CHAMPAIGN — Bridget Hodan is a Big Ten champion.
Hodan collected the title on balance beam with a 9.900.
It wasn't enough, however, to lift Illinois to a team crown. The Illini women's gymnastics team took third place at the Big Ten Championships. Illinois scored 196.625 overall behind Michigan (197.200) and Nebraska (196.950) in Saturday's conference finals at State Farm Center.
The Illini netted 48.900 on vault, 49.075 on beam and 49.375 on floor They also tied a season-best 49.275 on bars with the help of sophomore Karen Howell's career-best 9.925.
Baseball clinches Big Ten-opening series
The Illinois baseball team edged Northwestern with a 5-4 victory on Saturday in 11 innings, clinching the series.