The Illinois women’s gymnastics team will host the Big Ten Women’s Gymnastics Championships at State Farm Center in Champaign on March 20 and 21, with the Fighting Illini set to compete in Session I on Friday evening alongside Nebraska, Rutgers, and Washington.
The event is significant for both the university and the conference, as it brings together top teams from across the Big Ten for a two-day competition. According to the official website, the University of Illinois Fighting Illini Women’s Gymnastics is known by the nickname Fighting Illini within university athletics and competes at the NCAA Division I level in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois according to the official website.
Illinois recently finished third in a quad meet featuring Minnesota, Iowa, and Northern Illinois. Standout performances included Lyden Saltness scoring a 9.900 on bars—her sixth such score this season—and Chloe Cho tying for ninth place with a 9.800. On beam, Callie Kauffman matched her career-high with a 9.775 while Alea Byrne tied her season best with a 9.850.
Sophomores Chloe Cho and Eden King received All-Big Ten honors this week. Cho was named to the All-Big Ten First Team for a second consecutive year after winning 19 event titles this season and ranking among the nation’s top-10 gymnasts on bars and all-around throughout regular competition. King earned her first Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honor.
Head coach Josh Nilson said, “To have the opportunity to host the Big Ten Championships at the University of Illinois is a great honor. We are looking forward to bringing more visibility to our university and the Big Ten as a whole. We will host a first-class event for both the fans and visiting teams. Make plans to be in Champaign, Illinois this March.” The program last hosted this championship in 2003 and again in 2009.
The Fighting Illini have finished sixth at each of their last two conference championships but saw notable success in recent years—including Chloe Cho being named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2025 and tying for third place as a team in 2021 under then-student-athlete Abby Mueller.
As reported by their official site, home events are conducted in Champaign according to their official website, where they share their nickname with other university athletic teams according to their official website. The team is also recognized as part of both university athletics and NCAA Division I competition according to their official website.
Looking ahead, hosting duties offer an opportunity for increased visibility for both Illinois gymnastics and its athletes as they enter postseason play.
