COLUMBIA, Mo. – Following a long offseason of preparation, the 2025 Illinois State gymnastics season will officially start on Friday, Jan. 3, when the Redbirds head to Columbia, Missouri, to compete in a quad meet with host Missouri, Ball State and Southeast Missouri State at 6 p.m. CT at Mizzou Arena. 

SETTING THE SCENE
The season opener will be the Mizzou Beauty and the Beast, a simultaneous gymnastics and wrestling competition. Gymnastics will compete against Ball State, Illinois State and SEMO during its meet. The meet will be streamed live on ESPN+ and live results will be available via Virtius.

THOUGHTS FROM ISU HEAD COACH BOB CONKLING
"I'm excited for our first competition of the season and for it to be a quad meet with teams from the SEC, MAC and the MIC makes it even more special. The team is ready and confident, and we are looking forward to a strong showing right out of the gate in our 2025 season opener."

SCOUTING THE REDBIRDS
•    The Redbirds will look to get back to the top of the Midwest Independent Conference podium, after placing third at the 2024 MIC Championship as a program.
•    ISU returns eight gymnasts that earned All-MIC honors last season but will be competing without one of the best gymnasts in program history for the first time in a while following the graduation of four-time MIC Gymnast of the Year and three-time NCAA Regional qualifier Angelica Labat.
•    However, the Redbirds welcome back a three-time NCAA Regional qualifier in senior Jaye Mack, who is the three-time defending MIC champion on floor and was also an all-conference performer on vault in 2024.
•    Fellow senior Alana Laster also returns, who earned All-MIC honors on vault and floor last season and is a two-time NCAA Regional qualifier on the vault.
•    ISU will also lean on accomplished seniors Kaitlyn Donovan, Sara Wabi, Mya Robinson and Julia Heiner to lead the way for an experienced squad, which also includes returning all-conference performers in juniors Joy Ziegenfelder and Leah Davis.
•    One key addition comes in the form of Jaly Jones, a junior transfer from Lindenwood, who earned 2024 USAG First-Team All-America honors and took home titles in the all-around and on floor at the MIC Championship to help lead Lindenwood to the team title.
•    In addition to Jones, the 2025 roster includes two more transfers in redshirt freshman Elli Brownfield (Lindenwood) and sophomore Madyson Baucom (Fisk).
•    ISU's lineup has added five exciting freshmen in Caitlin Caserta, Abbey Harris, Audrey Hiatt, Savannah Ray, and Sammie Wolff. 

FOLLOW US
For all latest on Illinois State gymnastics, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com and follow the team on Instagram (@redbirdgymnastics), on X (@redbirdwgym) and Facebook.

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