2019 Men's Gymnastics Roster
Biography
Individual Event Titles
Event |
Titles |
Floor |
11 |
Pommel Horse |
-- |
Still Rings |
31 |
Vault |
1 |
Parallel Bars |
-- |
High Bar |
-- |
All-Around |
1 |
Total |
44 |
Career Highlights
- 2x Still Rings National Champion (2018, 2019)
- 6x NCAA 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 31 career still rings titles
- 3x First Team All-Big Ten (2016, 2017, 2018)
- 2018 CGA Second Team All-American Scholar-Athlete
- 3x Academic All-Big Ten (2017, 2018, 2019)
- Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree (2016)
- Won 44 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
Career Highs
2017-19
Floor Exercise: 15.000 (at Puerto Rico Invitational, 3/4/17)
Pommel Horse: 11.600 (at Windy City Invitational, 1/13/18)
Still Rings: 15.200 (vs. Stanford & Minnesota, 3/2/19)
Vault: 14.600 (2x, last at NCAA Qualifier, 4/19/19)
Parallel Bars: 13.100 (vs. Oklahoma, 3/17/18)
High Bar: 14.200 (vs. Minnesota, 1/28/17)
2013-2016
Floor Exercise: 15.450 (vs. Michigan, 3/12/16)
Pommel Horse: 13.200 (at Air Force w/ California, 3/5/16)
Still Rings: 15.600 (vs. Oklahoma, 3/19/16)
Vault: 15.000 (at NCAA Team Finals, 4/15/16)
Parallel Bars: 14.300 (at Air Force w/ California, 3/5/16)
High Bar: 15.150 (at Air Force w/ California, 3/5/16)
All-Around: 88.400 (at Air Force w/ California, 3/5/16)
Senior - 2019
- Dike Eddleman Illinois Male Athlete of the Year Finalist
- Still Rings National Champion
- Big Ten Still Rings Champion
- NCAA All-American on floor and still rings
- First Team All-Big Ten
- Academic All-Big Ten
- Broke the program's all-time rings title record with his 24th career event title against Nebraska
- 11 still rings titles on the season, the most in school history
- Turned in 13 event titles on the season to bring his combined career-total to 44
- Set the Illini program record with a 15.200 rings routine against Stanford/Minnesota
- Turned in 14.5-plus scores on rings in all 14 routines on the year
- Secured the top two totals on floor exercise for the Illini on the season
- Placed second on rings at the annual Winter Cup Challenge with a two-day total of 29.150
Junior - 2018
- Still Rings National Champion
- Big Ten Still Rings Champion
- NCAA All-American on floor and still rings
- First Team All-Big Ten
- CGA Second Team All-American Scholar-Athlete Selection
- Academic All-Big Ten
- 10 still rings titles on the season, the most in school history
- Won the still rings title on the second day of the Winter Cup Challenge and placed second on the event with a two-day total of 28.550
- Saw action in 15 meets on the season
- Posted six of the top seven rings scores on the season for the Illini
Sophomore - 2017
- NCAA All-American on still rings
- Big Ten Still Rings Champion
- First Team All-Big Ten
- Runner-up on floor at Big Ten Event Finals
- Academic All-Big Ten
- Saw action in 15 meets
- Participated in the 2017 Winter Cup Challenge, posted a two-day score of 28.150 on floor and tied for sixth in the event
- Posted the team's highest scores on floor (15.000, Puerto Rico Challenge) and rings (15.000, at Oklahoma)
- Team MVP
Freshman - 2016
- Two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week
- Illinois Male Newcomer of the Year winner
- NCAA High Bar All-American
- Big Ten Still Rings Champion
- Won all-around and floor exercise titles in collegiate debut meet against UIC
- Owned the top three Illinois scores on the still rings across the season
- Posted scores that ranked in the top three Illini scores on the season in the all-around, floor exercise, still rings and high bar
- Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree
- 35 top-five finishes across all events on the season
High School/Club
- Graduated from Glenbard West High School
- Junior National Team member from 2011-12 and 2014-15
- Took first on still rings, second on floor and sixth in the all-around at the 2014 Junior Olympic Nationals
- Finished second on floor, third on still rings and seventh in the all-around at the 2012 Junior Olympic Nationals
- Coached by Paul Hamm and Georgi Videnov
Personal
- Born Alexander Michael Diab on April 25, 1997
- Son of Mark and Jennifer Diab
- Mark was an Iowa State gymnast from 1981-1986 and was the Male Athlete of the Year winner in 1986
- Has four younger siblings, Max, Maddie, Anna and Louie
- Hobbies include golfing and fishing
- Lists his biggest thrill in sports as “learning new skills and succeeding in competition
- Names his dad as the person who has most influenced his athletic career
- Illinois hero growing up was Justin Spring
- Majoring in Kinesiology
Historical Player Information
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2019Senior
FX, SR, VT, HB