Who to Watch For at Big Ten Championships

Who to Watch For at Big Ten Championships

With 10 teams in the the largest gymnastics conference in the nation, there's definitely a lot of gymnastics to watch at the Big Ten Championships. The cham

Mar 18, 2016 by Amanda Wijangco
Who to Watch For at Big Ten Championships
With 10 teams in the the largest gymnastics conference in the nation, there's definitely a lot of gymnastics to watch at the Big Ten Championships. The championships will be split up into two sessions, where four teams will compete in the morning, and six in the evening. The seeds for the championships were determined by last weekend's Big Five meets, where the top performers qualified to the evening session. Here's who to watch for from each team, during each session.

Morning Session


Illinois

  • Erin Buchanan: At the Big Five meet, Shawn Johnson raved about this junior all-arounder, commending Buchanan for her powerful tumbling, great flexibility and spectacular vault. Buchanan is stepping up as Illinois’ top all-around competitor but excels on vault and floor. She most recently won the vault and floor titles at the Ohio State Big Five meet with scores of 9.900 and 9.925, respectively. Buchanan loves to compete and is a performer on floor.

  • Sunny Kato: This senior is a bars-and-beam specialist for a reason. She has clean lines and great technique on each of those events and is currently ranked No. 4 on balance beam in the country.



Iowa

  • Mollie Drenth: This junior all-arounder may excel on all four, but she especially shines on balance beam. Drenth is currently No. 14 on the event nationally. Her unique mount showcases her flexibility and strength, and her leap series is a beat jump to sheep jump combo. Her season high is a 9.950.

  • Alie Glover: Glover’s floor routine isn’t the most difficult, but she executes her double pike, front full to punch front, and double tuck tumbling passes well. She anchors the rotation and most recently earned the floor title at the Penn State Big Five meet five a 9.925.




Maryland

  • Kathy Tang: Tang is a solid competitor for the Terps and posts solid scores on each event. She is a definite standout on floor, and scored a 9.875 at the Ohio State Big Five meet.
  • Abbie Epperson: On uneven bars, Epperson shows off her lines and toepoint. She has been a rock in Terps’ bar lineup, hit every routine this season, and will look to do so again on Saturday. 



Rutgers

  • Riahanah Ali: On floor, Ali has earned a 9.800 or higher for six consecutive meets. There, she has solid tumbling and good height on her double tuck.


Evening Session


Michigan

  • Nicole Artz: This upperclassman has been helping lead the way for the Wolverines all season long with her performances on every event, most notably, though, on bars, beam and floor. She's ranked No. 18 nationally on bars and beam and No. 4 on floor. She begins her floor routine with a great piked full-in and has great landings, and has scored above a 9.925 multiple times this season.

  • Olivia Karas: There’s a reason this Chicago-native has been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for nearly the entire season. Though she’s only a freshman, Karas competes like a seasoned veteran. Her season all-around high of 39.625 is one of the highest in the country this season and she is currently ranked No. 7 in the all-around. Karas scores well on all four, but is especially one to watch on the power events. She’s No. 2 on vault and No. 7 on floor, with near-perfect high scores of 9.950 on each. 



Michigan State

  • Lisa Burt: On bars, Burt has only scored below 9.8 once this season and has a season high 9.925. She has exquisite form and wonderful lines to go along with her Gienger.

  • Elena Lagoski: Her dramatic floor routine includes a double arabian, and clean, solid tumbling throughout. Plus, she has yet to score below 9.800 on the event this season.



Minnesota

  • Lindsay Mable: It’s safe to say Mable is the Gophers’ top gymnast. She’s a solid, high-scoring competitor the Gophers have come to rely on for the past four years. This season, she’s scored above a 9.925 on every event, so she is one to watch the entire evening. 

  • Hanna Nordquist: Anyone who earns a perfect 10.0 is always one to watch. At the Penn State Big Five meet, Nordquist earned her first perfect 10.0 on beam. Her perfect performance on beam helped lead the Gophers to a Big Five win, securing the Big Ten regular season championship. Her routine also includes a unique series: a side aerial to layout step-out.



Nebraska

  • Danielle Breen: The Iowa-native is coming off an all-around win at the Ohio State Big Five meet, but Breen shines on beam. There, she is poised and confident and isn’t afraid of a little difficulty. Her routine includes a beautiful double stag jump and a sheep jump.

  • Hollie Blanske: Of the Huskers’ all-around trio, Blanske is the most-experienced, and it shows. She has a season-high in the all-around is a 39.600, and has earned a 9.95 on floor three times this season. The senior is such a dynamic gymnast on floor, in terms of both tumbling and performance



Ohio State


  • Kaitlyn Hofland: This redshirt freshman has had a solid first competitive year with the Buckeyes. She has competed all-around multiple times this season and averages a 9.828 on bars. There, she shows off her elite experience with a great toe point, a straddled Jaeger and a double front dismount.

  • Stefanie Merkle: Merkle is another Canadian Buckeye who’s had a solid year, as she currently averages a 9.795 on beam and a 9.820 on floor. She has one of the team's most difficult routines on floor, starting out with a tucked full-in.



Penn State

  • Briannah Tsang: Tsang may be an all-around competitor, but she has been especially great for the Nittany Lions on vault and bars all season long. On vault, she’s only dipped into the 9.700 range once this season, and on bars, she’s scored 9.8+ for six straight meets.
  • Nicole Medvitz: Beam is where Medvitz has excelled this season. Though she had a rough start, she’s scored a 9.800 or above for eight consecutive weeks, most recently scoring a huge 9.975 at the Big Five meet. She does a rare one-handed back handspring in her series and does an excellent job at highlighting her flexibility.


Related:
Illinois vs. Iowa
Illinois vs. Michigan
Erin Buchanan on B1G Five Performances and Shawn Johnson
Kim Landrus on B1G Five and Team Depth: Illini Ready to Rebound and Replace