Yan Inhaber-Courchesne Student Manager | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Yan Inhaber-Courchesne Student Manager | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Fighting Illini gymnast Brandon Dang has been awarded the Big Ten Freshman of the Year title, as announced by the conference. Head coach Daniel Ribeiro expressed pride in Dang's accomplishments, stating, "We are so proud of what Brandon has accomplished already. Coming in as a freshman; Brandon operates like a veteran senior. He was so unbelievably dominate this season."
Dang is notable for being the first single event specialist to win this award, which is typically given to top-ranking all-around freshmen. He is the eighth Illinois gymnast to earn this honor and the first since Michael Fletcher in 2019.
A native of San Jose, California, Dang was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week four times and received three Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week honors. His performance on the pommel horse has been particularly outstanding, with six titles claimed this season and a season-high score of 15.200 at Michigan. Dang also leads nationally with a four-score average of 15.017 on the apparatus.
Additionally, he won a silver medal at the 2024 Winter Cup with a score of 14.850.
The Big Ten also acknowledged five men's gymnastics Sportsmanship Award honorees on Tuesday, including Illini senior Will Hauke.
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