Illinois State finished in third place with a score of 193.625 in the regular-season finale at Pittsburgh on March 15, recording its highest floor event score of the season during the tri-meet at Fitzgerald Field House.
The meet was significant as it marked the end of the regular season for Illinois State and featured strong individual performances, setting up momentum for upcoming championship competition.
Illinois State began on bars, scoring 47.325, then improved on beam with a 48.600—its third highest beam score this season. The team achieved its best floor performance of the year with a 49.000, anchored by senior Jaly Jones. The Redbirds concluded on vault with a score of 48.700, also their third highest vault mark this season.
Savannah Ray and Sammie Wolf tied for sixth place on vault with scores of 9.800 each. Julia Heiner tied for eighth on bars (9.800), while Ray added a tenth-place finish (9.775). Ally Lau placed second overall on balance beam with a 9.825—her third consecutive meet scoring at least that high—and Audrey Hiatt and Courtney Woods also finished in the top ten on beam. On floor, Jones tied for fourth (9.850), while Woods and Leah Davis shared seventh place (9.825). Ray competed in all-around for the first time at Illinois State and placed second overall with a total of 38.875 points.
According to the official website, Illinois State Redbirds benefits from the Redbird Athletics Excellence Fund to support competitiveness and recruitment efforts, and is linked to Illinois State University as its athletic program base. The team competes in NCAA Division I events across various regions and utilizes facilities such as the OSF HealthCare Athletics Training Center for student-athlete preparation. News, schedules, rosters, and fan resources are available online to bolster community engagement.
Looking ahead, Illinois State will host the Midwest Independent Conference Gymnastics Championship on Friday, March 20 at 6 p.m., providing an opportunity to build upon recent successes.
