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University of Illinois Athletics

2026 Men's Gymnastics Roster

Illinois Fighting Illini

42 Preston Ngai

  • Position All-Around
  • Class Junior
  • Height 5-7
  • Major Computer Science
  • Hometown Elk Grove, Calif.
  • High School Rio Valley Charter School
  • Instagram prestonngai

Biography

NCAA Badge NCAA Pommel Horse All-American (2025)
NCAA Badge NCAA All-Around All-American (2025)
 Letterwinner (2024, 25)

Individual Titles

Event Titles
Still Rings 2
High Bar 1
All-Around 1
Total  4

Career Highs

Event Score
Floor Exercise 13.533 | at NCAA Championships Qualifiers | April 18, 2025
Pommel Horse 14.350 | at Windy City Invitational | Jan. 18, 2025
Still Rings 14.050  | at No. 6 Ohio State | March 25, 2025
Vault 14.900 | at Big Ten Championships (Team) | April 5, 2024
Parallel Bars 12.766 | at NCAA Championships Finals | April 19, 2025
High Bar 13.750 | at No. 6 Ohio State | March 25, 2025
All-Around 81.298 | at NCAA Championships Finals | April 19, 2025

Sophomore - 2025

  • Competed in all 11 meets, including both days of the Winter Cup and Big Ten Championships
  • Set a career high on pommel horse (14.350) at the Windy City Invitational on Jan. 18
  • Set a new season high on vault (14.150) vs. Army and Greenville on March 1
  • Took home the event title on still rings vs. Army and Greenville on March 1
  • Set career highs on the still rings and high bar to win the event titles at No. 6 Ohio State on March 25
  • Won the all-around at the NCAA Championships Qualifiers (April 18)
  • Placed fourth on pommel horse and fourth in the all-around at NCAA Championships (April 19) to become a two-time All-American
  • CSC Academic All-District

Freshman - 2024

  • Made Illini debut on pommel horse at Greenville on Jan. 20
  • Competed in eight meets, primarily on vault and pommel horse
  • Took the all-around title at the National Junior Team Cup 
  • Broke his career high on pommel horse (14.300) at NCAA Qualifiers on April 19
  • Earned a career high on vault (14.900) at the B1G Championships on April 5

High School/Club

  • Finished first in still rings, second in pommel horse, third in all-around and floor and fourth in vault at the 2022 OOFOS U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Tampa, Fla. 
  • Placed second in still rings, tied for third in vault and fourth in all-around at the 2022 Men's Development Program National Championships in Mesa, Ariz.
  • Placed first in high bar, second in still rings and third in floor at the 2021 Men's Development Program National Championships
  • Finished first in pommel horse and still rings and third in all-around at the 2019 Men's Junior Olympic National Championships
  • Tied for fourth in vault and parallel bars and placed fifth in all-around at the 2018 Men's Junior Olympic National Championships at the age of 13
  • Member of the Junior National team for four straight years
  • Penn State and Stanford tried recruiting Ngai

Personal 

  • Born Aug. 4, 2006
  • Parents are Peter and Penny Ngai
  • Has two siblings, Brandon and Cameron
  • Brother, Brandon, competed for Illinois for four years and was a Big Ten champion on pommel horse and is the youngest NCAA pommel horse champion
  • Pursuing a degree in computer science
  • Chose Illinois because "of its unrivaled team chemistry. The group is filled with a bunch of guys who are close and yet willing to challenge each other to be the best possible version of themselves. Illinois also has an amazingly skilled coaching staff and a top notch computer science program."

Historical Player Information

  • 42

    2024Freshman

    All-Around
    5'7"
    42
  • 42

    2025Sophomore

    All-Around
    5'7"
    42
  • 42

    2026Junior

    All-Around
    5'7"
    42