KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The 2023 gymnastics season officially got underway on Sunday afternoon in Kalamazoo, Michigan, for the Illinois State gymnastics team, as they took on host Western Michigan and UW-Oshkosh. The home team was strong, taking the team win with a score of 194.875, followed by the Redbirds in second (192.825) and the Titans in third (190.400).
Scoring Breakdown:
• Western Michigan: 194.875
• Illinois State: 192.825
• UW-Oshkosh: 190.400
Thoughts from Coach Bob Conkling:
"Overall, I was proud of the team. We started on beam, which has been a strong event for us in practice, but we had some first-meet jitters and had to count a fall. After that we had a solid meet with some small mistakes here and there. We will work hard to correct these errors for our home meets this weekend."
Team Notes:
• The Redbirds started the day on beam and got behind early, but managed to stay within striking distance of the Broncos over the remaining three rotations
• ISU put up its best team score of the day on floor with a 48.475, followed by a 48.400 on vault.
Gymnast Notes:
• Three Redbirds competed in the all-around in the season-opening meet, with two-time defending Midwest Independent Conference champion Angelica Labat leading the way in second place with a 38.875. Labat's score was aided by a pair of top 5 finishes on bars in a tie for second (9.825) and on floor in fourth (9.775).
• Freshman Nirel Bart-Williams also competed in the all-around in her first collegiate meet, placing fourth overall with a 38.575 which was powered by a 9.700 performance on floor.
• Madison Kipp took home the top spot in the beam competition with a strong 9.850 to start the season.
• ISU had three gymnasts in the top 6 on vault, with Jaye Mack pacing the group in a tie for second with a 9.725 followed by Kaitlyn Donovan and Alana Laster in a tie for sixth place with matching scores of 9.700.
Up Next:
The Redbirds head home next weekend for a pair of home meets inside CEFCU Arena. The weekend will begin on Friday, Jan. 13, with a dual meet against fellow MIC foe Lindenwood at 7 p.m. and will be capped off on Sunday with a 2 p.m. meet against Western Michigan.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
