Sports

The wait is almost over. Season six of ESPN College GameDay is set to bring the big, red bus to Champaign for the first time on Saturday, when Illinois hosts No. 5 Michigan State.

The Illini hockey team split a league series for the fourth time in a row this past weekend. And with a CSCHL regular season title out of reach, the orange and blue were looking to prove something.

Despite the Sunday upset, the Illini grapplers still feel they have a lot of work to do.

When nine members of the No. 2 Illinois men’s gymnastics team traveled to Las Vegas over the weekend for the Winter Cup Challenge, they went to compete for one of the sport’s highest distinctions, a berth on the U.S. national team.

Illini nation packed the Assembly Hall on Saturday night as Illinois defeated No. 5 Michigan State, 78-73, to cap off ESPN College GameDay’s stop in Champaign. The Fighting Illini moved into a tie for second place in the Big Ten with the victory.

Regardless of the sport, every athlete’s dream is to go out on top, to end their career with a peak performance. At this weekend’s Minnesota Challenge, Illini senior swimmer Courtney Spivak couldn’t have ended her career any better, setting lifetime bests in the 200 fly (2:14.38) and 200 free (2:00.30).

When the Illinois men’s track and field team competed in the individually scored Meyo Invitational, where the team recorded 15 personal bests last weekend, it took everyone working as a team to accumulate the performances the Orange and Blue had.

Freshman Rachael White introduced herself to Illinois women’s tennis fans as a blonde in Friday’s home opener. Just two days later, she sported a new look that confused some spectators.

The No. 23 Illinois women’s gymnastics team has made a habit this season to continually improve on its score from the previous week. Now the Illini are making it a habit to change the record books every time they compete.