No. 9 Kentucky Welcomes No. 3 LSU to Historic Memorial Coliseum
LEXINGTON, Ky. – No. 9 Kentucky (5-3, 2-2 SEC) is set to close its two meet homestand on Friday night, hosting defending National Champions and No. 3 LSU (7-2, 4-1 SEC) inside Historic Memorial Coliseum. The dual is slated to begin at 7 p.m. ET and will be televised live on the SEC Network with Jason Ross, Jr. and Sam Peszek on the call.
The Wildcats enter Friday’s contest after defeating Temple last weekend, improving their home record to 3-0 and scoring over 197 points for the fourth time in the last five weeks. In the initial National Qualifying Score (NQS) rankings—the metric used to determine postseason selection—the Cats slotted at No. 9 with a NQS of 196.950.
Isabella Magnelli is currently ranked No. 1 in the SEC and No. 2 in the NCAA on the balance beam, boasting a NQS of 9.920 on the apparatus. The four-time All-American has scored above 9.900 in every meet this season and has won event titles in four of six meets, bringing her career total to 14. Magnelli also ranks No. 10 on vault, making her one of 12 gymnasts in the country—and one of six in the SEC—to rank in the top ten on two or more events.
Hailey Davis and Makenzie Wilson also rank in the nation’s top ten on their signature events, with Davis slotting at No. 8 on floor and Wilson sitting at No. 10 on vault. This season, Davis has scored 9.900 or higher on floor in every meet and has reached that mark in 17 or her last 18 meets, dating back to last season.
Skylar Killough-Wilhelm continues to feature as the Cats’ top all-arounder, holding a team-high seven event titles this season. The All-American transfer from Washington has set new season high totals in three of the last four meets, including a 39.550 last weekend against Temple.
The Tigers come to Lexington after a season best score of 198.050 in a win against No. 1 Oklahoma. The Tigers have posted two 198s on the season and are currently tied for first in the SEC Regular Season standings. Reigning AAI Award winner Haleigh Bryant features prominently in three lineups, while freshman Kailin Chio is ranked in the NCAA top ten on vault, beam, and all-around.
The Cats are 10-92 all-time against LSU, with a 6-14 record at home. However, Kentucky has won three straight home duals against LSU and have not lost to the Tigers in Lexington since 2017. The Wildcats also won three straight duals in the series from 2021-2023 before falling in Baton Rouge last season.
Doors to Historic Memorial Coliseum will open at 6 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to plan ahead for parking and arrive early for introductions, set to begin at 6:48 p.m. ET.
Fans are encouraged to wear their favorite pajamas and cheer on the Cats as part of a Pajama Party—presented by UK Healthcare. Lucky fans will have the chance to win limited edition UK Gymnastics pajama pants and a limited edition UK Gymnastics hoodie. ’10’ cards and shakers will also be available, while supplies last.
In partnership with Kentucky Children’s Hospital, fans are also encouraged to bring a stuffed animal or toy to donate towards flood relief efforts in Eastern Kentucky.
Limited single-meet tickets, including Verified Resale options, are still available for Friday’s Excite Night. Single-meet ticket prices begin at $15 for reserved tickets located in the 100 sections of the arena. General admission seats, located on the bleachers on the east side of the facility near Rose Street are on sale for $12. Single-meet tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster.
Students and faculty/staff receive free admission to all gymnastics home meets based on availability. Rather than showing their UK ID, they will now be required to claim a ticket in advance with the UK Ticket Office. Students and faculty/staff can claim their tickets by showing their ID at the UK Ticket Office during business hours and will then access the tickets digitally through their UK Athletics Account.
Students can claim one ticket for themselves while faculty/staff can claim up to two tickets – one for themselves and one for a guest. Limited gameday walk-up claims will be available based on availability.
Most parking lots surrounding Historic Memorial Coliseum are available parking options for fans. The lots available include The Cornerstone Garage, High Street Lot, East Maxwell Lot, Joe Craft Center Lot, College View Lot, Alumni Center Lot, Career Center Lot and Linden Walk Lot. The Cornerstone Garage is open two-hours prior to the meet, while all other lots are available three-hours prior.
A shuttle will be available for all regular season meets and is free for all fans. The shuttle will run 90 minutes prior to the meet until the end of the second rotation. It will resume at the start of the fourth rotation up to 1-hour post-meet. The shuttle will pick up in two locations, The Cornerstone Garage and the High Street Lot and will drop off at the Lexington Avenue entrance of Historic Memorial Coliseum. Patrons can access the shuttle after walking across the sky bridge from The Cornerstone Garage. The skybridge is accessible from the third level of the parking structure. The pickup/drop off location is to the left of the skybridge at a crosswalk. Fans can find a complete run down of meet logistic information here.
For the latest on the Kentucky gymnastics team, follow @UKGymnastics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, as well as on the web at UKAthletics.com.
