Killough-Wilhelm Shines Again at Excite Night
Skylar Killough-Wilhelm was expected to be a key addition to the Kentucky gymnastics team this season. And on Friday night, for the second consecutive meet, she continued to live up to those expectations.
Killough-Wilhelm, who transferred to UK after four years at Washington, won the all-around title for the second straight meet on Friday night as the Cats topped Auburn inside Historic Memorial Coliseum. Killough-Wilhelm won the all-around at Missouri on Sunday for her first such title at UK and was able to keep the momentum going at home on Friday. UK head coach Tim Garrison was impressed with Killough-Wilhelm again on Friday.
“She’s an all-around All-American. I think she’s still hitting her stride or getting close to hitting her stride, I don’t think she’s hit it yet,” Garrison said. “I think her potential is unlimited. Her artistry is second to none. Then you look at the power events, and she has power on vault and she has great swing on bars. She doesn’t have a ceiling and I’m excited to watch her continue to improve throughout the season.”
By her own admission, Killough-Wilhelm did not get off to the best start. Her vault score of 9.750 was her lowest of the evening. However, she built from there.
“For me, it’s a whole picture,” Killough-Wilhelm said. “I might have an oopsie or a mistake but I know that it’s not over for me. Each routine I do is just building on top of that and each meet and each weekend is a build on top of that.”
Competing in the anchor spot on bars, Killough-Wilhelm posted a season-high 9.950 as the Cats took a lead that they would never relinquish. It’s an event that she has been working on very hard with Garrison.
“The past few weeks, I’ve been struggling on my dismount and I’ve been working really hard on what to do about that with Tim,” Killough-Wilhelm said. “Just trying to figure out what works for me. Warm-ups went well and I just relied on my training and today was the day I guess.”
On the beam, Killough-Wilhelm continued to shine. Her 9.875 tied for the second-best UK score on the apparatus.
In UK’s final rotation, Killough-Wilhelm locked up the all-around title with a 9.825, giving her a combined score of 39.400. She’s confident in her ability, especially after the last two meets.
“I’m really just trying to focus on myself and what I need to do,” Killough-Wilhelm said. “I know that I can do it.”
Killough-Wilhelm has plenty of collegiate experience, and that allowed her to acclimate almost immediately to her new team. When asked how long that process took, Garrison had a quick answer.
“About seven minutes,” Garrison said with a laugh. “She’s easy to like. She’s a really special person, very kind soul. She fits in well with the team.”
Killough-Wilhelm echoed her head coach’s response.
“I fit in right away,” she said. “It was amazing. The girls really took me under their wing.”
Having an experienced gymnast like Killough-Wilhelm only makes Kentucky stronger as they compete in the rugged Southeastern Conference. Her performance on Friday proved once again that she is a crucial addition for the 2025 Cats.
