Sacrifice.

It’s a word that’s certainly familiar to Michigan gymnast Kent Caldwell these days. But the way he uses the word, it doesn’t seem like such a bad thing.

As a result of his decision to double major in Cognitive Science and Behavior as well as Fine Art, Caldwell is a fifth-year senior in both LSA and the School of Art and Design — he also happens to be the epitome of a student-athlete at the University.

He’s known from the start of his academic career that it would take five years to accomplish his goals, and as a result, he's taken advantage of the spectrum of academic and artistic offerings on campus in addition to stepping up to the challenges of a varsity schedule.

Fortunately, the plan worked out well for Caldwell this year when he was able to use his final year of eligibility and compete for the Wolverines once more. (Caldwell missed last season with a fractured fibula.)

If taking 16 to 17 credits a semester on top of daily workouts at the Coliseum — not to mention extracurricular activities — means less down time or sleep, those are sacrifices Caldwell said he is more than happy to make.

“I feel like gymnastics keeps me on my academic game; they help each other,” Caldwell said. “I’m able to come into the gym and not think about school for a while, and it gives me a break. When I’m at school, I get a break from the gym. I can keep those two parts of my life sort of distilled. Because of that, it strengthens both components.”

Caldwell has been selected as both a College Gymnastics Association Academic All-American and Academic All-Big Ten three times, and his outstanding academic performance earned him a nomination for a Marshall Scholarship — awarded to graduates from U.S. colleges or universities with a minimum GPA of 3.7 for a chance to study in the United Kingdom.

On a team loaded with upperclassmen, the redshirt senior fits right in with teammates he’s competed alongside for years. “Chemistry” is a word often overused in sports, but for this year’s squad, it’s the perfect term to sum up how well a team with just two freshmen and two true sophomores can work together. The team dynamic is nothing new.

“We all understand each other really well,” Caldwell said. “We have such good gymnasts. It’s so cool to be a part of that, and to be training alongside these guys who are incredible at what they do.”

Most students on campus don’t follow the men’s gymnastics team — or at least not with the intensity they reserve for the revenue sports like football and basketball. And while most students have spent much of the winter bemoaning sub-par seasons in those same major sports, the Michigan men’s gymnastics squad has quietly inched itself closer and closer to the top of its sport, even earning a No. 1 ranking for a two-week period last month.

The rankings are calculated on a purely mathematical basis, but Caldwell said there was something special about knowing his team was considered the nation’s best, even if the ranking was fleeting.

“It’s cool to be able to tell other students, ‘Hey, we’re ranked No. 1 right now,’ ” he said. “But at the end of the day, we’re really looking at each performance throughout the season, and (asking) 'are we improving?' "

Last year’s men’s gymnastics team was co-Big Ten Champion — along with the University of Illinois — and finished second in the NCAA Tournament.

Caldwell said the ranking created "some pressure and expectations" for this season, especially given the veteran-laden roster. As the team looks toward the postseason that begins in two weeks, the Wolverines know they can rely on their veterans, including Caldwell on both floor and vault, to anchor their squad.

It’s tough timing though. Caldwell’s integrated project for the Art school — a sequential diorama exhibit — must be finished by mid-April. But if anyone can balance the hectic schedule and demanding lifestyle, it’s the gymnast who created his own classification: the artist-student-athlete.