EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — Two former University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire gymnasts will be inducted into the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025 on Friday night. Julie Sugden (Hardtke) and Michaela McCamey-Metropulos both represent the Blugolds as members of the NCGA's newest Hall of Fame class. They will be inducted during a ceremony at the NCGA's annual awards banquet on Friday night in Saint Peter, Minnesota, as part of this weekend's national championship festivities.

Sugden and McCamey-Metropulos are the third and fourth representatives of UW-Eau Claire to be inducted into the NCGA Hall of Fame.

Sugden was a member of the gymnastics team at Eau Claire from 1981 to 1985 and holds the distinction of being the first Blugold gymnastics national champion. She won the NCGA crown on the balance beam in 1985 and was also named All-American on the vault, beam and in the all-around competition in 1985. She finished ninth on the vault at the national meet in 1984 and was the WWIAC champion in that event in 1982. A three-time Blugold Most Valuable Performer, Sugden was the conference runner-up in the all-around in 1985. She earned the team Most Inspirational award in 1983 and the Hardest Worker award in 1985. Sugden was the Blugolds' most consistent performer each of her four years on the gymnastics team. A 1981 graduate of Mukwonago High School, Sugden received her bachelor's degree from UWEC in 1985 and her master's degree in nursing from Marquette University in 1991. She was inducted into UW-Eau Claire's Hall of Fame in 1994.

McCamey-Metropulos competed at UW-Eau Claire from 2011 to 2014. She became the fourth national champion in UW-Eau Claire's history when she won the balance beam title in 2012. She was a three-time All-American on the beam, earning the honors in 2012, 2013 and 2014. She placed first in the event at nationals in 2012, and third in both 2013 and 2014. Some of her scores on the beam still rank near the top of UWEC's all-time performance lists more than a decade later. She also earned NCGA All-Academic honors during her career. McCamey-Metropulos is native of a Dayton, Ohio.

Established in 2011, the NCGA Division III Gymnastics Hall of Fame was created to pay tribute and give deserved recognition and honor to outstanding former athletes, coaches and administrators who have shown distinctive and exceptional ability while participating within or supporting Division III gymnastics.

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