Chambana Sun

The Illinois women's gymnastics team is preparing to face the UCLA Bruins in Los Angeles on January 25. This will be Illinois' first encounter with a member of the Big Ten expansion group this season.

UCLA recently secured their first Big Ten win against Maryland with a score of 197.550-194.850. Olympian Jordan Chiles achieved a perfect 10 on uneven bars, and both Chiles and Brooklyn Moors received Big Ten Weekly Awards for their performances.

Illinois comes off a victory against Nebraska, scoring 196.275-195.600 in their home opener on January 18. The match saw twelve career-high scores, with Chloe Cho, Makayla Green, and Arielle Ward winning event titles. Chloe Cho was named the Big Ten's Freshman of the Week following her performance.

Chloe Cho and Arielle Ward have been highlighted as gymnasts to watch this season. Cho, from Simi Valley, California, has shown promise since her collegiate debut at the Ball State Quad on January 12, where she won her first event title on vault. In the Nebraska meet, she claimed titles on floor and all-around.

Arielle Ward is entering her third season with Illinois after participating in all sixteen meets last year. She earned third place on vault at the 2024 Big Ten Championships and won the vault title against Nebraska this season.

Amelia Knight returns for another year after initially thinking her time with Illinois was over. She made an immediate impact as a freshman and continued to excel throughout her collegiate career both athletically and academically.

Head Coach Nadalie Walsh enters her eighth season at Illinois with a Division I career record of 155-185-1 and a record of 91-59-1 while at Illinois.