CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Josh Nilson brings the Fighting Illini Women’s Gymnastics team to the Border Battle in Iowa City, Iowa, to start off the 2026 season. They will face face Iowa, Iowa State, and Illinois State in Nilson’s first meet at the helm of the program.
EYES ON THE ILLINI
- Freshman Summer Clancy and sophomore Chloe Cho were named to the Big Ten’s Gymnasts to Watch list during the preseason.
- Clancy, a Columbia, Ill., native, comes out of her high school career with a 2025 Missouri all-around state champion title. In 2023 and 2025, she was a nationals qualifier.
- Cho had a decorated first year with the Illini, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Week four times, sixteen event titles, and won 2025’s B1G Ten Freshman of the Year award. She was also a member of All-Big Ten First Team and the Big Ten All-American Team.
NEW FACES AT THE HELM
- Josh Nilson takes over the reins as head coach after serving as Illini associate head coach the past two seasons, helping lead the program to back-to-back NCAA Regional Round 2 appearances while having four gymnasts compile All-Big Ten honors.
- Entering her first season with the Orange and Blue, Rachel Inniss reunites with Nilson after coaching together at Temple (2018-202), making the move to Illinois after spending the last five seasons as an assistant coach at Penn State.
- Abby Mueller, in her first season as an assistant coach, spent her collegiate career with the Fighting Illini during the 2021-24 seasons, earning Academic All-Big Ten honors during her sophomore, junior, and senior years. She spent the 2025 season competing at Missouri, helping the Tigers record their best beam score in program history.
Head Coach Josh Nilson
Record At Illinois: 00-00 (0), 1st year
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