The No. 20 Fighting Illini (2-3, 2-2) hosts Iowa Saturday, Feb. 13 inside Huff Hall for their annual PINK MEET. The meet is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT  and will be streamed via BTN Plus (subscription required).

SCOUTING THE HAWKEYES

Iowa enters the weekend ranked No. 28 nationally with a 195.129 scoring average. Last weekend, the Hawkeyes earned a season-high team score to defeat No. 14 Nebraska, 196.650-196.350, at home on Feb. 6. The GymHawks rank 19th nationally as a team on floor (48.989), 21st on vault (48.814) and 23rd on bars (48.829). Individually, junior Mollie Drenth ranks 31st nationally in the all-around (39.150). 

ILLINI NOTES

• Illinois ranks in the top-15 in the nation in two events: 11th on beam (48.975) and 15th on floor (49.040).
• Giana O'Connor ranks 39th in the nation and fourth in the Big Ten on floor with an average of 9.860.
• Mary Jane Horth ranks 22nd in the nation and third in the Big Ten in the all-around 39.238.
• Mary Jane Horth is the only Illini to finish in the top-three in the all-around in every meet she has competed in this season.
• Freshman Lizzy LeDuc garnered the first event title of her career at Penn State on beam (9.900).
• Lizzy LeDuc scored a season-best 39.050 in the all-around last weekend at Minnesota. 
• Erin Buchanan has led the Illini on floor in the last two meets
• For the first meet in her Illini career, Bridget Hodan competed in three events. In her first competitive season, she is averaging above a 9.700 on bars, beam and floor. 

LAST WEEK

The Illini fell to No. 18 Minnesota 195.775-195.000 Saturday afternoon inside the Sports Pavilion. Illinois produced one event title and seven (including all-around) top-3 finishes. Several Illini stepped up with the absence of All-American Mary Jane Horth who was sidelined with an injury. Giana O'Connor garnered her ninth event title of the season, scoring a 9.800 on vault, and finished second in the all-around with her second 39.275 of the season. Lizzy LeDuc finished third in the all-around with a season-best 39.050.

O'CONNOR'S STRONG START

Giana O'Connor has garnered a total of nine event titles in the first five meets of the season. At Rutgers, O'Connor claimed four titles, finishing with the best score on bars (9.825), floor (9.875) and the all-around (39.325), while also sharing the vault title with a 9.825. Her performance this season moved her into ninth on the Illinois career event title list with a total of 31 titles.

ALL-AROUNDERS

UI has had four different gymnasts compete in the all-around this season. Giana O'Connor has competed in the all-around in every meet. O'Connor has garnered two all-around titles, while Mary Jane Horth earned her first all-around title of the season at Penn State and has finished in the top-3 in every meet she has competed in. Erin Buchanan and Lizzy LeDuc have also competed in the all-around in multiple meets. Buchanan produced a season-best 39.200 at Penn State and LeDuc's season-best total (39.050) came at Minnesota.

ILLINI DEBUTS

Six Illini have made their competitive debuts for the Orange and Blue this season. Four debuted in the season opener, including freshman Lizzy LeDuc, who competed in the all-around. Fellow freshmen Rachael Donovan and Haylee Roe competed on bars and floor, respectively, while sophomore Bridget Hodan led off on beam in her first competitive routine. Freshman Brielle Nguyen made her competitive debut on beam at Rutgers and freshman Julia Hutcherson made her competitive debut on vault against Michigan.