CHICAGO- The UIC men's gymnastics team kicks off its regular season this Saturday on the road against Illinois at the iconic Huff Hall in Urbana-Champaign. Competition is set to begin at 4 p.m. CT.

"It is always nice to have what amounts to a 'test event' the week before the Windy City Invitational. I'm sure there will be some early season rough spots, but this UIC team is very talented," said head coach Charley Nelson.

The Flames geared up after completing their annual mixed pairs exhibition meet on Dec. 6, where junior Alex Dumstorf gave top performances on four events and tied with Keith Kohn on the pommel horse with a top score of 13.0. Trent Jarret earned the top spot on the rings (13.3) while freshman Ethan Sansone claimed the vault (13.9).

"A lot will rest on the shoulders of CJ Patton and Jay Grimes on pommel horse. UIC will begin the competition on that event and their performance will set the pace for the evening," said Nelson. "I'm especially looking forward to Chris Root's all-around competition. By season's end, he should be a contender for All-America status."

This weekend's meet will be live streamed on FightingIllini.com free for all viewers. The Flames will return home to the UIC Pavilion on Sunday Jan. 17 to host the Windy City Invitational at 3 p.m. CT.