Four years ago, eight freshmen gathered around a table at the Michigan Union before classes started. Like most other incoming students, they were just trying to figure out where they would fit in.

None of them knew that they would become the face of Michigan men’s gymnastics immediately, and for the next four years.

They went from acquaintances to fast friends, their distinctive personalities complementing each other as they made their way through their freshman year.

“When you’re first experiencing something, the other seven people around you are first experiencing that situation, too,” Phil Goldberg said. “It kind of helps with that stuff.”

Goldberg is the goofy, yet mature co-captain. Kent Caldwell is the artist and the mediator. John Sawicki, known as J-Slick, is simultaneously the class baby — he won't turn 22 until Aug. 20 — and the one most known for an unshakeable self-confidence.

There’s Joe Catrambone, who was loud even as a freshman, and quiet Ralph Rosso, who Scott Bregman describes as “the three-year-old brother I never had.” Bregman is the sarcastic one. Ryan McCarthy is the extrovert who will try anything in the gym. Jamie Thompson is the social butterfly, who, as an incoming freshman, called every one of his prospective teammates just to chat.

And since that first year, almost half the regular lineup has consisted of some combination of that class.

But Saturday night will be the beginning of the end, when along with fifth-year senior Paul Woodward, the eight will walk onto the Cliff Keen Arena floor for the final time. Although three of them — Caldwell, Goldberg and McCarthy — have the option to stay one more year, they wanted to experience Senior Night the same way they had done everything else: together.

“Even though it might not be my last time, the fact that I’m walking out with the teammates that I’m the closest with, that’s going to be the killer for me,” McCarthy said. “It’s going to be sad.”

But the bond they developed isn't one that will be broken anytime soon. The eight seniors have always stood out for the strong individual attachments between them.

“(Bregman) would always say that — and this is something we established freshman year — any of us can hang out with any other one of us, like one-on-one, and it wouldn’t be awkward,” Caldwell said. “I don’t think you can quite say the same for any other class.”

The seniors can seemingly complete each other’s thoughts, often talking over one another.

And like most athletes at the end of their college careers, they can't believe how fast their time together time has flown.

“Everyone tells you how fast it goes, but … until you experience it, you don’t understand how fast it really does go,” Catrambone said. “I still feel like I’m a freshman.”

“You still act like one,” Thompson told him.

Even if most of them haven't changed much, the seniors have built up a huge store of shared memories.

There was the meet at Cliff Keen in 2007 when Michigan beat powerhouse Oklahoma in front of an electric, standing-room-only crowd. And the time Goldberg dressed up as a unicorn for Halloween. And the 25-hour road trip to Utah to watch the women’s gymnastics team in NCAA championships. And when McCarthy led teammates in stealing Thompson’s laptop in an elaborate April Fool’s prank. And finding each other in the wee hours of the morning at the West Quad-South Quad snowball fight, even though they had training at 6:30 the next morning.

They’ll be doing their best to make these last six weeks together as memorable as possible.

“The only thing that could top off our experience would be — ,” McCarthy began.

Catrambone finished the sentence: “A (championship) ring.”