CHICAGO – The Illinois State Redbirds finished second at the Windy City Invite held Friday night at Navy Pier, scoring 192.300. Southeast Missouri State won the meet with a score of 193.350, while Centenary placed third at 185.700.
Illinois State’s gymnastics team competed against four other schools in chicago, building momentum ahead of their home opener.
The Redbirds started the meet strong on vault, posting a score of 48.375, according to team notes. However, they struggled on the uneven bars, scoring 46.835. Following a bye, Illinois State rebounded with their highest team score of the night on the balance beam, totaling 48.650, and finished on floor with a score of 48.450.
Gymnast Performances
Sammie Wolff led the Redbirds on vault for the second consecutive week, earning a 9.800, building on her MIC Co-Performance of the Week honor from the previous week, where she scored a 9.825, the team reported. Madyson baucom also contributed a solid score of 9.725 on vault. On bars, Jada Beswick led with a 9.800, while Savannah ray started the rotation with a 9.675.
The beam saw strong performances from Leah Davis (9.800), Ally Lau (9.750), and Jaly jones (9.750), helping ISU achieve its highest event score. Jones and Abbey Harris, competing in her first rotation, both scored 9.750 on floor.
What This Means for You
For Illinois State gymnastics fans, this meet indicates a team capable of strong performances, especially on beam, but also highlights areas for advancement, specifically on bars. The Redbirds’ ability to recover after a weaker rotation demonstrates resilience, a quality Coach Ringer emphasized. The team’s upcoming home opener against Centenary provides an immediate chance to build on this momentum and refine their routines in front of a home crowd.
“If we put together a stronger effort on bars tonight, it would have been a strong score for us,” Coach Ringer said. “Despite that, I’m proud of their grit as they could have fallen apart and given up after a bad rotation early in the meet and then having to sit and think about it on the bye. Though, they came back out and put together a great
Expanded News Report:
Illinois State gymnastics Finishes Second at Windy City Invite, Prepares for Home Opener
CHICAGO – The Illinois State Redbirds gymnastics team placed second out of five teams at the Windy city Invite held Friday night at Navy Pier, scoring a 192.300. southeast Missouri State secured first place with a 193.350, and Centenary finished third with a 185.700.
Why did this happen? The Redbirds showcased a mix of strong performances and areas needing improvement, ultimately falling short of Southeast Missouri State’s winning score.
Who was involved? The competition included Illinois State, Southeast Missouri State, Centenary, and two other unnamed schools. Key performers for Illinois State included Sammie Wolff, Jada Beswick, Leah Davis, and Jaly Jones. Illinois State coach Ringer also provided insight.
What happened? The Redbirds began the meet with a solid vault score of 48.375 but struggled on
