Chambana Sun

The Illinois women's gymnastics team is set to host Northern Illinois on March 16 at Huff Hall in Champaign. The meet, which will be broadcast live on B1G+, includes the I AM Meet, Camper Reunion, and Kids Clinic.

Northern Illinois recently lost a close competition against Central Michigan with a score of 194.400-194.175. Kiera O'Shea led her team by securing first place in both vault and beam events with scores of 9.850 each. Aliyah Kelly also excelled, winning her first all-around competition with a score of 38.850.

Illinois aims for a strong performance following their third-place finish at the Western Michigan Quad Meet on March 8, where they scored 195.300. Eden King achieved career highs on vault and floor, while Lyden Saltness shared first place on beam with a career-best score.

Chloe Cho has been recognized as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week four times this season, marking a program record for freshman accolades in one season. "Cho has earned 11 event titles just eight competitions into her collegiate career," noted an Illinois spokesperson.

Head coach Nadalie Walsh was honored with the Game Changer for Women in Sports Leadership Award by Gameday Spirit earlier this year. The award celebrates women who have significantly impacted sports through mentorship and advocacy.

Freshman Chloe Cho and junior Arielle Ward were highlighted as gymnasts to watch during the preseason by the Big Ten conference. Ward has shown consistent performance, notably placing third on vault at last year's Big Ten Championships.

Amelia Knight returns for another year after initially planning to conclude her gymnastics career last season. Knight has been instrumental since her freshman year and continues to contribute both athletically and academically to the team.

The meet notes indicate that Coach Walsh holds a Division I career record of 160-196-1 over 21 seasons, including an impressive tenure at Illinois with a record of 96-70-1.