Chambana Sun

Illinois women's gymnastics team has advanced to the second round of the NCAA Regionals following a narrow victory over Ball State. The competition took place at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with Illinois securing a 195.825-195.775 win.

"We are extremely excited and so grateful to be advancing to Round 2," said head coach Nadalie Walsh. "Round 1 is always the hardest competition of the year because of how critical it is to hit and position yourself above the opponent. The Fighting Illini did just that. They handled the pressure well and will only get better tomorrow. I can't wait for this team to make incredible memories and put it all out there in the night session on Thursday."

In individual performances, three Illinois gymnasts achieved top scores in their respective events. Mia Takekawa excelled on bars with a score of 9.900, Amelia Knight tied for first on beam with a 9.850, and Mia Townes led on floor with a score of 9.850.

The team's event breakdown showed competitive scores across various disciplines:

On vault, Illinois achieved a team score of 48.875, with Townes and Arielle Ward both scoring 9.800s, followed by Takekawa's 9.775.

In bars, Illinois recorded a team score of 49.050, where Knight finished second individually with a score of 9.850, closely trailing Takekawa's leading score of 9.900.

For beam, Illinois earned a total of 48.900 as Townes and Kaitlyn Ewald scored significant marks of 9.800 each, while Abby Mueller secured a score of 9.750.

On floor exercise, Townes' first-place finish contributed to Illinois achieving a team score of 49.000; Mueller and Alea Byrne tied for second at 9.800 each.

Looking ahead, Illinois will face off against No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 16 NC State, and No. 17 Ohio State in the second round scheduled for tomorrow night at 6 p.m CT. The top two teams from this round will move forward to compete in the final round on April 6 at 4 p.m CT for an opportunity to advance to NCAA Nationals.