No. 8 Kentucky Bests Temple 197.175-194.200 on Valentine’s Day
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Capped with a season high floor score—the highest scoring Wildcat rotation in any meet this season—the No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats (5-3, 2-2 SEC) extended their 197+ streak to three meets, defeating Temple (6-12, 2-2 EAGL), 197.175-194.200 at Historic Memorial Coliseum. The Wildcats outscored the Owls on every apparatus and swept all five individual event titles for the second time this season.
The highlight of the evening was the Wildcats’ floor rotation, where the home squad posted a huge event score of 49.475—besting their previous season high by over a tenth. Five of the six Wildcats in the lineup recorded or equaled season best scores, and Kentucky did not count a score lower than 9.875. The rotation began with Delaynee Rodriguez and Isabella Magnelli posting 9.875s, followed by a 9.850 from Jillian Procasky. The Wildcats added 9.900s from Skylar Killough-Wilhelm and Creslyn Brose, before Hailey Davis earned the best score of the night with a 9.925. While Davis was the only Wildcat to not post a season best, the NCAA No. 9 led her team for the sixth straight meet to begin the season and has now scored above 9.900 in 18 of the last 19 meets.
The Cats’ second best event of the meet was vault, posting a 49.275. Makenzie Wilson stuck her front handspring pike half to score a 9.900 and win the event title, her third of the season and 11th of her career. Killough-Wilhelm was close behind with a 9.875 for her Yurchenko 1.5, while Magnelli and Cecily Rizo each scored 9.850s. Ryan Noonan was the Wildcat to count her score, posting a 9.800.
On the uneven bars, the Wildcat scored a 49.225 thanks to another event win from Killough-Wilhelm. The fifth year All-American scored a 9.925 to take her third bars title of the season, all coming at HMC. Isabella Rivelli scored a 9.850 out of the leadoff spot, capped by a huge stuck double layout dismount. Annie Riegert competed for the second meet in a row, posting a 9.825. Rodriguez and Davis both counted scores of 9.825 and 9.800, respectively.
The Wildcats responded well to a fall on balance beam to still post a 49.200, marking 11 straight rotations of 49.200 or higher, dating to January 31. Rodriguez posted a huge 9.875 out of the leadoff position, followed by Brose with a 9.775. Sharon Lee fell on her flight series to only score a 9.075, putting pressure on the final three Cats in the lineup. Freshman Chesney Bennett smoothed the lineup with a career best 9.775, allowing Killough-Wilhelm and Magnelli to close with a 9.850 and a 9.925, respectively. Magnelli’s score earned the fifth year All-American her fourth beam title in six meets this season and was her 20th career event title.
Killough-Wilhelm continued to improve her season best all-around total to take her third event win in that category, scoring a 39.550. This is the third meet in the last four weeks that the Washington transfer has set a new best mark for the 2025 campaign.
The Wildcats will return to Historic Memorial Coliseum in one week, hosting No. 2 LSU on Friday, February 21. The meet will begin at 7 p.m. and will be televised live on the SEC Network. Tickets are still available via Ticketmaster.
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