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BROCKPORT, N.Y. - The women's gymnastics team placed a school-record fifth this past weekend in the 2006 NCGA Division III Gymnastics National Championships at Tuttle North Gymnasium. The Engineers garnered 182.7 points in their first trip back to Nationals as a team since 1997. The University of Wisconsin at La Crosse won the competition for the sixth consecutive year with 186.250 points, while Ithaca College (183.800) and the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh (183.750) followed behind.

With a score of 9.700 or higher in three of four events and a total score of 38.475, Brockport junior Sarah Bulka won the All-Around title for the second straight year and became the first athlete in NCGA history to successful do so.

Trailing Bulka in the All-Around, MIT sophomore Sophia Harrison placed fifth (37.300) and freshman Julia Zimmerman finished eighth (36.825), as both athletes earned All-American honors. It is the first time that MIT has had two All-American athletes in the All-Around since Alli Christenson ('98) placed fifth and Sonja Ellefson ('01) placed eighth in 1998.

Also receiving accolades for the Engineers were seniors Jennifer Sauchuk and Francesca DeMeo, both of whom were named to the NCGA All-Academic Team.

In addition to their Institute-record fifth place finish at Nationals, the Engineers set several more school records by qualifying four different athletes performing six total routines to the event finals. The finals included the top 14 performances (plus any ties) from the first night of competition on each of the four apparatuses.

Harrison led the way with a silver medal performance on the uneven bars to earn her second All-American recognition with a two-day total of 18.975. By placing second, she tied MIT's best ever finish for the event (Ellefson in 2000).

Zimmerman tied for the highest score (9.650) on the floor exercise on the second day of competition. Her mark pulled her up from sixth place and into a third place tie with a combined score of 19.325. She received her second All-American accolade and also tied MIT's best ever finish on the event (Lisa Arel '92 in 1989 and Sheila Rocchio '97 in 1995) by garnering a new Institute record-high score for a two-day combined floor exercise total.

Zimmerman also qualified for vault finals, where she finished 14th overall with a combined total score of 18.475.

Another highlight for MIT came on the beam, where the Engineers set an Institute record with three finalists on a single event. Sarah Trowbridge was the top finisher, placing 10th with a two-day total of 18.500. She was followed by DeMeo in 12th place (18.450) and Harrison in 14th place (17.625).