CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Junior Michael Fletcher and current volunteer assistant coach Alex Diab are set to compete in the annual Winter Cup on Friday, Feb. 26 and Sunday, Feb. 28 in Indianapolis, In.
The Winter Cup is a qualifying event for the 2021 U.S. Gymnastics Championships, where the Illini gymnasts will attempt to qualify to the Olympic Team Trials. The all-around final and event qualifications will occur on Feb. 26, while the event finals will occur on Feb. 28.
Junior Michael Fletcher will compete in the all-around on Friday evening starting at 6:30 PM CT on NBCSN and NBCSports.com. This season, Fletcher holds a 79.200 season-high on the all-around, and an 82.700 career-best as an Illini. He has set new career-highs on floor, pommel horse, and rings this season, and is looking for a strong performance after missing all of last season due to injury.
Alex Diab is a current volunteer assistant coach for the Illini, and is one of the most decorated Illini gymnasts in program history. Diab competed for the Illini from 2015-2019 and is a two-time Still Rings National Champion (2018, 2019), six-time NCAA All-American, four-time Big Ten Still Rings Champion, and earned 31 rings titles in his time with the Illini. Diab will compete on rings at the Winter Cup, with event qualifications on Feb. 26 and event finals on Feb. 28.
Friday's action can be streamed on NBCSN and NBCSports.com at 6:30 PM CT, while Sunday's action will be streamed by FloGymnastics at 4:30 PM CT.
THE FLETCHER FILE
- Three career event titles (one pommel horse, one high bar, one all-around)
- 2019 Big Ten Freshman of the Year
- 2019 First Team All-Big Ten
- 2019 Illinois Athletics Male Freshman of the Year Finalist
- Bronze all-around medalist at the 2019 Big Ten Championships (82.700, second-best all-around performance in school history)
- Academic All-Big Ten (2020)
THE DIAB FILE
- 44 career event titles (11 floor, 31 rings, one vault, one all-around)
- 2x Still Rings National Champion (2018, 2019)
- 6x NCAAÂ All-American (2019: floor, rings | 2018: floor, rings | 2017: rings | 2016: high bar)
- Only 4x Big Ten Still Rings Champion (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) in program history
- Holds school record with 31Â career still rings titles
- 3x First Team All-Big Ten (2016, 2017, 2018)
- 2018 CGA Second Team All-American Scholar-AthleteÂ
- 3x Academic All-Big Ten (2017, 2018, 2019)
- Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree (2016)
- Won 44Â career event titles
- 2x Big Ten Gymnast of the Week (Jan. 30, 2017, March 5, 2019)
- 2x Big Ten Freshman of the Week
- 2017 Team MVP
UP NEXT
The team is now in the Winter Cup break period, with the next scheduled team competition on Mar. 22 where the Illini travel to Minnesota to face the Golden Gophers.
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