A season high score on beam in the meet's final rotation sealed UIC's ninth straight win in a dual meet at Western Michigan Tuesday.  The Flames started well, posting their second best score of the year on vault, and adding a competitive bars total.  Yet they led the Broncos by just one tenth halfway through the meet. 

Both squads had mistakes in the third rotation – WMU counted falls on beam, and two Flames gymnasts were unable to complete a tumbling pass on floor.  In the fourth rotation, four Flames scored 9.8 or higher on beam, and the team total of 48.975 secured the 194.650-194.325 win.

"This time we will settle for the win," co-head coach Peter Jansson said.  "Three events were absolutely lights out – vault, bars, and beam.  I don't think we can perform much better than that so that is what we will take with us to the next stretch of competitions.  Hopefully floor was just a fluke.  We are a good floor team.  The girls know that, and we'll leave this performance at Western Michigan.

"We'll take the W and get ready for the Illinois Classic."

Kayla Baddeley was the beam champion, scoring 9.850.  She also had the Flames' highest score on floor.  Serena Baker won bars for the sixth time this year.  Riley Mahoney took her third vault title.

Rotation 1 – Bars

• Serena Baker had the team's highest score for the seventh time.  Her 9.850 was good for first place.
• Toni Alicke and Miki Northern each scored 9.800 and tied for third.  It was the fifth score of 9.8 or higher this season for each.
• Sabrina Tomassini and Kayla Baddeley each came through with a 9.750.

Rotation 2 – Vault

• Riley Mahoney won the event with a season high-tying 9.850.
• Kayla Baddeley was right behind Mahoney, in third place with 9.825.  She scored above 9.8 for the fifth straight meet, and seventh time this season.
• Northern scored 9.775, and Allison Broad posted a 9.750.

Rotation 3 – Floor

• Baddeley paced the squad with a lovely performance, earning a 9.800.  She ended up in third place.
• Ashley Albrecht and Abby Hasanov each scored 9.700 and landed in a tie for fifth.
• Alicke's 9.525 contributed to the team score, as did Northern's 9.150.

Rotation 4 – Beam

• Baddeley was UIC's best on beam as the event champion.  It was her second win of the year, with a season high-tying 9.850.
• Sheremeta finished third with a 9.825.  She tied her second best score of the season.
• Jenna Squillo set a career high 9.800.  Mahoney had the same score, and the pair tied for fourth.
• Dani Maciel rounded out the season high team score with a 9.700.

All-Around

• Baddeley increased her all-around score for the fifth straight meet.  Her new season high of 39.225 was good for second place.
• Northern suffered a fall on beam, and totaled 37.750 to take fourth.

Up Next

• The Flames will compete for a state championship at the Illinois Classic on Saturday.
• The annual quad meet with all four of the Land of Lincoln's Division I programs - including Illinois, Northern Illinois, and Illinois State – will start at 2 pm in Champaign.