Final Results | Photo Gallery

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Senior Alex Diab secured his second-straight national championship on still rings on Saturday, becoming the first gymnast in program history to win two national titles on the event. The Illini placed fifth overall as a team, finishing with a team total of 405.358. In an upset, Stanford claimed the championship, narrowly defeating the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. 

Illinois struggled out of the gate on parallel bars, as the team posted a score of 63.564. Michael Fletcher and Jordan Kovach led the way with scores of 13.766 and 13.366, respectively. Up next was high bar and the Illini got strong routines from Alex Diab and Hamish Carter. Diab secured a 13.700 to lead off the rotation and Carter anchored with an impressive 13.933. Carter's total tied him for sixth on the event, earning him All-America status. 

The Illini put together a stellar rotation on floor, securing three All-Americans on the event. Sebastian Quiana finished fourth at 14.633, while Johnny Jacobson and Alex Diab tied for sixth with a 14.433 total. In what has been a historic season on pommel horse for Michael Paradise, the junior placed fifth in the country on the event to become an All-American for the second-straight season. 

The highlight of the night came on rings, as Diab anchored the Illinois rotation with a 14.733 to edge out Oklahoma's Yul Moldauer and earn his second-straight national championship on the event. Diab wraps up his Illinois career as a four-time Big Ten Still Rings Champion, a two-time Still Rings National Champion, the school's all-time leader with 31 titles on the event and the program's record holder with an individual rings routine total of 15.200, set March 2, 2019, against Stanford and Minnesota. 

The final rotation of the night was on vault and Illinois had three runs of 14.5-plus. Alex Diab and Jacob Light scored 14.566, while Max Diab vaulted 14.500.

Event Titles

Still Rings - Alex Diab (14.733)

All-Americans

Alex Diab - Floor Exercise, Still Rings
Hamish Carter - High Bar
Johnny Jacobson - Floor Exercise
Michael Paradise - Pommel Horse
Sebastian Quiana - Floor Exercise

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Back to back. 

In his final #Illini rings routine, @alex_diab10 goes for 14.733 to claim his second-straight still rings national title!

Diab is the first gymnast in program history to win two NCAA Championships on rings. pic.twitter.com/27vdLawOMj

— Illinois M Gym (@IlliniMGym) April 21, 2019