Lindenwood at Illinois State

Recap

The Big Storyline: Lindenwood came away with the three-tenth win after Illinois State was forced to count two falls on bars. Lindenwood was able to hold off a charging Red Bird’s floor lineup with a strong beam lineup of its own. 

Implications: This will increase the Lion’s confidence heading into the rest of the season, leading this conference matchup from start to finish. The number of stuck dismounts really impressed for the second week of competition. Illinois State will want to improve on its bar rotation in the coming weeks. However, its beam and floor rotations were a highlight.

Preview

Current Rankings: No. 40 Lindenwood at No. 41 Illinois State

Why You Should Make Time to Tune in: Lindenwood and Illinois State are constantly at a battle at the top of the MIC rankings throughout the regular season. While 2022 was more Illinois State-dominant, the Red Birds ultimately fell to third, just behind the Lions, at the conference championship. If Week 1 is any indication, 2023 is going to be another competitive year between these two teams. 

Need More Proof? Illinois State and Lindenwood each have competitors that have competed at the highest stage, NCAA nationals. Gayla Griswold’s Yurchenko one and a half has scored as high as 9.975. Angelica Labat is a solid all-around competitor, but particularly stands out on vault and bars. Her amplitude on her release moves is next level. Jaye Mack became the second individual national qualifier for Illinois State on floor last season. She combines fun dance and a sky-high full-twisting double pike to keep the crowd engaged.