CHAMPAIGN — Illinois men’s gymnast Alex Diab won a Big Ten title. Illinois volleyball player Jordyn Poulter started the majority of the season at setter for a Sweet 16 team.
On Wednesday, the two freshmen received the annual Newcomers of the Year award handed out by the Illinois athletic department.
Both were chosen by a vote of Illinois head coaches and the DIA’s athletics awards committee.
Diab won the still rings at the 2016 Big Ten Championships and garnered All-America honors at the NCAA Championships after a fifth-place finish on the high bar.
Poulter finished with 1,088 assists in her debut season that included 29 starts en route to earning Big Ten All-Freshman honors.