Cashion, Rodriguez Combine for Four Event Titles at Excite Night
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Anna Flynn Cashion and Delaynee Rodriguez combined for three of four individual event titles, as well as the all-around title, at Excite Night, presented by White, Greer & Maggard on Friday evening. In front of a sold-out crowd of 5,926 members of Big Blue Nation, Kentucky dropped a 195.750-194.325 decision to Arizona State.
Cashion claimed the vault title for the second time in as many weeks to open the season, matching her career high with a 9.950. Rodriguez took home crowns on the balance beam, floor exercise, and all-around. The junior from Las Vegas finished the night with a 39.400 across all events for the second week in a row, taking home the overall win for the second time in 2026 and fourth time in her career. Rodriguez also added scores of 9.850 on beam and 9.875 on floor to take home two more wins, claiming the first event victories of her career on both apparatuses.
The Cats started the night on vault, posting a 49.250. For the second week in a row, the Cats have seen their best score of the night on the vault and have posted the highest team score of the meet on the event. Freshman Addisyn Hofseth led off the meet with a career-high 9.775, followed by a season-high 9.850 from Cecily Rizo. Callie Gardner delivered another season-high with a 9.775 and Ryan Noonan added a 9.825 to the tally. Rodriguez captured a season-high 9.850 to set up Cashion. The sophomore from Cornelius, N.C. delivered a stuck front handspring pike half vault with massive amplitude to match the best score of her career and earn her third career event win.
On the uneven bars, the Cats posted a 49.000, good for their best tally of the season on the event and the highest score of the meet. Rizo led off with a stuck dismount and a 9.825 score, followed by Noonan with a 9.775. Gabby Van Frayen made her Historic Memorial Coliseum debut with a 9.750—a new career-high—with Chesney Bennett also adding a new career-high with a 9.825. Senior Isabella Rivelli fell on her release move, only scoring a 9.150, but Rodriguez was able to deliver a solid 9.825 routine in the anchor position.
Kentucky struggled on the balance beam, seeing four athletes fall and only posting a team score of 47.000. Sharon Lee led off the rotation, fighting hard to avoid a fall and earning a 9.750. Rizo and Bennett each suffered falls during acro skills, scoring identical marks of 9.250. Cadence Gormley and Van Frayen also came off the apparatus and both scored 8.900. Rodriguez steadied the ship in the anchor position, scoring a 9.850 for her first career title on the event.
The Cats surpassed the 49+ barrier on floor for the first time this season, finishing the meet with a 49.075. Three Wildcats scored career highs to begin the rotation, with Van Frayen posting a 9.850, Bennett adding a 9.800, and Gardner tallying a 9.775. Rizo followed with another 9.775 before Rodriguez stole the show and posted a 9.875—good enough for her first career floor win. Rivelli capped the night with a 9.600 after a low landing on her final tumbling pass.
Kentucky will return to the road next week, traveling to Baton Rouge to face No. 2 LSU at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, January 23. The Cats will return to Lexington the following week, hosting defending national champion and No. 2 Oklahoma at 6 p.m. ET on Friday, January 30.
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