CHICAGO – The UIC women's gymnastics team took down Big Ten-opponent Rutgers 194.275-194.200 on Sunday afternoon in the UIC Pavilion. The Flames tied their season-high total on bars and set a new team-high on floor in route to its highest team total since the 2015 MIC Championships.
Sunday's dual was also the homecoming meet for women's gymnastics, as the Flames honored their alumni prior to the start of the competition.
Mikailla Northern matched her career-high all-around score with a 39.075 to take first place, while
Jenna Squillo competed all-around for the first time this season, earning a 38.750 to take third.
"It was very exciting to beat a Big Ten team," co-head coach
Peter Jansson said. "It really shows us what the girls are capable of, and we even did that counting a fall on beam. So I feel really good about what we put together today."
The Flames earned their second-highest team total of the season on vault, 48.650 in the first rotation. Northern tied for first place, earning a 9.800.
Nikki Woodruff earned her highest vault score of the season, a 9.750, to tie for fourth.
Jenna Squillo tied for sixth for the Flames with a 9.725, while
Toni Alicke grabbed a career-high 9.700 on the event.
UIC moved on to bars, tying its season-high team score with a 48.900 on the event. The Flames swept the top six places, led by
Serena Baker's personal-best score of 9.825. Squillo tied her career-high with a 9.800 to take second.
Riley Cholod,
Katie Snyder,
Nicole Szabo and Northern each earned a 9.750 to land in a six-way-tie for fourth.
Daniella Maciel earned a career-high 9.725 alongside Northern to tie for fourth and pace the Flames on beam, followed by Squillo in seventh with a 9.675.
Trailing 145.450-145.300 heading into the final rotation, UIC put together a season-best 48.975 on floor to edge past the Scarlet Knights.
Abby Hasanov took home the even title with a personal-best 9.850, followed by Alicke, Northern and Maciel in a tie for third with a 9.800.
"The girls really stepped it up on floor today when we needed it," Jansson continued, "They were very clean and were able to get us the highest score of the season as a team. I think that goes to show what can really do. This was a team effort, there's no doubt about that, and that is what will keep our momentum going forward."
The Flames will once again be home in the UIC Pavilion next weekend against Western Michigan for a co-ed meet alongside the men's team, who will face Nebraska.
