After posting the highest overall score in school history Friday night, the Illinois State gymnastics team, 5-0, finds itself ranked among the nations elite at No. 6. Its the highest team gymnatics rating the Redbirds have ever attained.
The latest national poll has the Birds No. 6 overall, No. 3 on the beam, No. 12 on the bars No. 13 on the vault and No. 15 on the floor exercise.
Its very exciting to be up there with the likes of Georgia, Utah and UCLA, head coach Jill Hollembeak said. This years team is great, probably one of the best in school history. This is huge and really remarkable.
Hollembeak claims that the balance beam is potentially her teams best event as evident by the national as well as regional standings.
Sophomore Denise Houda is currently tied for the No. 3 beam score with a 9.925. Regionally, Houdas score ties her for the top spot. Freshman Lisa Klein and sophomore Heather Mohler join Houda in the regional beam ranks, both tied for fifth, as junior Annie Chapman sits in the No. 7 spot
As a team, Illinois State ranks No. 1 in the South Central Region for overall score and beam. The Birds trail Nebraska for the top vault score and are third on the floor and fourth on the bars.
Senior captain Michelle Huston is tied with the No. 2 floor score of 9.925, which broke the school record. Kristy Kreinbrink, a sophomore from Leipsic, Ohio, tied the schools record on the bars with a 9.90 and finds herself in a tie for third regionally.
In the all-around competition, Mohler leads the way at No.3, followed closely by Houda at No. 4 and Huston at No. 6.
The Redbirds travel to Muncie, Ind., Friday night in a triangular meet with Ball State and Central Michigan.
National Gymnastics Rankings
January 22, 2001
No. Team Team High Region Avg
1 UCLA 197.500 W 196.862
2 Alabama 196.650 C 196.083
3 Georgia 196.500 SE 195.983
4 Utah 196.375 NC 195.900
5 Michigan 196.200 NE 194.933
6 Illinois State 196.000 SC 195.033
7 Ohio State 195.575 C 193.775
8 Florida 195.550 SE 195.025
9 Nebraska 195.500 SC 195.225
10 Stanford 195.300 W 194.987
11 Oklahoma 195.300 SC 194.450
12 California 195.175 W 193.742
13 Iowa State 195.075 NC 193.275
14 Oregon State 194.900 W 193.183
15 Minnesota 194.850 NC 194.267
16 Penn State 194.825 NE 194.058
17 Bowling Green 194.825 C 194.162
18 Illinois 194.650 SC 194.650
19 Utah State 194.450 NC 191.625
20 Brigham Young 194.325 NC 194.300
21 Denver 194.175 NC 193.250
22 Iowa 194.100 NC 193.500
23 W. Michigan 193.850 C 193.450
24 New Hampshire 193.800 NE 192.550
25 Arizona State 193.750 SC 192.637
