Champaign, Ill. - Despite several standout individual performances, the Illinois men's gymnastics team fell to the University of Michigan, 318.550–306.700, on Saturday afternoon at Huff Hall.
The Illini remained competitive throughout the meet but couldn't keep pace with a consistent Wolverines squad that took the lead early and maintained momentum through the final rotation. Nathan Whitaker, Garrett Schooley, and Sam Phillips all took home event titles from their respected events.
Illinois found its greatest success on the vault, posting a team score of 54.100. Garrett Schooley led the charge for the Illini with a 14.550, which stood as the highest individual score of the day for the home team. Dylan Shepard also contributed a strong 13.700 to the vault rotation.
Nathan Whitaker anchored the floor exercise with a team-high 14.250, while Sam Phillips provided a bright spot on the high bar by closing out the meet with a 13.800. On the pommel horse, Connor Micklos paced the Illini with a 13.300.
Illinois will take a two week hiatus before sending four athletes to the Winter Cup (Feb. 20-22) in Louisville, Kentucky.
