Sports Shorts
Robin Shin Earns Berth to NCAA Fencing Championship
A seventh-place finish by Robin S. Shin ’12 at Sunday’s NCAA Northeast Regional earned her a spot at the NCAA Fencing National Championship to be held at Pennsylvania State University from March 19-22. She will be the first sabre competitor to make the trip since Caroline Purcell ’02 and Jennifer A. Mckeehan ’02 represented the Engineers in 2002. The qualification also continues a family tradition of national appearances, as older sister Stephanie S. Shim ’10 finished 20th in epee last season while their father Robert Shim ’77 received a spot in the sabre field.
Fellow freshmen Molly A. Kozminsky ’12 and Lauren M. Chilton ’12 rounded out the sabre squad with rankings of 23rd and 28th. Stephanie H. Shin ’10 captured 14th place in epee, followed by Kirsten Hessler ’12 (31st) and Sophie M. Monahan ’11 (37th). Cordelia S. Link ’10 led the foil team with a 15th-place finish while Jenna G. Caldwell ’11 ranked 22nd and Lindley C. Graham ’10 came in 31st.
—Mindy Brauer, DAPER Staff
Women’s Gymnastics Sends 3 to Nationals after Extraordinary Outing at ECAC Championship
The MIT women’s gymnastics placed fourth out of eight entries at the ECAC Division III Championship hosted by Ursinus College on Saturday, while three Engineers qualified for the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Championship. Among those heading to St. Paul, Minnesota on March 20 are senior superstar Julia C. Zimmerman ‘09, who was named ECAC Gymnast of the Year for the third time, while setting a new ECAC and school record in the all around with a score 38.675; freshman phenom Leanna S. Morinishi ’12, who placed fifth in the all-around at 37.350; and junior stalwart Katie M. Mingo ’10, who qualified with a beam tally of 9.350. As a team, the Cardinal and Gray missed the national event by just 0.25 of a point.
Zimmerman added to her already remarkable legacy with her best-ever ECAC outing, finishing first with the new record in the all round, tying for first on the beam, and ranking second on both the vault and the floor exercise, while leading MIT to a strong score of 183.900. Zimmerman has earned best gymnast recognition during every season of her illustrious career except for last when teammate Sophia L. Harrison ’08 won the award.
Morinishi checked in with scores of 9.500 on the vault, 9.275 on the beam, 9.400 on the floor, and 9.175 on the bars. Mingo’s 9.350 on the beam tied Springfield College’s Penelope Bohunko. Mingo also scored a strong 9.275 on the floor.
—Mike Stoller, DAPER Staff
Dawn Gerken Named NEWMAC Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year
MIT head coach Dawn Gerken was recently named New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Men’s Swimming and Diving Coach of the Year following the Engineers’ impressive victory at the league championships last week. Gerken’s honor completes a near-sweep of the conference’s major awards for MIT. Following the three-day competition, Rastislav Racz ’10 was named Swimmer of the Year and Timothy J. Stumbaugh ’12 was tabbed Rookie of the Year.
Gerken led the Engineers to a No. 11 national ranking, their first undefeated season, and a record-setting point total at the 2009 NEWMAC Championships. Her selection as the league’s top coach is the first for MIT since Joe Kurtz captured the honor in 2003. Currently in her seventh season at MIT, Gerken was also named NEWMAC Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year in 2006.
Gerken, who has guided MIT to 38 All-American honors, is hoping to add to that total as the Engineers prepare for the upcoming NCAA Division III Championships.
—James Kramer, DAPER Staff