The season has reached its apex for Illinois women's gymnastics with the arrival of the long-awaited Big Ten Championships. No one knows what to expect, as this year's competition promises to be one of the most competitive in history. All seven teams are ranked in the nation's top 27, including No. 13 Penn State, No. 15 Michigan and No. 16 Illinois, while Minnesota and Ohio State are deadlocked at No. 17. Michigan State and Iowa sit behind at No. 26 and No. 27, respectively. "The competition for Saturday is completely up in the air," head coach Bob Starkell said. "There's never been a meet where there is honestly no telling who might win. I'd say that we have the biggest advantage because we have the home crowd and are familiar with the facility, but basically, it's just going to be whichever team hits all of their routines, wins."
