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Back-to-back: Diab a two-time NCAA still rings champion

CHAMPAIGN — The door was open for Alex Diab to defend his still rings national championship Saturday night at State Farm Center. Oklahoma’s Yul Moldauer, who was perhaps Diab’s stiffest competition, made just a minor mistake during his routine.

Still, it was enough. And that was with Diab not making it all the way through his set clean, either.

“The whole routine felt great,” Diab said. “It felt pretty perfect until the dismount. I took two steps, which is really uncharacteristic of me, but it was still good enough to win.”

Diab’s winning score of 14.