CHAMPAIGN – Former Illini Justin Spring has gained a reputation in the gymnastics community as being a high-risk, high-reward competitor.

When he succeeds in one of his spectacular routines, the payoff can be enormous. But when he fails, the downside is significant.

HOUSTON – Former Illini Justin Spring, trying to make his country's gymnastics team at the Beijing Games, won the parallel bars at Saturday's U.S. Championships.

Spring, a current Illini assistant coach, had a combined score from the two days of competition of 30.900 on the event to take top honors. This is Spring's third national title, with his other two gold medals coming on high bar in 2005 and 2007.

HOUSTON – Former Illini and current Illinois assistant Justin Spring took the first step in his bid to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics on Thursday with a strong showing in the parallel bars and high bar at the U.S. gymnastics championships.

Spring scored 15.350 on the parallel bars, good for third place. Spring's mark is 0.150 off defending national champion David Durante's leading score on the apparatus.

CHAMPAIGN – Yoshi Hayasaki, whose name has been synonymous with Illini gymnastics for most of 3 1/2 decades, is heading for his last roundup. He'll go out with both barrels blazing next April and will be succeeded by assistant Jon Valdez.

"It's hard to step down, particularly when we have a tremendous group coming in, but you have to do it some time," Hayasaki said Thursday. "I've been thinking a lot about it. As it stands right now, next season will be my last."

Yoshi Hayasaki delivered one of the UI's 23 NCAA team championships:

ATHENS, Ga. – Illinois freshman gymnast Allison Buckley became Illinois' first NCAA All-American by tying for sixth place on the balance beam Thursday at the national championships.

Buckley, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, tallied a 9.825 on the beam to earn the honor.

URBANA – What are Allison Buckley and Nicole Cowart in for this week at the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships?

Their coach knows, but he considers it folly to even try to describe the high-octane atmosphere and high-stakes pressure that awaits the Illinois duo at a sold-out Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga.

URBANA – The folks back home have Paul Ruggeri's cell phone working overtime these days.

Ever since a radio station in Syracuse, N.Y., picked up on the news that the Illinois freshman won an NCAA gymnastics title late Saturday in Palo Alto, Calif., Ruggeri has been fielding a steady stream of long-distance pats on the back.