They put the "student" in student-athletes.

The Illinois men's gymnastics team had the second-best grade-point average in the country among Division I programs and five illini were named All-America Scholar-Athletes, the College Gymnastics Association announced Tuesday.

He won't throw a fit if he doesn't win the Dike Eddleman Award. He won't pick up his pommel horse and go home or throw rosin in the face of the judges.

Travis Romagnoli, as fine a gymnast ever to call the University of Illinois home, is above all that. If he isn't named the UI's top student-athlete – the selection committee meets this week – he'll give Robert Holcombe or Eric Siebert or Oliver Freelove or Bobby True or Brett Weber a pat on the back, then head straight to a bar.

The parallel kind, not the sticky floors of Green Street.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Turns out Travis Romagnoli's routines were anything but routine. As a result, the University of Illinois gymnast walked away from Saturday's individual event finals a five-time All-American.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Illinois finished third Friday in the NCAA men's gymnastics finals, signaling the rebound of a team that last made it to the finals in 1989.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – It had been 40 years since the storied Illinois men's gymnastics program produced an NCAA all-around champion.

On Thursday night, sophomore Travis Romagnoli ended the drought and took his place with four other Illini greats in the sport.

URBANA – From 1994 to 1996, it was Yoshi Hayasaki's task to oversee University of Illinois gymnastics.

Toward the end, the former NCAA Coach of the Year could not bear to watch.

CHAMPAIGN – As a 10-year-old growing up in Aurora, Ontario, Travis Romagnoli followed his older brothers, Shawn and Neil, into gymnastics.

Kim Berres won the balance beam (9.675), finished second in the vault (9.625) and was third in the floor exercise (9.825) to lead the Illinois women's gymnastics team past Michigan State and Northern Illinois in its home opener Saturday at Huff Hall.

The Illini edged the Spartans 191.8-191.75.