Kentucky Gymnastics Hoping Experience, Tough Schedule Pay Off in NCAA Regionals
The Kentucky gymnastics team heads to the NCAA Regional this weekend at Penn State. There, the Cats will face Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State, with the top two teams advancing to the nationals April 17-19 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Kentucky is the ninth seed nationally and the Cats bring an experienced team into the regional. Just two seasons ago, UK made it to nationals before coming up just short of that spot last year. Now, the Cats are back and are hoping to make a return trip to Fort Worth.
UK is led by fifth-year senior Isabella Magnelli, who was recently named an All-American on both the beam and the vault. Kentucky also has fifth-year seniors Hailey Davis and Skylar Killough-Wilhelm, as well as seniors Jillian Procasky and Makenzie Wilson. Even two of UK’s sophomores, Creslyn Brose and Delaynee Rodriguez, have national-level experience.
Magnelli knows that there’s nothing better than making nationals as at team.
“Regionals in 2023, we just had a very aggressive, competitive mindset,” she said. “We were doing it for each other rather than ourselves and it showed. That was such an amazing experience to finally experience something that you train for each and every day, to make it to nationals as a team.”
Magnelli has seen herself, Davis and Killough-Wilhelm, along with others, be more invested and vocal as leaders this season.
“It’s been a collective effort, which is awesome to see,” Magnelli said. “The senior class this year, Makenzie Jill and Annie, have spoken up so much. Even sophomores like Creslyn and Delyanee, just being able to talk when we have our team meetings. It’s really cool to see different perspectives. It’s really important to hear from a collective group rather than just one person talking all the time. That definitely has helped us as a team.”
Magnelli believes that this year’s team has done a very good job of being invested in each other.
“We have come collectively together as a team and we had a conversation to make better friendships on the team, so people can rely on each other,” Magnelli said. “Ever since the end of regular season going into postseason, we’ve been able to come into the gym and attack it and go after our main goal, which is this weekend. You train and you’re doing gymnastics for regionals because your goal is to make it to nationals each year.”
Killough-Wilhelm, who made it to nationals last season when she competed for Washington, is looking for a repeat trip to the national meet. If she gets there, she knows how she will take it all in.
“Last year, it was such a gift to even go, so going into this postseason, I just want to be grateful for every experience that I have,” she said. “It’s so easy to forget that it is really hard to get to that point, so just try to take in every moment.”
How can Killough-Wilhelm and the Cats make that happen?
“I think the most important thing is staying present,” she said. “You can be so talented but if you’re not present, it won’t work. You have to make sure that you’re in the moment, remembering everything we have practiced. It’s just you and the routine, you and the event. If you can control that, then everything else will follow.”
Killough-Wilhelm believes that competing in the Southeastern Conference has this team prepared to face anyone.
“This conference, there’s a top 15 team you’re competing against every weekend,” she said. “We’ve prepared for this level of excellence going into the postseason. I think that having that under your belt, knowing that we’ve gone up against some of the best teams and we have beat, or come close to, some of the best. Just having that confidence going into the postseason will be that edge that we need to take us over the top.”
Killough-Wilhelm, Magnelli and the Cats hope that the combination of experience and battling against tough competition has them ready to do big things at the NCAA Regionals this weekend.
