fighting Illini enter this weekend's competition as the 11th ranked team in the 12-team field with a National Qualifying Score (RQS) of By qualifying for the championships, Illinois has solidified its spot in the top-12 in the final GymInfo rankings and the highest final ranking in school history. Heading into the regional championships, Illinois ranked 13th in the nation on the balance beam, 15th on floor, 17th on bars, and 19th on vault. Marijka Botterman ranks 21st nationally on vault (9.885), while sophomore Allison Buckley ranks 59th with a RQS. Freshman Kelsey Joannides is 34th nationally on beam (9.860), while sophomore Melissa Fernandez sit right behind her in the national rankings, also with a RQS. Junior Sarah Schmidt is the top Illini on floor (9.890) and uneven bars (9.850), ranking 18th and 45th in the nation respectively. Junior Nicole Cowart is the top Illinois performer in the allaround, ranking 47th in the nation. CONFERENCE BEST 11 ILLINI NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN All 11 upperclassmen from the Illinois women's gymnastics team were named to the Academic All-Big Ten team. The 11 honorees are the most by any Big Ten gymnastics team this season and are the second-most in school history to only the 2001 squad that had 12 Academic All-Conference selections. The Illini honored are seniors Marijka Botterman (communications), Julie Crall (business administration), Kim Kruk (Spanish/biology) and Lindsey Smith (kinesiology), juniors Nicole Cowart (accountancy), Sarah Schmidt (kinesiology) and Laura Woolf (agri-accounting), and sophomores Allison Buckley (Kinesiology), Melissa Fernandez (Kinesiology), Lashlee Morris (Kinesiology) and Samantha Perino (Psychology). All four seniors are threetime honorees, while Cowart earned recognition for the second straight. STARKELL ADDS THREE FOR 2010 Illinois coach Bob Starkell and his staff signed three gymnasts to National Letters of Intent for the season this past November. Macy Hyatt (Kennesaw Mountain HS, Atlanta, Ga.), Jaclyn Kantecki (Queen of Peace HS, Burbank, Ill.), and Alina Weinstein (West Windsor Plainsboro HS South, Plainsboro, N.J.) will all join the Fighting Illini next season. Hyatt is a two-time Level 10 Nationals qualifier, placing 10th on vault in Kantecki is also a two-time Level 10 National qualifier, placing eighth in the all-around, fifth on floor and ninth on bars in Weinstein is a four-time Level 10 National qualifier, placing 11th in the all-around in She is a former J.O. National Team member and Elite National Qualifier (2004). TEAM TOTAL Big Ten Championships (3/21/09) at NCAA West Regional (4/4/09) vs. Ohio State (2/15/09) at State of Illinois Classic (3/14/09) vs. Illinois-Chicago (3/7/09) at Washington (2/21/09) VAULT Big Ten Championships (3/21/09) vs. Ohio State (2/15/09) at NCAA West Regional (4/4/09) at Missouri (2/13/09) at Washington (2/21/09) UNEVEN BARS vs. Ohio State (2/15/09) at State of Illinois Classic (3/14/09) at NCAA West Regional (4/4/09) at Ohio State (1/31/09) Big Ten Championships (3/21/09) vs. Illinois-Chicago (3/7/09) BALANCE BEAM at NCAA West Regional (4/4/09) at State of Illinois Classic (3/14/09) at Washington (2/21/09) vs. Illinois-Chicago (3/7/09) vs. Penn State (1/17/09) FLOOR EXERCISE Big Ten Championships (3/21/09) at State of Illinois Classic (3/14/09) vs. Ohio State (2/15/09) at NCAA West Regional (4/4/09) vs. Illinois-Chicago (3/7/09) TOP SCORES OF 2009 INDIVIDUAL ALL-AROUND Allison Buckley at NCAA West Regional (4/4/09) Kelsey Joannides......Big Ten Championships (3/21/09) Marijka Botterman...at State of Illinois Classic (3/14/09) Allison Buckley vs. Ohio State (2/15/09) Kelsey Joannides....at State of Illinois Classic (3/14/09) Kelsey Joannides at NCAA West Regional (4/4/09) VAULT Marijka Botterman vs. Ohio State (2/15/09) Kelsey Joannides......Big Ten Championships (3/21/09) Marijka Botterman at IGI Chicago Style (2/6/09) Allison Buckley at NCAA West Regional (4/4/09) Nicole Cowart Big Ten Championships (3/21/09) Marijka Botterman vs. Iowa (1/24/09) UNEVEN BARS Marijka Botterman......at NCAA West Regional (4/4/09) Sarah Schmidt......at State of Illinois Classic (3/14/09) Sarah Schmidt vs. Penn State (1/17/09) Marijka Botterman...at State of Illinois Classic (3/14/09) Marijka Botterman vs. Ohio State (2/15/09) Sarah Schmidt vs. Ohio State (2/15/09) BALANCE BEAM Allison Buckley at NCAA West Regional (4/4/09) Allison Buckley......at State of Illinois Classic (3/14/09) Allison Buckley vs. Illinois-Chicago (3/7/09) Melissa Fernandez at Missouri (2/13/09) FLOOR EXERCISE Sarah Schmidt Big Ten Championships (3/21/09) Allison Buckley Big Ten Championships (3/21/09) Sarah Schmidt......at State of Illinois Classic (3/14/09) x, last by M. Botterman...Big Ten Championships (3/21/09) ILLINI IN THE RANKINGS NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP SEEDING (As of April 6, 2009) Rank Team NQS** 1 Georgia Utah Alabama Stanford LSU Florida UCLA Oklahoma Stanford Arkansas ILLINOIS Penn State /////////////////// UI WEEK-TO-WEEK NATIONAL RANK Date Rank Ranked By Preseason 16 Coaches Poll Jan Season Ave. Jan Season Ave. Jan Season Ave. Feb Season Ave. Feb Season Ave. Feb RQS* Feb RQS* March 2 15 RQS* March 9 16 RQS* March RQS* March RQS* April 6 11 NQS** /////////////////// EVENT & INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS TEAM (As of March 30 by RQS*) Event RQS Nat l Rk Vault Bars Beam Floor Team Total INDIVIDUAL (Top 100 Nationally as of March 30) Gymnast Event RQS* Nat l Rk Marijka Botterman VT t UB t Allison Buckley VT t AA t Nicole Cowart VT t UB t AA Melissa Fernandez BB Kelsey Joannides BB t FX t AA Sarah Schmidt UB t FX t * Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) takes each team s top six scores from the season, three of which must be away meets, throws out the high, then averages the remaining five scores. ** NQS Combines a team s RQS with its Reginal score 2009 University of Illinois Women s Gymnastics Notes // 5

8 MARIJKA BOTTERMAN // SENIOR Vault (2/15/09) (2/15/09) Bars (4/4/09) (4/4/09) Beam (3/14/09) (twice, last 3/14/09) Floor (3/21/09) (3/21/09) All-Around (3/14/09) (3/14/09) SEASON AND CAREER HIGHS KIM KRUK // SENIOR Vault (1/17/09) (2x, last 3/9/07) Bars (3/14/09) (1/27/07) Beam (3/31/06) Floor (3/18/06) All-Around (3/18/06) ALLISON BUCKLEY // SOPHOMORE Vault (4/4/09) (3x, last 4/4/09) Bars (2/15/09) (2/15/09) Beam (4/4/09) (4/4/09) Floor (3/21/09) (twice, last 3/21/09) All-Around (2/15/09) (3/15/08) NICOLE COWART // JUNIOR Event Season Career High Vault (3/21/09) (3/21/09) Bars (5x, last 4/4/09) (5x, last 4/4/09) Beam (2/27/09) (3x, last 2/27/09) Floor (twice, last 3/21/09) (2x, last 3/17/07) All-Around (3/21/09) (3/21/09) JULIE CRALL // SENIOR Vault (3/4/07) Bars (3/22/08) Beam (2/21/09) (3x, last 3/29/08) Floor (1/27/07) All-Around (4/8/06) MELISSA FERNANDEZ // SOPHOMORE Vault (3/21/09) (3/21/09) Bars (4/4/09) (4/4/09) Beam (2/15/09) (2/15/09) Floor (2/6/09) (4/12/08) All-Around (2/6/09) (2/6/09) LASHLEE MORRIS // SOPHOMORE Vault (twice, last 1/31/09) (twice, last 1/31/09) Bars (2/2/08) Beam (4/4/09) (4/4/09) Floor (twice, last 1/31/09) (2/8/08) SAMANTHA PERINO // SOPHOMORE Floor (2/24/08) SARAH SCHMIDT // JUNIOR Event Season Career High Vault (1/17/09) (1/17/09) Bars (twice, last 3/14/09) (4x, last on 3/14/09) Beam (3x, last 3/14/09) (5x, last 3/14/09) Floor (3/21/09) (3/21/09) All-Around (3/14/09) (3/14/09) LINDSEY SMITH // SENIOR Vault (3/14/09) (3x, last 3/29/08) Floor (3/14/09) (2/2/08) LAURA WOOLF // JUNIOR Vault (1/17/09) (1/17/09) KELSEY JOANNIDES // FRESHMAN Event Season High/Career High Vault (3/21/09) Bars (3x, last 4/4/09) Beam (4x, last 4/4/09) Floor (3/14/09) All-Around (3/21/09) 2009 University of Illinois Women s Gymnastics Notes // 6

9 FIGHTING ILLINI BIO UPDATES MARIJKA BOTTERMAN ALLISON BUCKLEY 5-3 // Senior // All-Around 5-2 // Sophomore // All-Around New Lennox, Ill. // Lincoln-Way Central HS Schaumburg, Ill. // Conant HS Club: Gym-Kinetics Club: Gymkhana Set Illinois vault record with a on Jan. 31, breaking the old mark (9.925) that she already shared Took 3rd on bars with career-high 9.90, 7th of vault (9.850), and 8th on floor (9.850) at West Regional Posted a career-best and tied 6th best all-around score in school history of on March 14 Scored a career-best on floor to take 5th at the Big Ten Champhionships Eight individual titles this season (VT-5, UB-2, AA-1) & 16 top-3 finishes Second Team All-Big Ten and Academic All-Big Ten selection Three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection Has recorded 17 career individual titles (9 on vault, 3 on bars, 5 in the all-around) Younger sister, Kylee, competes for Michigan and older sister, Danye, competed for Illinois ( ) at MSU Quad (1) (5) (3) Penn State (2) Iowa (1) (1) at OSU Quad Chicago Style (1) (4) at Missouri (1) Ohio State (1) (1) at Wash (4) at Kentucky (5) (2) -- Illinois-Chicago (3) at Ill. Classic (2) (2) (1) Big Tens (5) -- at Regional (7) (3) (8) -- Average Season High Career High NICOLE COWART 5-2 // Junior // All-Around Greenwood, Ind. // Center Grove HS Club: Wright s Gymnastics Second team All-Big Ten and Academic All-Big Ten Placed sixth on bars (9.850) and seventh in the all-around (39.150) at West Regional Championship Took 2nd on vault at Big Tens with a career-high on and 8th in AA with career-best Won the all-around title against Penn State with a Has hit 49 of 52 routines this season, including a perfect 13-for-13 on vault and floor Ranks in the top-100 nationally on vault (93rd), bars (57th), and in the all-around (40th) 2008 National qualifier in the all-around 2007 First Team All-Big Ten selection Has 12 career individual titles (2 on vault, 1 on bars, 1 on beam, 4 on floor, 4 in the all-around) at MSU Quad (5) Penn State (3) (1) Iowa at OSU Quad (4) (3) (2) Chicago Style (2) (2) at Missouri Ohio State (3) (3) (2) at Wash (3) (2) at Kentucky (9) (6) (3) (8) (2) Illinois-Chicago (2) at Ill. Classic (4) (4) Big Tens (2) (8) at Regional (6) (7) Average Season High Career High West Regional Beam Champion with school record tying Took 2nd on vault with a career-high tying at the West Regional Championship Scored season-high and third best score in school history in the all-around to take 4th at West Regional Tied a career-high on floor to finish fourth at the Big Ten Championships Has eight individual titles this year and 27 in her career, placing her for sixth on the UI all-time list Had offseason surgery on her foot and did not return to full strength until midseason Second Team All-Big Ten and Academic All-Big Ten selection 2008 Second Team All-American on the Balance Beam 2008 SC Regional Gymnast of the Year, Big Ten Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Big Ten at MSU Quad Penn State (2) (3) -- Iowa at OSU Quad Chicago Style (4) at Missouri (1) Ohio State (2) (3) (1) (1) at Wash (2) (5) (4) at Kentucky (7) (9) (8) Illinois-Chicago (1) (2) (1) (1) at Ill. Classic (3) (1) (4) Big Tens (9) (4) (10) at Regional (2) (1) (8) (4) Average Season High Career High JULIE CRALL 5-2 // Senior // VT,UB,BB Cincinnati, Ohio // Ursuline Academy HS Club: Queen City Gymnastics Won the beam title with a on Feb. 6 at IGI Chicago Style Invite Has three second place finishes on the balance beam Has battled injuries all season, limiting her only to the balance beam 2008 Big Ten Beam Champion with a career-high tying Name a Second Team All-Big Ten selection in 2006 and Was named Illinois top female newcomer among all varsity sports in 2006 Has 16 career event titles (13 on beam, 1 on vault, 1 on bars, and 1 on floor) Three-time Academic All-Big Ten at MSU Quad Penn State Iowa (2) at OSU Quad Chicago Style (1) at Missouri Ohio State at Wash (2) at Kentucky Illinois-Chicago (2) at Ill. Classic Big Tens at Regional Average Season High Career High University of Illinois Women s Gymnastics Notes // 7

10 FIGHTING ILLINI BIO UPDATES MELISSA FERNANDEZ ALYSSA HARMON 5-0 // Sophomore // All-Around 5-2 // Freshman // All-Around Eudora, Kan. // Eudora HS Odessa, Fla. // Bishop McLaughlin HS Club: KGDC Club: Tampa Bay Turners Tied for second on beam (9.875) and sixth on vault (9.875) at the Big Ten Championships Tied for fourth on beam (9.875) at West Regional Championship Tied UI second-best beam score of on Feb. 13 at Missouri to win the event title Has four balance beam titles on the season Took fourth place with a in her only all-around competition of career at Chicago Style Invite Has hit 32 of 34 routines this season, including a perfect 13-for-13 on beam Ranks 35th nationally on beam with a RQS Academic All-Big Ten selection Placed seventh on beam with a at the 2008 South Central Regional at MSU Quad (5) (INJ) -- Penn State (1) Iowa at OSU Quad (1) Chicago Style (4) at Missouri (1) Ohio State (1) at Wash at Kentucky Illinois-Chicago (3) (2) (3) at Ill. Classic Big Tens (6) (2) at Regional (4) Average Season High Career High KELSEY JOANNIDES 5-2 // Freshman // AA Frederick, Md. // Frederick HS Club: Frederick Gymnastics Big Ten Vault Champion with the second-best score in school history of Tied the third best all-around score in UI history (39.375) to take 5th at the Big Ten Championships Tied for second on beam with a career-high tying at the Big Ten Championships Placed 4th on beam (9.875), 6th in the all-around (39.300) and 9th on vault (9.825) at West Regional Has competed as an all-arounder in every meet as a freshman Has hit 47 of 52 routines this season, including a perfect 13-for-13 on floor Has six individual titles (VT-1, BB-3, FX-1, AA-1) and 20 top-3 finishes on the season Ranks in the national top-100 on three events (BB-34th, FX-63rd, AA-49th) Second Team All-Big Ten and Academic All-Big Ten Has not competed due to Injury at MSU Quad Penn State Iowa at OSU Quad Chicago Style at Missouri Ohio State at Wash at Kentucky Illinois-Chicago at Ill. Classic Big Tens at Regional Average Season High Career High KIM KRUK 5-2 // Senior // All-Around Carol Stream, Ill. // Bartlett HS Club: Illinois Gymnastics Institute Competed three times on bars and twice on vault this season Tied for fourth on beam at the 2007 Big Ten Championships with a career-high Three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection in 2007, 2008 and 2009 Has claimed eight career titles (2 on bars, 2 on floor and 4 on all-around) at MSU Quad (4) (1) (3) Penn State (1) (2) Iowa (2) (3) (1) (2) at OSU Quad (5) Chicago Style (2) (2) (1) at Missouri Ohio State (3) at Wash (4) (2) at Kentucky (9) Illinois-Chicago (3) (1) (3) at Ill. Classic (5) (4) (2) (2) Big Tens (1) (2) (5) at Regional (9) (4) (6) Average Season High Career High at MSU Quad Penn State Iowa at OSU Quad Chicago Style at Missouri Ohio State at Wash at Kentucky Illinois-Chicago at Ill. Classic Big Tens at Regional Average Season High Career High University of Illinois Women s Gymnastics Notes // 8

11 FIGHTING ILLINI BIO UPDATES LASHLEE MORRIS SAMANTHA PERINO 5-1 // Lashlee Morris // All-Around 5-3 // Sophomore // All-Around Leesburg, Fla. // Leesburg HS Yorktown, Va. // Tabb HS Club: Brandy Johnson s Global Gymnastics Academy Club: Ocean Tumblers Gymnastics Set career-high of on beam at West Regional, helping Illinois to a team-record beam score Finished second on beam in season opener at MSU quad Has competed on beam in 11 of 13 meets and has hit 10-of-11 beam routines Has competed three times on floor and twice on vault Academic All-Big Ten selection Competed on beam in 12 of 13 meets last season, missing only the Missouri meet due to a foot injury Set a personal-best score of on beam to take third in the 2008 State of Illinois Classic at MSU Quad (2) Penn State Iowa at OSU Quad Chicago Style at Missouri Ohio State at Wash at Kentucky Illinois-Chicago at Ill. Classic Big Tens at Regional Average Season High Career High SARAH SCHMIDT 5-2 // Junior // All-Around Hartland, Wis. // Arrowhead HS Club: Midwest Twisters Big Ten Floor Champion, tying the school record of Second Team All-Big Ten and Academic All-Big Ten selectioin Named Big Ten Gymnast of the Week (Jan. 19) after winning two individual titles against Penn State Set career-high all-around score of to take third at the State of Illinois Classic on March 14 Placed sixth on floor (9.875) at the West Regional Has nine individual titles (UB-4, FX-5) and 18 top-3 finishes this season Ranks 18th in the nation on floor (9.890) and 45th on bars (9.850) Has won 17 career individual titles (9 on bars, 7 on floor, and 1 in the all-around) Was named the team s Most Improved Gymnast in 2007 at MSU Quad (3) (5) -- Penn State (1) (1) -- Iowa (3) at OSU Quad Chicago Style (2) -- at Missouri (2) (2) -- Ohio State (1) (1) at Wash at Kentucky (2) (2) (3) Illinois-Chicago (1) (1) -- at Ill. Classic (1) (1) (3) Big Tens (1) -- at Regional (6) -- Average Season High Career High Exhibitioned on floor twice this season Academic All-Big Ten selection Competed twice on floor in 2008 with a personal-best at MSU Quad Penn State Iowa at OSU Quad Chicago Style at Missouri Ohio State at Wash at Kentucky Illinois-Chicago at Ill. Classic Big Tens at Regional Average Season High Career High LINDSEY SMITH 5-0 // Senior // VT,BB,FX Collinsville, Ill. // Metro-East Lutheran HS Club: World Class Gymnastics Selected as Illinois Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree for the second straight year Has competed on floor in 12 of 13 meets and has hit all 12 of those routines Scored a season-high on floor at State of Illinois Classic Competed on vault twice this season Tied for fourth on vault at the 2008 Big Ten Championships with a career-high tying Won her lone career event title last season on vault with a career-high tying at Auburn Competed on floor in every meet last season, taking three top-3 finishes on the event Three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection in 2007, 2008 and 2009 at MSU Quad Penn State Iowa at OSU Quad Chicago Style (5) -- at Missouri Ohio State at Wash at Kentucky Illinois-Chicago at Ill. Classic Big Tens at Regional Average Season High Career High University of Illinois Women s Gymnastics Notes // 9

12 HANNAH WELKER 5-2 // Freshman // AA Butler, Pa. // Knoch HS Club: Butler Gymnastics Exhibitioned on beam twice this season FIGHTING ILLINI BIO UPDATES Has competed twice on vault this season Academic All-Big Ten LAURA WOOLF 5-2 // Junior // VT,UB,BB Deerfield, Ill. // Deerfield HS Club: Buffalo Grove Gymnastics Center Competed twice on vault last season at MSU Quad Penn State Iowa at OSU Quad Chicago Style at Missouri Ohio State at Wash at Kentucky Illinois-Chicago at Ill. Classic Big Tens at Regional Average Season High Career High at MSU Quad Penn State Iowa at OSU Quad Chicago Style at Missouri Ohio State at Wash at Kentucky Illinois-Chicago at Ill. Classic Big Tens at Regional Average Season High Career High University of Illinois Women s Gymnastics Notes // 10

13 BOB STARKELL HEAD COACH 10TH SEASON AS HEAD COACH 16TH SEASON AT ILLINOIS HEAD COACH BOB STARKELL Bob Starkell is in his 10th year at the helm of the Fighting Illini women's gymnastics program, and his 16th year overall at the University of Illinois. Since he took over for former head coach Lynn Brueckman in 2000, Starkell's squads have posted the top-10 team scores in school history, including the school record of set at the Big Ten Championships this season. Starkell was named 2009 Co-Big Ten Coach of the Year for leading Illinois to its best season in school history. Starkell guided the program to its first-ever NCAA Championship berth after a second place finish at the NCAA West Regional, the best in school history. The Illini broke the team record with a in a second place finish at the Big Ten Championships and have posted the top four team scores in school history this year. Starkell guided two individuals to Big Ten individual titles (Sarah Schmidt on floor and Kelsey Joannides on vault) and one to a regional title (Allison Buckley on beam) in In 2008, Starkell and the Fighting Illini improved on a stellar 2007 season, finishing the season ranked No. 15 nationally, five spots higher than the programs previous best national ranking. Starkell also guided the Illini to a second place finish at the Big Ten Championships, the best since 1990, and a third place finish at the South Central Regional, marking the highest regional finish in program history and narrowly missing a team trip to the NCAA Championships. Furthermore, Starkell helped Nicole Cowart and Allison Buckley advance as individuals to the NCAA Championships in the all-around competition and helped Julie Crall (beam) earn the Illini a Big Ten individual title for the second straight season. Starkell led the 2007 Fighting Illini to new heights, including a third place finish at the Big Ten Championships and a final national rank of No. 20. Illinois advanced to their fourth consecutive regional, where they finished fourth at the South Central Regional for the second straight year. Additionally, senior Cara Pomeroy took home the school's first Big Ten individual title since 1999 under Starkell's guidance. For his success, Starkell was named South Central Regional Coach of the Year for the second time in the last three years. Starkell's 2006 squad finished the season with a national ranking of No. 25 while advancing to the NCAA South Central Regional for the third straight season. The Illini finished in fourth, equaling the best UI regional finish in school history at the time. Cara Pomeroy was named first team All-Big Ten for the second straight year, becoming the first Illini in 16 years to accomplish that feat. In 2005, Starkell guided his squad to a final ranking of 27th. Starkell was honored as the 2005 Big Ten and South Central Regional Coach of the Year after advancing his squad to the NCAA Regional for the second straight year and coaching three All-Big Ten selections. The 2004 season was equally successful as his squad finished 22nd in the nation and two of his gymnasts advanced to the NCAA National Championships. Ashley Williams (allaround) and Cara Pomeroy (uneven bars) became the first Illini in 17 years to compete at the National meet. Pomeroy scored the first perfect 10.0 in school history on bars to qualify for NCAAs and earned Illinois' first individual regional title since Under Starkell, Illinois has had four Big Ten Champions, 18 All-Big Ten honorees, 37 Scholastic All-Americans and 81 Academic All-Big Ten selections. Prior to being named the head coach, Starkell served as an assistant for the Illini for six years. He was named the 1998 Central Regional Assistant Coach of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches for Women. Before Illinois, Starkell served as an assistant coach for Wisconsin-Oshkosh while finishing his bachelor's degree, and then became the head coach for the men's and women's gymnastics teams in He coached the Lady Titans to a conference championship and a second-place finish at the NCAA Division II Championships in For his efforts, he was named the Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. Additionally, Starkell coached many individuals who earned high accolades. He trained a Division II All-American on vault and floor exercise and Division III champions on vault, beam and floor. Starkell also has had great success with the men's squads. Before becoming the head coach for both Oshkosh programs, Starkell served two years as the men's assistant coach. He coached five All-Americans and produced four Division II individual champions, one each on the vault, pommel horse, still rings and floor. One of his gymnasts also became a member of the 1992 U.S. National Team. In addition to his collegiate coaching, Starkell has gained experience coaching at various gymnastics schools and camps. He trained young athletes at the Oshkosh Gymnastics Club and coached for five years at the International Gymnastics School in Pennsylvania. Starkell also worked at the International Gymnastics School summer camp and was the director of the Wisconsin-Oshkosh summer camp. Prior to coming to Illinois, Starkell spent seven years at the University of Wisconsin- Oshkosh, both as a student-athlete and a coach. He competed for the Titans gymnastics team for four years, completing his eligibility in 1990 and earning a B.S. in physical education in At Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Starkell placed among the top-10 in the floor exercise at the national championships in 1989 and '90, earning All-America honors in '89. Starkell qualified for the NCAA Division III championships in the all-around, while his team qualified for the finals each year he competed. Originally from California, Starkell attended high school in Fond du Lac, Wis. During high school, he trained for the Junior National Gymnastics Championships, in which he participated in from Starkell and his wife, Lynnette, have two daughters, Haley (9) and Claire (6), and reside in Champaign. THE STARKELL FILE RECORD AT ILLINOIS Big Ten Regional NCAA Final NCAA Year W-L* Finish Finish Finish Rank T-5th th th th th 5th th 6th th 4th rd 4th nd 3rd nd 2nd TBA TBA Total * W-L record is for regular season competitions only HONORS Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year , 2009 South Central Regional Coach of the Year , 2007 Central Regional Assistant Coach of the Year University of Illinois Women s Gymnastics Notes // 11