CHAMPAIGN – For a school that isn't sending its men's gymnastics team to nationals, Illinois sure has some major travel arrangements to make.

Missing by one spot of qualifying as a team for the NCAA Championships, the fourth-place Illini still advanced six individuals Saturday night during the East Regionals at Huff Hall.

CHAMPAIGN – Leo Oka wasn't alone in the gym. It just felt that way.

"I started out with two other people my age, but they eventually quit," the Illinois gymnast said, recalling his years in a club program in Toronto. "The rest were smaller kids. I was basically training by myself.

The University of Illinois women's gymnastics team has earned a berth in the Region III Championships, the NCAA announced Tuesday.

For the first time since 1991, Illinois has a Big Ten champion in women's gymnastics.

Sophomore Gina Wiechmann won the balance beam Saturday at the Big Ten meet in East Lansing, Mich. The Clearwater, Fla., native scored a 9.875.

Without having to contend with defending national champion Travis Romagnoli of Illinois, Iowa junior Todd Strada won the Big Ten all-around gymnastics title Friday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.

   CHAMPAIGN  Phaedra Dixon''s high school, Chicago''s Whitney Young, is a wonderful place to study, but it does not have a gymnastics team.

   None of her classmates were gymnasts. None of her school friends were gymnasts. And you''ll not find another University of Illinois gymnast who attended a Chicago Public League school.

Travis Romagnoli (57.8) and Leo Oka (career-best 57.4) took first and second in the all-around, leading the fifth-ranked Illinois men's gymnastics team to a school-record score in a 230-227.75 victory against second-ranked Ohio State on Saturday at Huff Hall.

"It all came together tonight," coach Yoshi Hayasaki said. "However, I don't want to be satisfied with this score because I feel we can work on things and top this competition."