Illinois Women's Gymnastics Hosts #3 Alabama for Senior Day at Huff Hall

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois women's gymnastics team hosts No. 3 Alabama on Senior Day at Huff Hall, welcoming one of the nation's top programs to Champaign. The Illini will compete against the Crimson Tide on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT.

Illinois took part in its annual Big 4 meet at Minnesota last Sunday afternoon, March 1, posting a team score of 195.650. Sophomore Chloe Cho continued her standout season, winning event titles on both bars and beam while setting a new career-high all-around score of 39.575. Cho's all-around mark tied for the sixth-best in program history and is the highest for the Illini since 2022.

She also captured event titles on bars (9.925) and beam (9.950). Summer Clancy posted a career-best 9.900 on beam, Alea Byrne added a 9.775 on vault, Destiny Denning tallied a 9.800 on bars, and Tali Joelson collected a 9.825 on floor. 

ABOUT ALABAMA 

Last Sunday, the No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide competed at the P&G Podium Challenge in Baton Rouge, La., posting a team total of 197.650, which served as its second-highest road score of the season. Gabby Gladieux captured the all-around title with a 39.575, while Azaraya Ra-Akbar won the uneven bars with a career-high-tying 9.975. Chloe Lacoursiere, the national bars leader, scored a 9.925 for the ninth consecutive meet, and Noella Marshall tied her career-high on vault with a 9.875. Kylee Kvamme posted a 9.925 on beam for the third straight week. 

As a team, Alabama posted a 49.500 on bars, 49.175 on beam, 49.600 on floor, and 49.375 on vault. The Tide recorded at least 9.900 on all five countable scores on floor for the third straight meet, and Jordyn Paradise contributed a 9.925 on vault, marking her third straight week of scoring 9.9000 or higher on the event. 

This showdown will pit Alabama's nationally ranked firepower against Illinois home-team momentum, with Senior Day serving as the perfect stage for the Fighting Illini to challenge one of the top programs in the country.

Alabama ranks in the top 10 nationally on all four events, while the Crimson Tide feature at least one student-athlete in the top 10 individually on each apparatus.