Junior Brandon Dang became the NCAA pommel horse champion as the University of Illinois Fighting Illini Men’s Gymnastics team finished fifth at the NCAA Championships on April 19 at State Farm Center.
Dang secured his first NCAA title with a score of 14.700 on pommel horse, marking the first national champion for Illinois since 2024. Five Illini athletes achieved All-American status during the competition.
The team recorded a season-high score of 322.224, finishing ahead of Ohio State, while Stanford won the overall team championship. On rings, Preston Ngai and Hasan Aydogdu both scored 13.666 to lead their squad in that event. Garrett Schooley led on vault with a score of 14.233, earning fifth place and continuing his streak of scoring above 14 in eleven consecutive meets.
Dylan Shepard set a career high on vault with a score of 14.066 and tied his season high on parallel bars with a mark of 13.866 for ninth place in that rotation. Sam Phillips ended his collegiate career by placing fourth on horizontal bar with a score of 14.000 and received All-American honors for this performance.
Tate Costa earned third place and All-America recognition on floor exercise with his season-best score of 14.166, while also finishing eighth on pommel horse alongside Dang’s winning routine in the final rotation.
The University of Illinois Fighting Illini Men’s Gymnastics program participates in conference and national events to foster competitive skills according to its official website. The program enhances the university’s athletic heritage through its focus on teamwork and spirit according to its official website. Competing under National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I regulations is part of its commitment as an athletics component according to its official website.
The gymnastics program provides student-athletes opportunities for competition, development, and academic achievement according to its official website, functioning as an integral part of collegiate athletics at the university according to its official website.
