The UCLA Bruins achieved their "Drive for Five" with a victory in the National Collegiate Women's Gymnastics Championships April 15-17 in Los Angeles. The Bruins scored 198.125 to set a championships meet record and win their fifth overall women's gymnastics crown.

UCLA had previously won the event in 1997, 2000-01 and 2003.

"It wasn't so easy this year," said Bruins' head coach Valorie Kondos Field. "We had to come out and work hard all season. We knew we were going to have to nurture our seniors and hold back in their training because of injuries. But we did everything right. We had never won a championship at home; that was important to us."

Georgia placed second with a score of 197.200. Alabama and Stanford tied for third, followed by Florida and Utah.

Alabama's Ashley Miles successfully defended her vault title with a score of 9.94, and she also was a co-winner in the floor exercise. In that event, she tied with North Carolina's Courtney Bumpers with a score of 9.938. Bumpers, whose team did not qualify for the finals, earned the Tar Heel's first individual NCAA title.

"It makes me happy," Bumpers said. "I know I've started to create a path and my team can follow on that path."

Michigan's Elise Ray won the bars with a 9.975 and tied for third on balance beam, an event she won in 2002. Ray, a 2000 Olympian, underwent surgery for a shoulder injury last March and missed last year's championships.

UCLA rounded out the top four on bars, finishing second, third and fourth in the event. Former Olympian Kristen Maloney placed second, followed by 2000 Canadian Olympian Kate Richardson and Jeanette Antolin. Nicolle Ford of Utah also tied for fourth in the event.

Arizona State's Ashley Kelly won the balance beam with a 9.95 to earn her first individual title.

"It's so surreal," said Kelly, a sophomore. "It felt like one of the best routines I had ever done under that kind of pressure."

Alabama's Jeana Rice captured the all-around title with a 39.650. She was followed by Jeanette Antolin of UCLA and April Burkholder of LSU, who tied for second with a 39.600.

The Bruins' five national titles tie Georgia for the second-most championships. Utah has nine national titles. The only other school to win the meet, which began in 1982, is Georgia.

"We all believed in our heart that we would hit all our events," said Antolin, a senior on the UCLA team. "We worked really hard and we deserve this national championship."

Regionals

Central -- 1. LSU, 197.500; 2. Arizona St., 196.500; 3. Brigham Young, 196.175; 4. Auburn, 195.750; 5. Michigan St., 195.025; 6. Kent St., 194.850. (LSU and Arizona St. advanced.)

North Central -- 1. Stanford, 196.575; 2. Iowa, 195.725; 3. Denver, 195.500; 4. Southern Utah, 194.375; 5. Washington, 194.225; 6. Minnesota, 192.225. (Stanford and Iowa advanced.)

Northeast -- 1. Georgia, 197.525; 2. Michigan, 196.375; 3. Iowa St., 196.150; 4. Penn St., 196.075; 5. Missouri, 194.400; 6. New Hampshire, 194.125. (Georgia and Michigan advanced.)

South Central -- 1. Utah, 197.625; 2. Florida, 197.050; 3. Arizona, 196.375; 4. Arkansas, 195.550; 5. Illinois, 195.400; 6. Illinois-Chicago, 193.875. (Utah and Florida advanced.)

Southeast -- 1. UCLA, 197.325; 2. Nebraska, 196.375; 3. North Carolina, 196.350; 4. West Virginia, 195.275; 5. Maryland, 194.575; 6. North Carolina St., 194.375. (UCLA and Nebraska advanced.)

West -- 1. Oklahoma, 197.100; 2. Alabama, 196.900; 3. Oregon St., 196.850; 4. Boise St., 195.275; 5. California, 195.175; 6. Cal State Fullerton, 193.000. (Oklahoma and Alabama advanced.)

Championships team results

1. UCLA, 198.125; 2. Georgia, 197.200; 3. Alabama and Stanford, 197.125; 5. Florida, 196.800; 6. Utah, 195.775.

Championships individual results

All-around: 1. Jeana Rica, Alabama, 39.650; 2. (tie) Jeanette Antolin, UCLA; and April Burkholder, LSU, 39.600; 4. (tie) Kate Richardson, UCLA; and Ashley Kelly, Arizona St.; Elise Ray, Michigan; 39.575; 7. Melissa Vituj, Utah, 39.550; 8. (tie) Kristen Maloney, UCLA; Chelsea Byrd, Georgia; Natalie Foley, Stanford; and Nicolle Ford, Utah, 39.525.

Vault: 1. Ashley Miles, Alabama, 9.944; 2. Annabeth Eberle, Utah, 9.919; 3. Natalie Foley, Stanford, 9.893; 4. (tie) Erinn Dooley, Florida; and April Burkholder, LSU, 9.875; 6. Janet Anson, Iowa St., 9.843; 7. Tiffany Willin, Oklahoma, 9.813; 8. Chantelle Tousek, Florida, 9.743; 9. Kate Richardson, 9.588.

Uneven bars: 1. Elise Ray, Michigan, 9.975; 2. Kristen Maloney, UCLA, 9.938; 3. Kate Richardson, UCLA, 9.900; 4. (tie) Jeanette Antolin, UCLA; and Nicolle Ford, Utah, 9.888; 6. (tie) Ashley Miles, Alabama; and Erin LaBarr, Oklahoma, 9.875; 8. Cory Fitzinger, Georgia, 9.850; 9. Caroline Fluhrer, Stanford, 9.825; 10. Natalie Foley, Stanford, 9.813; 11. Libby Landgraf, Nebraska, 9.750; 12. Jamie Dantzscher, UCLA, 9.738; 13. Jeana Rice, Alabama, 9.263.

Balance beam: 1. Ashley Kelly, Arizona St., 9.950; 2. Jeana Rice, Alabama, 9.913; 3. (tie) Elise Ray, Michigan; and Kristi Esposito, Nebraska, 9.900; 5. Yvonne Rousek, UCLA, 9.875; 6. (tie) Lindsey Bruck, Michigan; and Lindsay Wing, Stanford, 9.850; 8. April Burkholder, LSU, 9.838; 9. Erinn Dooley, Florida, 9.788; 10. Orley Szmuch, Florida, 9.750; 11. Samantha Lutz, Florida, 9.738; 12. Nicolle Ford, Utah, 9.675.

Floor exercise: 1. (tie) Ashley Miles, Alabama; and Courtney Bumpers, North Carolina, 9.938; 3. (tie) Jeanette Antolin, UCLA; and Melissa Vituj, Utah, 9.900; 5. (tie) Alexis Brion, Alabama; and Alexis Maday, Iowa; Caroline Fluhrer, Stanford, 9.888; Chelsea Byrd, Georgia, 9.875; Natalie Foley, Stanford, 9.850.