Chambana Sun

The Fighting Illini Women's Gymnastics team is set to commence its 2025 season at the Ball State Quad. The event will take place on Sunday, January 12, 2025, at Worthen Arena in Muncie, Indiana. The Illinois team will face No. 14 Ball State, SEMO, and UW-Eau Claire.

Head coach Nadalie Walsh's squad did not compete in Week 1, unlike their opponents. Freshman Chloe Cho and junior Arielle Ward have been highlighted as Big Ten's Gymnasts to Watch during the preseason. Cho was a Level 10 state champion and nationals qualifier from Simi Valley, California. She participated in the 2024 U.S. Championships where she achieved personal bests in the all-around competition on consecutive days.

Ward enters her third season with Illinois after participating in all meets last year mainly focusing on vault and floor exercises. She hails from Frisco, Texas and secured third place on vault at the 2024 Big Ten Championships with a score of 9.900.

Amelia Knight returns for another year with Illinois despite initially thinking her time had concluded after four years in Champaign-Urbana. Knight debuted as a freshman on beam and floor during the team's first meet of the 2021 season and has since become an integral part of the lineup.

In her junior year, Knight helped set a new program record on beam with a career-high score of 9.925 while maintaining consistent participation throughout every meet that season. Off the mat, she earned Academic All-Big Ten honors twice and was named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.

Coach Nadalie Walsh holds a Division I career record of 152-184 over her career spanning twenty-one years and boasts an Illinois-specific record of 88-58 across eight years.