CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois men's gymnastics head coach Daniel Ribeiro has added Hasan Aydogdu (Carlstadt, N.J), Matthew Nguyen (Houston, Texas) and Ian Sandoval (Frisco, Texas) to his 2024 signing class, the program announced on Wednesday.
"My staff and I are extremely excited to announce the Illinois Men's Gymnastics signing class of 2024," Ribeiro said. "A trio of star-studded top 10 all-arounders will be joining the Illini family. Not only will they be bringing incredible talent to our roster, but all three have the character and values of champions and they will help to continue to evolve our culture and unity as the closest team in the nation. These three will help push each other and our whole team to a new level!."
Hasan Aydogdu | All-Around | Club: Meadowlands Gymnastics Academy
Aydogdu is coming to Illinois after impressive showings in the U.S. Xfinity Championships, where he placed third in pommel horse and sixth in high bar. He also placed second in high bar at the 2023 National Championships, which was good enough for a spot on the national team.
He also is the team captain of his club team and chose Illinois because of "the incredible team work ethic and brotherhood."
"Hasan is a head down, no nonsense, animal in the gym," Ribeiro said. "He has a vigorous work ethic with a passion to match. Hasan finished in sixth place at the U.S. Championships this past August earning himself a spot on the Junior National team! Hasan is an all-around gymnast without a weak event. While he will be fighting for spots on all six, Hasan will be a huge contributor on still rings, which is a weak event for our team as a whole. Hasan is also a top-five recruit in this class and is coming with some big goals and dreams. With his passion and work ethic there is no reason why he won't be able to accomplish all of them. Roger Pinho, Hasan's coach, is a fellow Brazilian and has done a fantastic job developing Hasan into the man and gymnast he is today."
Matthew Nguyen | All-Around | Club: Roswell Gymnastics
Nguyen had an impressive performance at the 2023 Elite Team Cup, placing first on pommel horse, seventh on parallel bars and third on high bar before suffering an injury, benching him the rest of the season.
He chose Illinois for "their extraordinary gymnastics and academic programs, the amazing coaches and support staff, and the great team dynamic."
"Matthew Nguyen brings the character and values that match what we are building here at the university of Illinois," Ribeiro said. "He oozes with passion and will accept nothing but #1. Matt was leading the all-around at the Elite Team Cup last season before sustaining a season ending injury. Due to the injury, Matt flew under the radar in recruiting. Once we saw that he was fully recovered we knew that we wanted to bring him in to the Illini family as the steal of the class. If it wasn't for his injury, Matt would have easily been a top five recruit, and that is exactly what we can expect from him once he is here. Matt also has a Brazilian coach, Felippe Mendonca, who is one of America's up and coming coaches. The last few seasons he has pumped out a handful of scholarship athletes who have thrived on the NCAA stage. Matt has just a good a chance as the other two to be our team's top all-around gymnast."
Ian Sandoval | All-Around | All-Around | EVO Gymnastics
Sandoval is the reigning all-around national champion, a competition in which he also placed second in pommel horse, third in still rings and vault and fourth in high bar.
He is also a one-time junior national team member and two-time U.S. Championship qualifier. He chose Illinois because of "the real family I experienced."
"Ian is a bona fide top three all-arounder in the nation and does not have a weak event," Ribeiro said. "He will be fighting for lineup spots on all six events in his freshman year. Ian will be pushing for all-around All-America honors in his first season and I have no doubt that he has the ability to battle for an NCAA All-Around National Title as an upperclassman. Ian was the Junior Olympic National Champion this past season and brings big skills, a competitive mindset, and a contagious smile. He has been developed by one of our nations best coaches, Sergei Pakanich, who has produced countless national champions, and once again has helped to mentor and develop America's Junior National Champion. Ian is loaded with energy and will help bring positive vibes to a team that thrives off it."
