Although the Illini (5-3, 2-2) advanced to the Super Six of the NCAA championships, head coach Daniel Ribeiro knows that his team can do more next year. With athletes returning from injuries and the 2025 recruiting class coming to Champaign, here are the Illinois gymnasts to look out for coming out of the 2024-25 season.
Coming off the sideline
The first step in reaching the national championship is getting the roster back to full strength. Injuries took a toll on the team this season as two of the Illini’s top gymnasts were stuck on the sidelines.
After winning the 2024 national championship on high bar, Tate Costa didn’t compete during his junior campaign. Ribeiro and Costa’s teammates missed his presence on the mat this year. The Illini had weaknesses in events throughout the season because of Costa’s injury.
Parallel bars were a clear area of concern for Illinois from the jump without Costaʼs presence. In 2024, Costa set his career-high of 14.100. Unfortunately, the parallel bars lineup didn’t have enough depth to make up for Costa’s absence. Having him back in the mix next season will give the Illini a leg up on this event.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
The roster also took a hit midseason when freshman Hasan Aydogdu suffered an injury before the Winter Cup. Before the injury, Aydogdu had strong performances on both pommel horse (13.800) and still rings (13.500) against Oklahoma (24-4).
Ribeiro worried about the Illini’s still rings lineup. With low start values on the event, Illinois only had a few gymnasts who could score in the high 12s and 13s. One of them was Aydogdu. When he got injured, the still rings became an Achillesʼ heel for the Illini. As Aydogdu continues to recover, his return is key for Illinois’ future success.
Newcomers
With only a few seniors and fifth-years leaving, Illinois doesn’t need to rebuild. But, Ribeiro does have commitments in the 2025 class that are ready to come in and make an immediate impact.
In January, the Illini announced Alex Karadzhov as the first commitment of the 2025 class. Karadzhovʼs versatility as an all-around specialist is a huge pickup. At the 2024 Winter Cup, he finished fifth on pommel horse and sixth on high bar and in the all-around. The future Illini spoke highly of the program’s support system after his commitment.
“During my recruiting process, I got to see a little bit of how supportive the whole Illinois program is,” Karadzhov said in the official announcement. “This strong support network is a great foundation for serious growth in all aspects of life, not just gymnastics, and that’s something I want to be a part of.”
In addition to Karadzhov, Sam Kaplan and Gavin Dougherty announced their commitments in March. Both gymnasts will fill the team’s needs in two different areas. Kaplan is transferring to Illinois from Springfield College. He will bring NCAA experience to the roster. Kaplan is strongest on parallel bars and still rings, which will provide depth in places where the team struggled.
Dougherty joins the Illini as a specialist on still rings. After struggling in the event, Illinois will have an X-factor to solve their still rings problem in the 2025-26 season. The Illini had a hole in their still rings lineup this year without their specialist, senior Ashton Anaya. With Aydogdu returning to the lineup as well, Dougherty could help turn the Illini’s worst event into one of their best.
Returners
Developing in the offseason is crucial if Illinois wants to make the NCAA podium next year. While some returners finished the year on a high, others are working towards a comeback next year.
Freshman Ian Sandoval was the seasonʼs breakout star. Sandoval put his name on the map when he took home three event titles against Nebraska (3-4, 1-3) in February. However, the freshman suffered a concussion on Day 1 of the Winter Cup, which put him on the sidelines.
While Sandoval returned in time for the Big Ten and NCAA championships, he struggled to score the same as he did pre-injury. The offseason will be the perfect reset for Sandoval to get his body ready to compete again in the fall.
Another Illini who had a disappointing end to the season was sophomore Brandon Dang. The pommel horse specialist was undefeated on the apparatus until NCAAs. Dang was also selected as a USA Senior National Team member at the Winter Cup.
Dang didn’t finish the season on the top of the podium. At the NCAA championships, the sophomore scored a 12.533 — the lowest of his Illinois career. With another year of experience under his belt, Dang will be ready to hit the mat as one of the best pommel horse specialists in the world.
Sophomores Garrett Schooley and Preston Ngai go into this offseason as All-Americans. Schooley placed third on vault in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to put the cherry on top of his sophomore season. His sophomore to junior year jump will be one to look out for.
Ngai was the big surprise at NCAAs. He competed in the all-around for the first time and placed fourth. He also took home fourth place on pommel horse, making him a two-time All-American.
Ribeiro has plenty to be proud of after this season, but much more to look forward to for the next.
