PHOTOS: Twelve teams of the country’s top male gymnasts compete at the State Farm Center

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Illinois' Sam Phillips competes in NCAA Mens Gymnastics Tournament in Champaign on April 18, 2026.
  • Photo: Jonathan Mathew/IPM News

NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Tournament

April 17-18, 2026

The gymnasts competed in six routines, including floor, pommel horse and rings. In the first qualification, No. 1-seeded Oklahoma took control as it held onto the lead in every rotation, followed by Nebraska and Ohio State. In the second qualification, Stanford controlled the evening, staying in first place for most of the session, followed by the defending champions, the University of Michigan. Illinois is in third place. All will go onto compete on Saturday.

Illinois’ Sam Phillips competes in NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Tournament in Champaign on April 18, 2026. (Jonathan Mathew/IPM News)
gymnast
Jonathan Mathew/IPM News
Illinois’ Sam Phillips competes in NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Tournament in Champaign on April 18, 2026. (Jonathan Mathew/IPM News)
Penn State gymnast at the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Tournament in Champaign on April 17, 2026. (Jonathan Mathew/IPM News)
Univ. of Michigan gymnast at the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Tournament in Champaign on April 17, 2026. (Jonathan Mathew/IPM News)
Univ. of Michigan gymnast at the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Tournament in Champaign on April 17, 2026. (Jonathan Mathew/IPM News)
Illinois fans cheer on men’s gymnastics team at the State Farm Center on April 17, 2026. (Jonathan Mathew/IPM News)
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Reginald Hardwick

Reginald Hardwick is the News & Public Affairs Director at Illinois Public Media. He oversees daily newscasts and online stories. He also manages The 21st Show, a live, weekday talk show that airs on six NPR stations throughout Illinois. He is the executive producer of IPM's annual environmental TV special "State of Change." And he is the co-creator of Illinois Soul, IPM's Black-focused audio service that launched in February 2024. Before arriving at IPM in 2019, he served as News Director at WKAR in East Lansing and spent 17 years as a TV news producer and manager at KXAS, the NBC-owned station in Dallas/Fort Worth. Reginald is the recipient of three Edward R. Murrow regional awards, seven regional Emmy awards, and multiple honors from the National Association of Black Journalists. Born in Vietnam, Reginald grew up in Colorado and is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado. Email: rh14@illinois.edu Twitter: @RNewsIPM