Two against one; men's gymnastics hosts Illinois

By Adam McQueen

Daily Sports Writer

In what has been billed as the featured matchup of the season, No. 1 will meet No. 2 this weekend in men's gymnastics.

After a thrashing of then-No. 3 Ohio State last Saturday, the top-ranked Michigan men's gymnastics team (1-0 Big Ten, 7-0 overall) looks to continue its success in a marquee match up with the second-ranked Fighting Illini (1-0, 7-1) this Friday at Cliff Keen Arena.

Illinois is coming off an impressive performance of its own, easily handling Minnesota last Saturday, 208.150 to 204.350.

The Wolverines will have to prove their worth against a high-quality opponent for the third consecutive week.

"Its been a real challenge for the guys," Michigan coach Kurt Golder said. "This will be the third week in a row we have faced tough competition."

The teams met four times last season with Michigan prevailing in each of those contests, including twice in the postseason.

Illinois faced Michigan at the Windy City Invitational in Chicago two weeks ago, placing a close second behind the Wolverines.

"Illinois beat us on the rings. No one has beat us on the rings in two years," Golder said. "That really caught my attention."

Golder has his team focused on maintaining consistency and upgrading the difficulty of its routines this week in practice. The rings will surely be emphasized as Michigan looks to avoid a repeated upset in its strongest event traditionally.

Senior All-American Leo Oka - the top all-around gymnast in the nation - leads the Illinois team. Adding to his efforts are senior Greg Cook, the No. 2 gymnast in the nation on high bar, and sophomore Sean-Paul Crawford, a top performer in the vault.

Michigan's health continues to improve, but it will still be without senior tri-captain Justin Toman this week. The date of his eventual return will be determined in mid-February when he is reevaluated. Until that time, the Michigan athletes will have to continue to step up in his absence.

As the top-ranked team in the nation, the Wolverines are expected to excel. All of their opponents, including the Illini, will be that much more determined to pull the upset.

"We're the target," Golder said. "(Illinois) will be keying up big time for us."