Illinois State Gymnasts Win 3 Individual MIC Titles

Illinois State gymnasts proved that progress isn't always about finishing first when they delivered their strongest performance of the season at the 2026 Midwest Independent Conference Championship on Friday night.

Three Redbirds stood atop individual podiums at CEFCU Arena in Normal, Illinois. Ally Lau won the beam title with a 9.850, claiming her first MIC individual championship.

Seniors Jaly Jones and Leah Davis shared the floor exercise title, each scoring 9.850 in a four-way tie. Their teammate Savannah Ray, a freshman, earned second place on beam with a 9.825 and took runner-up in the all-around competition with a 38.200.

The team's third-place finish behind Southeast Missouri State and Texas Woman's University tells only part of the story. Illinois State scored 194.550, just 0.4 points behind the winner, in what Coach Ringer called a turning point for the program.

"That is the first time all season we have not had to count a fall in a meet," Ringer said after the competition. The team faced obstacles on every event but never wavered, showing resilience that might not have been possible earlier in the season.

Why This Inspires

The Redbirds' performance represents something bigger than individual medals. Freshman Savannah Ray earned All-MIC First Team honors in multiple events, showing the program's bright future while seniors like Jones and Davis went out on top.

The team closed strong, posting their second-highest scores of the season on both beam and floor in the final two rotations. Jada Beswick and Madyson Baucom tied for second on bars with matching 9.800 scores, adding two more podium finishes to the night's haul.

Coach Ringer's pride wasn't about the placement. It was about watching athletes discover what they're capable of when pressure mounts and everything doesn't go perfectly.

Now the team knows exactly where they're headed, and the future looks bright.