McLean County Times

Illinois State University's gymnastics team secured a victory against Northern Illinois University in their home opener at Horton Field House. The Redbirds achieved a score of 193.925, narrowly surpassing the Huskies' 192.850.

Coach Conkling expressed mixed feelings about the performance: "Well, it wasn't the home opening competition that we were hoping to have but we still did enough to pull off a win. I know this team is capable of so much more than they did tonight. It's time to put the confidence hat back on for our next meet on Friday with SEMO."

The Redbirds started strong on the vault with scores above 9.700, totaling 48.700 points. However, their performance on bars saw a dip with a score of 47.950, allowing Northern Illinois to close the gap slightly. ISU regained momentum with a beam score of 48.375 and finished strong on floor with 48.900 points.

Senior Mya Robinson delivered an impressive all-around performance, scoring 38.825 and excelling particularly on floor exercise where she led with a score of 9.850. On bars, senior Julia Heiner tied for first place with NIU's Natalia Kraus at 9.775, while freshman Savannah Ray came third at 9.750.

Leah Davis and Jaye Mack tied for first place on balance beam alongside NIU's Ellery Werner, each scoring 9.825. The Redbirds dominated the floor exercise event by securing the top four positions.

Looking ahead, Illinois State will compete in Cape Girardeau, Missouri against Southeast Missouri State in a Midwest Independent Conference dual meet.

For updates and more information about Illinois State gymnastics, visit GoRedbirds.com or follow them on social media platforms including Instagram (@redbirdgymnastics), X (@redbirdwgym), and Facebook.