MINNEAPOLIS – Illinois closed the regular season with a third-place finish at a quad meet on Sunday afternoon that featured No. 13 Minnesota, No. 20 Iowa, and Northern Illinois.
"We have learned a lot this year: how to function as a team, how to compete with grit, how to persevere when things are not going completely our way," said head coach Josh Nilson. "Every great story starts with people doing extraordinary things after learning hard lessons and overcoming great obstacles. I believe in this team and the bright future ahead."
The Illini began the afternoon on bars, scoring a 48.625 as a team. Lyden Saltness secured the team's highest score on the event with a 9.900, her sixth time scoring at least a 9.9 on the apparatus this season, which saw her finish in fourth place. Chloe Cho claimed a 9.800 as she tied for ninth place.
On beam, Callie Kauffman tied her career-high with a 9.775 in the leadoff position, while Alea Byrne tied her best score of the season with a 9.850, which marked the team's best score on the event and placed tied for sixth. As a team, Illinois tallied a 49.000 as the meet reached the halfway point.
The Orange and Blue registered a 48.750 on floor, with Eden King tying her career-high with a 9.900 on the event, which helped her take a share of third place. Ava Banks posted the team's second-best score with a 9.775 as the Illini moved to their final rotation of the day.
On vault, the Illini finished the afternoon with a 48.775. Summer Clancy led the way with a 9.800, settling for 10th place, while Byrne and Olivia Coppola both registered identical 9.775 marks to round out the top-three scores for the Orange and Blue.
UP NEXT
Illinois shifts into postseason competition with the Big Ten Championships at State Farm Center next weekend. The Fighting Illini are set to compete alongside Nebraska, Rutgers, and Washington in Session 1 on Friday night at 6 p.m. CT, with tickets currently on sale at FightingIllini.com.
