McLean County Times

Illinois State University's gymnastics team secured a victory against Southeast Missouri State, with a score of 194.875 to 193.750, on Friday night at Houck Field House in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. This marks the Redbirds' third dual-meet win in just over a week.

Coach Conkling shared his thoughts on the team's performance: "The team pulled together for a solid win tonight. This was their third meet in eight days, and I was a little concerned about fatigue, but they came out with a lot of energy and kept it up throughout the meet. We did give away quite a few points tonight, but we will work this week to eliminate those deductions before heading to Towson next weekend."

During the competition, Illinois State took an early lead after the first rotation by scoring 48.650 on bars compared to Southeast Missouri's 48.475 on vault. The Redbirds continued to extend their advantage with strong performances in subsequent rotations.

Senior Mya Robinson emerged victorious in the all-around category with a score of 38.575, narrowly surpassing SEMO's Taylor Ingle. Jaye Mack achieved a career-high score of 9.925 on vault, leading Illinois State's strong showing in that event.

Reese Grolla claimed first place on bars with a score of 9.825 and also excelled on balance beam, finishing second with a score of 9.800. Kaitlyn Donovan and Mack tied for first place on floor exercises alongside SEMO's Taylor Ingle.

Looking ahead, Illinois State will travel east to participate in a quad meet against Towson University, William & Mary College, and Bowling Green State University in Maryland on February 8th.

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