Welcome to Week 3, everyone! We’ll be seeing a lot more in-conference meets this weekend, and that includes today’s dual. This will be the year’s first Big Ten dual for each of these teams, so conference standings will definitely be a thought in the background for both the Illini and the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers is trying to claw its way out of last place in the Big Ten, and a home meet against a conference rival might just do the trick.
Rutgers had two meets last weekend, which really showed off the Scarlet Knights’ home advantage. At its home meet, Rutgers scored a 195.55, its best score in a home opener. But when the team went to Georgia, it scored a season-low 194.675. Being back at home this weekend should give Rutgers the spark it needs to keep Illinois on its toes.
Illinois is coming off of a 195.725 at Arizona. The Illini were forced to count a number of 9.7s and a 9.675 on bars after Mallory Mizuki scored an 8.6. If the Illini can avoid falls and fix small details like handstands and landings, they should be able to score well above Rutgers. But if Rutgers hits all of its routines and Illinois has to count scores with critical mistakes, the Illini might be in trouble.
Rotation 1: RU VT, UIUC UB
Jones (RU): Yurchenko full, nice height, small…
