McLean County Times

Illinois State University had a strong showing at the Next Level Gymnastics Podium Challenge in Battle Creek, Michigan. The Redbirds started strong but faced challenges in the second rotation, dropping to fourth place midway through the competition. However, they rallied with impressive performances on floor and vault, securing a second-place finish with a score of 195.100.

The final scores were as follows: Pittsburgh led with 195.575, Illinois State followed with 195.100, George Washington scored 194.375, and Western Michigan finished with 192.850.

Coach Conkling expressed pride in the team's performance: "I'm incredibly proud of how our team competed tonight. Our goal is to improve and score higher each meet we compete in, and we were able to accomplish that tonight."

The Redbirds began on bars, taking an early lead with a score of 48.825. They then moved to beam for the second rotation but slipped to fourth place after scoring 48.250. A strong floor performance with a score of 49.000 helped them regain ground, moving into second place behind Pittsburgh. They concluded the meet on vault with a score of 49.025.

In individual performances, Jaly Jones tied for first in the all-around competition with Delaney DeHaan from George Washington, both scoring 39.100. Alana Laster tied for first on vault with a score of 9.850, while Jaye Mack tied for second place with a score of 9.825.

Sara Wabi and Julia Heiner both posted scores of 9.800 on bars, tying for third place in that event. Leah Davis tied for third on beam with a score of 9.775, while Jones was just behind her in fourth place with a score of 9.750.

Wabi, Mack, and Kaitlyn Donovan also performed well on floor, each tying for fourth place with scores of 9.825.

Next up for Illinois State is the Windy City Invitational in Chicago on January 17th at Navy Pier against Wisconsin-Stout, Fisk University, and Wilberforce University.

For updates on Illinois State gymnastics events and results, fans can visit GoRedbirds.com or follow the team on social media platforms including Instagram (@redbirdgymnastics), X (@redbirdwgym), and Facebook.