Illini Women's Gymnastics Gears Up for Home Opener Against Nebraska

PREVIEW

ILLINOIS (2-1, 0-0 B1G) vs. NEBRASKA (1-5, 0-1 B1G)
Date \| Time	Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025 \| 1 p.m. CT
Location	Huff Hall \| Champaign, Ill.
TV	B1G+
Live Stats	StatBroadcast
Printable Notes	Illinois \| Nebraska
2025 Stats	Illinois \| Nebraska
Record Book	Illinois
Social Media	@Illin iWGYM \| @IlliniW GYM \| Facebook \| YouTube

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – After beginning the 2025 season at No. 14 Ball State, the Orange and Blue women's gymnastics team is back home in Huff Hall for their Big Ten opener against Nebraska (1-5, 0-1) on Saturday (Jan. 18) at 1 p.m. CT.

About the Opponent

Nebraska opened its season with two quad meets. First up, they finished fourth at the American Gold Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Classic in Nashville, Tenn., against Oklahoma, Auburn and BYU. Their next stop was at Florida, where they finished third, suffering defeats against the host school and Michigan State and earning a victory over Northern Illinois.

Last Time Out

In their season opener, the Illini earned three event titles on their way to a runner-up finish at the Ball State Quad, coming in behind then-No. 14 Ball State. Makayla Green started her season off strong, tying a career-high on bars (9.800) to earn the event title. Amelia Knight shone bright, scoring a 9.850 to claim the beam crown. In the final rotation, Chloe Cho catapulted herself to the top of the vault leaderboard with a 9.850. Cho (38.700) and Mareli Muller (37.825) competed in the all-around for the Illini, placing T-third and fifth respectively.

Look Out!

Freshman Chloe Cho and junior Arielle Ward were named to the Big Ten's Gymnasts to Watch during the preseason.
Cho was previously a Level 10 state champion and nationals qualifier. The Simi Valley, Calif., native competed in the 2024 U.S. Championships, where she scored personal bests in the all-around competition on back-to-back days.
Ward is entering her third season with the Illini after competing in all 16 meets last season, primarily on vault and floor. The Frisco, Texas, native won third place on vault (9.900) at the 2024 Big Ten Championships, earning her a spot on the All-Championship Team.

Give Her Five

After four years in Champaign-Urbana, Amelia Knight thought her time with the Illinois women's gymnastics team was over. Instead, Knight received the opportunity to come back for one more year.
Knight immediately stepped into the lineup as a freshman, making her debut on beam and floor during the Illini's first meet of the 2021 season. The following year, she grew more comfortable, confident, and consistent, appearing in all 13 meets while garnering Academic All-Big Ten honors for the first time.
As a junior, Knight helped the Illini set the program's new beam record with a career-high 9.925 while once again competing in every meet. Also finding success off the mat, she earned Academic All-Big Ten status for the second consecutive season while also being named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
With increased expectations for herself and the team, Knight is ready to make a splash heading into the 2024-25 campaign.