UIC placed second, just 0.300 behind Illinois, at the annual Illinois Classic on Sunday.  The Flames scored a season high 194.725, finishing ahead of Northern Illinois and Illinois State.  It was easily the team's most consistent meet of the season, as their scores on all four events were within 0.150.

"I am so proud of the way the girls competed today," co-head coach Peter Jansson said.  "It's championship time and they showed up ready for the challenge.  Even though I thought some of our routines could have been scored higher, we still were right there with the top teams again."  Last week, the Flames finished 0.200 behind Michigan State, and the week before, they were within 1.300 of the Illini.

Rotation 1 – Vault

• Mikailla Northern posted a season high 9.825.  She finished in a tie for second place.
• Kayla Baddeley had the next highest score behind the trio that tied for second.  She had a 9.800, marking the fourth time this year she scored at least that high.
• Riley Mahoney scored 9.725.  Maddie Nowak and Katie Snyder each posted a 9.675, which represented a season high for Nowak in her third competitive meet.

Rotation 2 – Bars

• Serena Baker's 9.800 was the Flames' highest score.  She tied for third.
• Northern was right behind her with a 9.775, and Toni Alicke's 9.750 gave UIC three top-seven scores.
• With Ashley Albrecht scoring 9.725, UIC could count only one of Katie Snyder or Riley Cholod's identical 9.700s.
• The Flames held the overall lead after two rotations.

Rotation 3 – Beam

• Mahoney and Baddeley tied for team high honors, each scoring 9.775.  They finished in a five-way tie for fourth.
• Dani Maciel and Northern also had the same result, each with a 9.700.
• Albrecht landed a 9.650 to round out the team total.
• Illinois posted the highest score of the meet by any team on any apparatus, a 48.950 on the floor, to take the team lead after three rotations.

Rotation 4 – Floor

• Northern delivered a spectacular performance, yet her 9.825 was behind two gymnasts who scored 9.850 each.
• Abby Hasanov and Baddeley each scored 9.750.
• Alicke's 9.700 and Maciel's 9.650 rounded out the team's total and kept the Flames ahead of Northern Illinois for the second time in three meets this season, but could not close the gap with Illinois.

All-Around

• Northern was the lone Flame to complete the all-around.  She scored 39.125 and took second place.
• It was Northern's fourth all-around score over 39, and her second highest total of the season.
• Albrecht returned to the floor exercise for the first time in three weeks, but did not compete in the vault for the first time this year.

Up Next

• The Flames will have a quick turnaround for a mid-week meet at Western Michigan.
• UIC will travel to Kalamazoo Tuesday night, and then return home next Sunday for the regular season finale against New Hampshire.