SEATTLE, Wash.  – A trio of standout Illinois State gymnasts will have the opportunity to show they belong with some of the best collegiate gymnasts in the country on Friday, as seniors Jaye Mack, Alana Laster and Sara Wabi head to Seattle, Washington, to compete at the 2025 NCAA Washington Regional Championships at Alaska Airlines Arena.

The 2025 NCAA Washington Regional Championships will be held, April 3-6, with the Redbirds competing in the first session on Friday at 3 p.m. CT. The regional final will be contested on Saturday, April 5.

"I am so proud of these three young ladies and the season they have had so far," ISU head coach Bob Conkling said. "I know they are prepared for this competition and will represent their Redbird teammates and fans with style and grace against some of the best gymnasts in the country in Washington this weekend."

Mack will be representing Illinois State at the Regional for the fourth year in a row and will compete on both vault and floor, rotating with Arizona throughout. As a freshman in 2022, she punched her ticket to the NCAA Championship by posting a score of 9.925 at the NCAA Norman Regional to advance as the top individual on floor that was not part of an advancing team. 

The four-time defending Midwest Independent Conference champion on floor, Mack heads into the Regional at No. 104 in the country with a NQS of 9.870 in the event. The Lee's Summit, Missouri, native will also be competing on vault for the second time at the NCAA Regional. She currently ranks No. 48 in the NQS rankings with a 9.865 on the event and has seven times posted a score of 9.850 or higher in 2025, including a career-best of 9.925. She earned First-Team All-MIC honors on both events at the MIC Championship, posting a score of 9.900 to win on floor and a score of 9.850 to tie for second place overall on vault.

Laster returns to the NCAA Regional for the third time in her career, competing for the third time on vault and for the first time on floor. The 2025 MIC Champion on vault, Laster will rotate with Georgia at the Regional and heads into the competition ranked No. 35 in the NQS rankings at 9.875 on the event. She has seven times posted a score of 9.850 or higher this season, including a season-best of 9.925. On the floor, the Cape Coral, Florida, native is ranked No. 88 in the NQS rankings at 9.875 and eight times has posted a score of 9.850 or higher this season.

Wabi will compete at the NCAA Regional for the first time in her final year as a Redbird, and will also rotate with Georgia. The Chicago native qualified for the regional on the uneven bars with a national ranking of No. 106 in the NQS at 9.855. The 2025 MIC Champion on bars with a score of 9.875, Wabi was stellar on the event throughout the season with five scores or higher of 9.850 including a career-best 9.900.

The top 36 teams based on national qualifying score (NQS) were selected for regional competition. The top 12 all-around competitors and top 16 event specialists were also selected based on national qualifying scores and were placed geographically, keeping individuals from the same team together. 

The National Collegiate Women's Gymnastics Championships will consist of eight teams, four all-around competitors and 16 event specialists. The top two teams and the top all-around competitor (who is not on an advancing team) from each regional will receive an automatic berth to the national championships. In addition, the top event specialist in each event (not on an advancing team or an all-arounder) advances to the national championship (in that event only).

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