CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini open the 2025 season at the Windy City Invitational, a qualifier event for the Winter Cup. The Orange and Blue will compete against athletes from various clubs and colleges, including No. 4 Michigan.
All Eyes On Us
- Preston Ngai and Garrett Schooley were named to this year's Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch list during the preseason.
- Both Ngai and Schooley were letterwinners for the Illini last season.
- Ngai competed in eight meets and showed up big in big moments, setting career highs at the Big Ten Championships (14.900 on vault) and NCAA Qualifiers (14.300 on pommel horse).
- Schooley also competed in eight meets and secured two event titles during the season (vault, all-around) as he repeatedly set and re-set career highs in all six events and the all-around.
Greater Goals, More Motivation
- Tate Costa, the reigning NCAA high bar champion, enters his junior year with a renewed sense of motivation for the season.
- After winning the high bar title in April 2024, Costa earned a spot at the 2024 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships at the end of May. He finished 25th overall to earn a spot on the USA Gymnastics Senior Development Team and the opportunity to compete at the Olympic Team Trials in June.
- Due to his successes and his can-do attitude, Costa was named a captain for the second-straight year.
- "This last season definitely gave me a sense of belief in what I'm capable of," Costa said. "I now have goals for the next four years. I want to make an Olympic team, make a World Championships team, make the Senior National Team. I want to set myself up to compete at international competitions and show that I'm ready to compete for the United States at the Olympic Games. On top of that, in terms of NCAA goals, I want to win more national titles."
Career Record: 37-20 (.649), Third season
Big Ten: 5-3 (.625), Third season
This Season: 0-0, Third season
Complete Illinois Meet Notes (PDF)
