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University of Illinois Athletics

2026 Men's Gymnastics Roster

Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini

12 Sam Kaplan

  • Class Junior
  • Height 5-6
  • Major Financial Planning
  • Hometown Fairhaven, Mass.
  • High School Fairhaven High School
  • Prev School Springfield College

Biography

Individual Titles

Event Titles
Parallel Bars  1
All-Around 1
Total  2

Career Highs (at Illinois)

Event Score
Floor Exercise 12.400 | at Ohio State Open | Jan. 18, 2026
Pommel Horse 12.950 | at Penn State | Feb. 1, 2026
Still Rings 12.950 | at Sam Mikulak Invitational | Jan. 24, 2026
Vault 13.550 | at Ohio State Open | Jan. 18, 2026
Parallel Bars 13.650 | at Penn State | March 16, 2024
High Bar 13.000 | at Ohio State Open | Jan. 18, 2026
All-Around 75.950 | at Ohio State Open | Jan. 18, 2026

Prior to Illinois

  • Competed at Springfield College from 2022-24
  • 2024 ECAC Gymnast of the Year
  • 2024 USAG Men's Collegiate National Championships all-around runner-up
  • Five-time USAG All-American honors
  • Trained at Aim High Academy

Personal

  • Born March 10, 2004
  • Majoring in financial planning 
  • Parents are Jason and Tanya Kaplan
  • Two siblings: Ava and Elias
  • Chose Illinois because “team culture is something I really care about, and no school does it better than Illinois. The coaching is unlike anything I have ever seen, so it was a no-brainer for me to want to come and be part of the famILLy.”