Chambana Sun

The Illinois Fighting Illini women's gymnastics team is set to host two top-25 opponents at Huff Hall this weekend. The events coincide with the celebration of 50 years of Illinois Women's Gymnastics. On Friday, February 7, the Illini will face No. 18 Ohio State in the Alumni Recognition & Self-Love Meet. Following that, on Sunday, February 9, they will compete against No. 9 Missouri.

Ohio State enters the competition on a two-meet losing streak after facing defeats from Michigan and Michigan State. In their recent meet against Michigan, Ohio State's Tory Vetter excelled by winning the all-around with a score of 39.325 and tying for second on floor with a score of 9.900.

Missouri arrives in Champaign following a narrow loss to LSU but boasts an upset victory over Kentucky earlier in their season. Jocelyn Moore was notable for her performance during Missouri's home opener against Kentucky, where she tied for the vault event title with a score of 9.900 and scored a 9.925 on floor.

Illinois recently competed against Penn State and despite strong performances from gymnasts like Makayla Green and Chloe Cho, they were defeated by Penn State with scores of 196.325 to Illinois' 195.900.

Chloe Cho has been recognized as Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice this season due to her impressive performances across various events including vault and balance beam.

Head Coach Nadalie Walsh has been honored with the inaugural Game Changer for Women in Sports Leadership Award by Gameday Spirit for her contributions to women's sports through mentorship and advocacy.

Freshman Chloe Cho and junior Arielle Ward were highlighted as gymnasts to watch this season within the Big Ten conference due to their previous achievements and potential impact on upcoming competitions.

Amelia Knight returns for another year with high expectations after making significant contributions throughout her collegiate career both athletically and academically.

Coach Nadalie Walsh holds an overall Division I career record of 155-187-1 over her coaching tenure which spans over two decades, demonstrating her extensive experience leading teams at this level.