UIC will compete for the Illinois state championship in the annual Illinois Classic Saturday afternoon.  The meet will include all four collegiate programs in the Land of Lincoln: UIC, Illinois, Northern Illinois, and Illinois State.  The Fighting Illini, who are hosting the meet, have won the last 11 Classics.  UIC was the last team other than Illinois to capture the crown with a title in 2007 that capped an eight year run in which the Flames took first six times.

The Flames enter the meet as the highest ranked team in Illinois, with a National Qualifying Score of 195.210 that places them 33^rd in the nation.  Illinois is 36^th, just one tenth behind, while NIU checks in at 44^th and Illinois State ranks 55^th.

UIC has competed against two of its intrastate rivals already this season.  They have topped NIU on two separate occasions, and defeated Illinois State on the road, as part of the team's nine-meet winning streak.

The meet will begin at 2 pm.  Links to watch the live stream (two sources of the same feed) and follow live scores are in the blue box above.

Through the Rotations

• Miki Northern is the current MIC Gymnast of the Week.  She had two wins and two second place finishes, along with a season high all-around score and three additional season highs, against Lindenwood and Penn last weekend.
• Alisa Sheremeta returned to the Newcomer of the Week podium for the MIC-leading fourth time this year.  She posted her seventh score of 9.8 or higher on floor.
• Riley Mahoney won vault for the third time this season in the Flames' last meet against Western Michigan on Tuesday.  She tied her season high score of 9.850, and added a 9.800 on beam.
• Serena Baker has won bars in five of the last six meets.  Her season high is 9.875, which she has achieved twice.

Last Time Out

• The Flames extended their winning streak to nine straight first place finishes with a dual meet victory over Western Michigan Tuesday.
• UIC posted a season high team score on beam, 48.975.  Kayla Baddeley won the event.
• Baddeley set a new season high in the all-around with her 39.225.

Scouting the Opposition

• Illinois scored 195.075 in a loss to #6 Denver last weekend.
• Mary Jane Otto is the team's leader on vault and bars, as well as all-around.
• Otto is one of three Illini to score 9.925 on any apparatus this season.
• Northern Illinois came from behind to defeat Illinois State last Friday.
• Mia Lord won beam in both meets between NIU and UIC.  Two different Huskies won floor in the two previous encounters.
• Illinois State's Gabrielle Cook won all-around in last week's meet against NIU.  Sofia Iribarren won bars.
• Meredith LaRoche has the team's top average on vault and bars.