SUNY Brockport to host gymnastics national championships

SUNY Brockport to host
gymnastics national championships

The 2006 Liberty Mutual National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Division III National Championships will be held at SUNY Brockport's Tuttle North Gymnasium Friday and Saturday, March 24-25.

"This is a great opportunity for us to showcase gymnastics to the community and a great recruiting tool," said Brockport Head Coach John Feeney. "It just happens that the college will be hosting an open house that same weekend plus club teams from the area and Buffalo will be coming to watch. Our facility is one of the best in Division III and this will help us promote our program."

Up to seven teams - at least three from the east and three from the west, plus host Brockport if they don't quality on their own - and 100 gymnasts will compete over the two days.

Ithaca goes into the regional tournament ranked first in the nation with Wisconsin-Lacrosse tops in the west. Springfield College, MIT and SUNY Cortland are among other teams who could be in the finals..

Brockport enters ranked fourth in the east and fifth in the country. They finished a school-best second in the 2005 championships, third in 2004 and have eight top-eight finishes in the program's history. The team has beaten MIT and Cortland during the 2005-06 season.

"The winner boils down to who makes the fewest mistakes and falls off the balance beam and bars the fewest times," said Feeney.

The Golden Eagles junior Sarah Bulka enters the finals ranked first in the nation on the vault and all-around, second on the uneven bars and fourth in the floor exercise. Senior Michelle Farrelly is ranked third on the bars. Last year, Bulka took first in the all-around, second on the vault, 11th on the bars, eighth on the balance beam and sixth in the floor exercise. Wisconsin-Lacrosse has won five national championships in a row.

Brockport has had 31 All-Americans awards (top 10 in an event at nationals) since 1984, the latest including: Jordan Christiano and Jessica Bowman in 2003 on the vault, Kristi Sheerin in 2004 on the balance beam, Carrie Santore in 2004 and Jordan Christiano in 2003 and 2004 in the floor exercise and Santore, Bulka and Christiano in 2004 in the all-around. Santore, Bulka (three events each), Sheerin and Amy Bielunis took All-American honors in 2005.

The college was awarded the National Championship bid two years ago and incurs costs for additional equipment costs and judges fees. Tickets are available at the door with discount prices for two-day passes.