LINCOLN, Neb. – The Illini started their season with a victory over Nebraska. Illinois finished with a team score of 195.475, two points better than Nebraska who finished with a 193.400.
"Our team chemistry was amazing, they were totally united and that really set the tone for us," said head coach Nadalie Walsh. "I'm really proud of them and I think they did a great job, they essentially kind of captivated the whole arena. They walked in with confidence and they did what they could do and they did it well and the results are speaking from themselves."
The Orange and Blue led after each rotation, starting with a strong showing on uneven bars. Illinois followed a strong bars performance with solid showing on vault. Their best event of the night was floor, where they scored a 49.025 and earned the top three individual scores of the night. They finished the night on beam.
Three gymnasts made their collegiate debuts Friday night, Kaitlyn Ewald, Amelia Knight and Abby Mueller each competed on multiple events.
Freshman Kaitlyn Ewald scored a 9.900 on bars in her first routine as an Illini. Ewald's 9.900 was the highest score of the night for the Illini and earned her the bars title.
Two other Illini captured event titles. Shaylah Scott's 9.875 earned her the floor title while Lexi Powe won the vault title with a score of 9.825, her career high.
Illinois Notes
Up Next
Illinois will travel to Piscataway to take on Rutgers Jan. 23 at 12 pm CT.
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