CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois men's gymnastics team and head coach Justin Spring have announced the signing of five recruits to the Fighting Illini gymnastics program. The five will join the Orange and Blue for the 2020 campaign.
"Adding additional talent is always super exciting," Spring said. "With this class specifically, we have set our program on a great path forward as we continue to fight for the top spot in the Big Ten and in the NCAA."
Connor McCool
Wildwood, Mo.
Lafayette High School
- 2016 Junior Olympic National Floor Champion
- 2018 Junior Olympic Floor Silver Medalist
- Five-time junior national qualifier
Evan Manivong
Kansas City, Mo.
Staley High School
- Three-time junior national qualifier
- Top 10 percent of class
- 4.0 GPA
- Three-time Academic All-American
Sebastian Abedi
Roseville, Calif.
Granite Bay High School
- Junior national qualifier
- Northern California All-Star Team member
Dylan Kolak
Pomona, New York
Ramapo High School
- 2018 Regional All-Around Champion
- 2018 State All-Around Champion
- Placed 7th on all-around, 2nd on vault, 4th on floor at 2018 Nationals
- Academic All-American
- Member of National Honors Society
"We are so excited to have Dylan as the eighth Illini to come from US Gym," associate head coach Daniel Ribeiro said. "We see some incredible potential in Dylan and believe he will be yet another product of Coach Genadi Shub that will leave a legacy on the Illini program. Genadi was my coach and was like a second father to me and Dylan is yet again proof of the incredible job that Genadi has done, producing D1 athletes over the last three decades!"
Zachary Ziolkowski
South Bend, Ind.
John Adams High School
- Academic Honors Award
- First place on vault at 2018 Nationals
- First place on floor exercise and third place on vault at 2017 Nationals
- 2016 National Qualifier
- Second place on vault at 2015 Nationals
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