Chambana Sun

No. 5 Illinois Men's Gymnastics is set to compete in the Winter Cup, starting February 21 at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Four athletes from the team—Hasan Aydogdu, Brandon Dang, Preston Ngai, and Ian Sandoval—will participate with hopes of securing a spot on the USA Gymnastics Senior National Team.

The Winter Cup serves as a qualifying event for the 2025 U.S. Gymnastics Championships. Competitors will aim for all-around titles, international assignments, and spots on the Senior National Team.

Last week, Illinois had a break following their loss to Michigan Wolverines on February 8. Despite this setback, they managed to secure two event titles: Dang's win on pommel horse and Sandoval's victory in the all-around category.

Three of the four Illinois gymnasts have prior experience at the Winter Cup. Aydogdu has competed twice before in 2022 and 2023. Dang returns for his second time after earning a bronze medal in pommel horse last year with scores of 14.200 on Day 1 and improving to 14.850 on Day 2. Sandoval also participated last year in the all-around competition. This marks Ngai's first appearance at the event.

Preston Ngai and Garrett Schooley were highlighted as Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch during preseason due to their performances last season as letterwinners for Illinois.

Tate Costa enters his junior year with increased motivation following his success last season as NCAA high bar champion and participation in various prestigious competitions such as the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships and Olympic Team Trials. "This last season definitely gave me a sense of belief in what I'm capable of," Costa said regarding his aspirations to compete internationally.

Illinois' head coach Daniel Ribeiro continues into his third season with an overall career record of 39-22 (.639) and a Big Ten record of 7-4 (.636).