Read about Ruggeri's national title here

In his words

We asked men's Athlete of the Year Paul Ruggeri to describe why his time at Illinois is so special:

My University of Illinois experience has been extremely unique since my arrival on campus in August 2007.

I was a bit out of my element and didn't know too much about the Midwest after growing up in upstate New York. Luckily, this rapidly changed when I joined the men's gymnastics team. Immediately I gained 20 or so of my best friends, in my teammates, that I would see every day at practice. Instantly, I fell in love with the University of Illinois.

When I first arrived on campus, I only had gymnastics and my roommate, Daniel Ribeiro (a fellow New Yorker), to connect with my previous life. Gymnastics had been half of my focus since I was 7 years old, and I had known Daniel from competitions back on the East Coast. Daniel and I immediately became close friends and he is still my roommate to this day.

My life has improved tremendously since high school. Because of a strong commitment to gymnastics, I was never a regular high school student. My friendships in high school were very casual. However, the friendships I have gained at the UI are deep-seated and will stay with me forever. We all share the same passion in gymnastics and have formed a lifelong bond. I have accomplished a great deal in my gymnastics career so far and know that I could not have done so without the support of my teammates.

My time at the University of Illinois has opened many doors that I never dreamed would happen. I have achieved many goals, in and outside the gym.

I quickly figured out that I wanted to be a molecular and cellular biology major, and one my goals after graduation is to get into medical school. The adjustment to academics in college wasn't easy at first, but it taught me that if you want something you have to go and get it because only you can decide your future.