CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Western Michigan gymnastics team suffered its first dual meet setback of the campaign Friday as No. 23 Illinois posted its highest score of the season in a 195.900-194.850 triumph inside Huff Hall. The team score for the Broncos marked their fifth time this season higher than 194.800.

WMU had its best showing of the year on bars with a 48.975, the program's highest mark on the event since the same score at the 2019 MAC Championship. Senior Amelia Mohler scored a 9.900, tied for the fifth-highest mark in program history, while junior Alexis Olivier set her career high in the event with a 9.875.
 
Junior Morgan Spence also had her highest all-around score of the season with a 38.675 to finish second overall.

Western Michigan used its strong bars performance to take a 48.975-48.775 lead following the first rotation. Mohler tied Illinois' Karen Howell for the top score while Olivier tied Olivia O'Donnell of the Fighting Illini for third. Olivier has turned in her three best bars scores of the season in the last three weeks.

The second rotation had Illinois take the lead at 97.925-97.300 after the Broncos finished the vault. Sophomore Carissa Ludwig smashed her career high in the event with a 9.800 to tie Mia Townes and Shaylah Scott of Illinois for the top spot. Ludwig's previous best in the event was a 9.7250, set Sunday against Ball State. Freshman Josephine Thomas finished tied for fourth with a 9.750.

WMU tightened the gap following the third rotation and trailed 146.600-146.325 after its turn on the floor. Junior Stacie Harrison led the Bronco unit with a 9.875, tied for her second-best mark of the campaign, to take third. Freshman Ronnie Binstock finished second on the squad and sixth overall with a 9.825.

The Broncos couldn't quite close the gap in the fourth rotation. On the beam, freshmen Amanda Gruber (9.800) and Charlotte Tishkoff (9.750) led the way and finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Gruber's performance tied for her second-highest score of the campaign while Tishkoff's mark was her third-highest showing of the season.

In the all-around, Spence took second to Illinois' Howell, 39.325-38.675. Tishkoff finished fourth in the all-around with a 38.200 while Illinois' Nicole Biondi took third (38.225).

The Broncos continue the road swing on Sunday, February 23, at 1 p.m. with the West Virginia Quad Meet. In Morgantown, Western Michigan will compete against the host Mountaineers, Bowling Green and Towson.
 
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