Anna Flynn Cashion, Delaynee Rodriguez Win Event Titles at Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – No. 9 Kentucky opened its 2026 season with a fourth-place finish at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad in West Valley City, Utah. No. 14 Michigan took home the team title with a 197.225, with No. 20 Cal placing second with a 196.350, No. 6 Michigan State in third with a 196.225 and the Wildcats posting a 194.925.
Two Wildcats took home individual event titles, with sophomore Anna Flynn Cashion returning to competition with a win on vault and junior Delaynee Rodriguez claiming the all-around victory.
Cashion’s event win marks the second victory of her collegiate career, with both coming on vault at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad. After missing the second half of the 2025 season, Cashion vaulted in competition for the first time in over 11 months, scoring a 9.875 to defend her title.
Rodriguez won her fifth career event title—third in the all-around—with a 39.400 posting in her season debut. The Las Vegas native posted the highest score for Kentucky on three of four rotations, including a 9.900 on the uneven bars and a 9.875 on the balance beam.
Kentucky started the night on beam, scoring a 48.700. Sharon Lee fell twice in the leadoff position to only score 8.550, but was backed up by fellow junior Cecily Rizo who matched her career high with a 9.800 in her first beam routine since the 2024 season. Chesney Bennett scored a 9.725 and Cadence Gormley fought hard to avoid a fall, scoring a 9.450 in her return from a nearly two-year-long injury-induced absence. Freshman Gabby Van Frayen delivered a fantastic performance in the first routine of her career, sticking her dismount and scoring a 9.850. Rodriguez debuted as the Wildcats’ beam anchor with her 9.875 performance.
Moving to the floor exercise, four Wildcats made their collegiate floor debuts as the team scored a 48.575. Van Frayen led off with a solid 9.750, followed by a 9.625 from Isabella Rivelli. Bennett and sophomore Callie Gardner posted identical 9.675 marks while Rizo added a 9.650. Rodriguez anchored the rotation with a 9.825.
The Wildcats posted the highest team score of the meet on the vault, scoring a 49.100. Freshman Addie Hofseth led off with a 9.750, followed by a 9.825 from Rizo. Gardner scored a 9.600 that was dropped before the final three Wildcats closed the rotation with 9.8+ scores. Sophomore Ryan Noonan matched her career high—set at this meet last season—with a 9.850 and Rodriguez added a 9.800—with both athletes competing upgraded vaults from 2025. Cashion delivered the best vault of the meet in the anchor spot to close with a 9.875.
Kentucky would close the meet on the uneven bars, scoring a 48.550. Rizo led off with a 9.000, closing her collegiate all-around debut with a total score of 38.275. Noonan followed with another solid routine, scoring a 9.800 highlighted by a stuck double layout dismount. Van Frayen posted a 9.350 and Bennett added a 9.650 from the middle of the rotation. Rivelli and Rodriguez closed the meet strong, with the upperclassman duo adding scores of 9.850 and 9.900, respectively.
The Wildcats will open their home campaign next Friday, taking on No. 24 Arizona State for Excite Night, presented by White, Greer, & Maggard, at Historic Memorial Coliseum on Friday, January 16 at 7 p.m. ET.
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