McLean County Times

Illinois State University (ISU) is set to face the Minnesota Golden Gophers in a gymnastics meet this Saturday at Maturi Pavilion, Minneapolis. The Redbirds are preparing for their encounter with the No. 15 ranked team as part of their final regular-season matches before the Midwest Independent Conference Championship.

The Gophers will host ISU at 4 p.m. CT, with live coverage provided by B1G+ and commentary from Lexy Bergeland (Ramler) and Tiarre Sales. "This will be the first time, since I started coaching here at ISU, that we will be competing at Minnesota," said ISU Head Coach Bob Conkling. "The team, coaches and staff are looking forward to competing against another Big Ten team this season and are prepared, focused and ready for the challenge."

Currently ranked No. 37 nationally, ISU holds notable rankings on floor (No. 25) and vault (No. 26). Senior Alana Laster is eyeing a return to NCAA Regionals with her current ranking of No. 28 on vault.

Last Friday, ISU achieved a score of 195.725 to win the Redbird Quad meet against Central Michigan, Centenary, and Bowling Green. This was their second-highest team score of the year. Senior Sara Wabi was named MIC Gymnast of the Week for her performance, which included a career-high 9.900 on bars.

Minnesota stands at No. 15 in national rankings after tying for second in the Big Ten standings with Michigan State. Individual performers include Mya Hooten, who ranks highly on vault and floor events.

In their last outing, Minnesota scored a first-place finish at the Big 4 meet with a total of 196.625 points.

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