Four members of the University of Illinois Fighting Illini Women’s Gymnastics team are preparing to compete at the NCAA Regionals on April 3 in Lexington, Kentucky. Chloe Cho, Summer Clancy, Eden King, and Lyden Saltness will represent Illinois at the event.
The participation of these athletes highlights the ongoing success and national competitiveness of the program. The University of Illinois Fighting Illini Women’s Gymnastics competes at the NCAA Division I level and is a member of the Big Ten Conference, according to the official website.
Chloe Cho will participate as an all-around competitor after a season that included 25 total titles—ranking third-most for a single campaign in program history—and top-10 national rankings on bars and all-around during regular season competition. Summer Clancy earned her spot on beam following strong performances throughout her freshman year, including two event titles and selection to the Big Ten All-Championships team on vault. Eden King qualified for floor exercise after achieving three consecutive scores of 9.900 leading into regionals. Lyden Saltness will compete on bars after posting six routines with scores above 9.900 this season.
At their last meet during the Big Ten Championships at State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois—a venue where they conduct home events—the Illini posted a score of 195.125 while recording top individual marks on vault, bars, and beam among Session I teams Nebraska, Rutgers, and Washington. Head coach Josh Nilson said: “This team is completely unified. Through thick and thin, they stuck together. The lessons learned this year will not be forgotten… There wasn’t a point in this competition where they doubted their teammates; they stood shoulder to shoulder and fought the whole way… We appreciate all of the support, and we look forward to building on the important lessons of the 2026 season…the future is bright! I-L-L!”
Cho was recently named to her second consecutive All-Big Ten First Team honor while King received recognition as Illinois’ Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.
The Fighting Illini nickname is shared across university athletics teams based in Champaign-Urbana according to their official website.
