Chambana Sun

The Illinois men's gymnastics team is preparing for the 2024 NCAA Championships with high expectations. The team, ranked No. 4, has already achieved a historic season by becoming regular-season Big Ten co-champions for the first time in their history. At the recent Big Ten conference championships, they set a program record with four event champions and 16 individual qualifiers.

The Illini are heading into the NCAA Championships after finishing second at the Big Ten Championships, aiming to continue their success under head coach Daniel Ribeiro's leadership. Freshman Brandon Dang emphasized the importance of being mentally and physically prepared for this final meet of the season: "With this being the last meet of the season, Dan wants us to be in a good spot mentally and physically since all of the work has been done," he said.

Graduate student Connor McCool highlighted their strategy: "There are some big teams out there, and we know we need to really go out there and perform if we want to be competitive." The Illini will face strong competition from teams like Stanford and Nebraska during Friday's session.

Junior Amari Sewell spoke about Coach Ribeiro's influence on the team: "Seeing that Dan was able to turn this team into his vision...is a beautiful thing to see." He added that success is a collective effort among all team members.

Several key athletes have had standout seasons. Freshman Brandon Dang was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year after winning on pommel horse at the conference championships. He aims to enjoy his NCAA experience without putting too much pressure on himself: "I do want to win, but I think the main focus is to have a good experience."

Connor McCool returned for an extra year of eligibility and defended his floor title at Big Tens. Reflecting on his collegiate career, he expressed satisfaction with his achievements but also looks forward to enjoying his final moments with teammates: "My biggest goal is to savor the moments on the sidelines with the guys when I'm not competing."

Amari Sewell earned All-America status last year and won his first vault championship this season. Heading into NCAAs as a top-ranked specialist, he aims to stay focused without feeling pressured: "I just try to do one vault at a time, be as clean as I can."

The Illini hope their hard work will pay off in Columbus as they strive for national glory.