Ethan Esval

Photo by: Sarah Goldblum

Photo by: Trevor Cokley

Photo by: Della Perrone, Illinois Athletics

Photo by: Christopher DeWitt

Photo by: Darcie Ibidapo

Class:
Senior
Events:
PH, SR, PB, HB
Hometown:
Roswell, Ga.
High School:
Roswell
Height:
5-7
Club Team:
Atlanta School of Gymnastics

SENIOR YEAR | 2021: Team captain.

JUNIOR YEAR | 2020: Two-time USAG All-American (still rings, parallel bars)...competed on the pommel horse, still rings and parallel bars during all six meets of the shortened season...posted team-leading marks in all three events...equaled career-best score on the pommel horse (13.750) during a winning performance at the All-Academy Championships...tallied a season-best mark of 13.900 on the still rings in home finale against Stanford...tallied the team’s No. 2 mark on that event with a 13.800 victory at Army West Point...added a season-high score on the parallel bars (14.000) at that meet...also won the still rings in the home meet with Penn State (13.500).

SOPHOMORE YEAR | 2019: USAG champion on the still rings...two-time USAG All-American (still rings, parallel bars)...two-time NCAA finalist (still rings, parallel bars)...posted a career-best 14.250 to earn the Falcons’ top finish on the rings at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships (seventh)...that is the eighth-best score in program history...finished 11th on that event (14.133) at the NCAA Championships...scored a 13.950 to win that event at the USAG Championships...added a first-place finish on the rings at Minnesota (13.800)...also scored a career-best 13.750 to tie for first on the pommel horse at that meet...won the parallel bars at the All-Academy Championships after scoring a career-best 14.050...that is the ninth-best score in Academy history...also reached the 14-point plateau on the parallel bars to finish third at the Penn State Triangular (14.000).

FRESHMAN YEAR | 2018: Two-time NCAA finalist (still rings, parallel bars)...USAG All-American on the still rings...recorded a career-best score of 13.750 on the rings at the All-Academy Championships (fourth) and again at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships (eighth)...that is the 15th-highest total in Academy history...recorded two additional top-20 scores on that event...tallied a 13.500 to finish second at the USAG Collegiate Nationals and earn first USAG All-America award...advanced to the NCAA Championships after finishing eighth (13.633) at the National Qualifier...added a career-best score of 13.733 on the parallel bars at that meet to tie for eighth and earn another spot in the national championship field...that total is ranked 16th on the program’s all-time standings for the parallel bars...accounted for three top-20 scores during the season.

HIGH SCHOOL | CLUB TEAM: Roswell High School...competed at the club level for Roswell Gymnastics and the Atlanta School of Gymnastics...coached by Lucas Mendonca and Nathan Simmons...competed at the 2016 Winter Cup Challenge and 2015 P&G Championships...recorded multiple top-10 finishes at national meets, most recently fourth-place marks on the still rings and high bar.

PERSONAL: Full name is Orland Ethan Esval...goes by Ethan...son of Orland and Stacy Esval...father was a helicopter pilot in the Army...has two younger brothers...majoring in management...future plans include becoming an entrepreneur and working in product design...serving as the team representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee...hobbies include app development, anything to do with cars and product design...drinks Japanese green tea every day...created an automotive iPhone app called Autohub...both grandfathers served in the Air Force (paternal grandfather was a fighter pilot, maternal grandfather was a meteorologist)...favorite event is the high bar, because “it’s the most fun and the most rewarding when you get a new skill”...member of Cadet Squadron 19.