Season openers...
Fri., Jan. 19, 8 p.m. PST -- GYMNASTICS at ALASKA ANCHORAGE, UAA Sports Center, Anchorage, Ak.
Sat., Jan. 20, 8 p.m. PST -- GYMNASTICS at ALASKA ANCHORAGE, UAA Sports Center, Anchorage, Ak.

Complete Women's Gymnastics Schedule

Alaska for starters...
A year of rebuilding and, hopefully, rebirth begins soon for the Seattle Pacific University women's gymnastics team. The Falcons, fourth in the nation a year ago, open the 2001 schedule Friday and Saturday (Jan. 19-20) with back-to-back dual meets at Alaska Anchorage. A week later, Jan. 28, they bring the action closer to home, competing at Washington while the home opener is Feb. 3 versus San Jose State.

Been there before...
Laurel Tindall is back for her 26th year as head coach, but with a relatively inexperienced cast. The Falcons, while they are likely to qualify for nationals for the 19th consecutive year, may be a year away from contending for the national title once again. Tindall guided SPU to national titles in 1986, 1992 and 1997. Initially she made her mark as an athlete, as one of the original members of the Seattle Pacific program. By the time Tindall completed her competitive career, she was a 10-time All-America and selected to the U.S. National Team in 1974. Since then she has been coach, judge and mentor to hundreds of young athletes, earning national coach of the year three times.

Four to replace...
In 2000, SPU missed making the final round of the USA Gymnastics Collegiate Championships despite posting the fourth-best score in prelims. Four members of that squad, including floor exercise school record-holder Callie Field, graduated. To replenish the roster Tindall attracted five freshmen, but she concedes that her lineup is lacking depth.

All-America are we...
Still, Tindall's team possesses its share of frontline performers, with five past All-America gymnasts, three on the uneven bars. Cassie Althauser (Sr., Centralia, Wa.), Erin Kawasaki (Jr., Seattle, Wa./Kennedy) and Kristin Strid (So., Kingsburg, Ca./Kingsburg Joint Union) were All-America on that apparatus in 2000. Althauser had the best finish of the three, earning third-place at nationals and a season-best score of 9.750. Althauser added a new trick to her routine over the summer, making her it the most demanding in the nation, according to Tindall. Kawasaki, who has rebounded from injuries early in her collegiate career, may compete all-around. She competed exclusively on bars as a junior and finished seventh at nationals. Strid, another all-around candidate, was eighth in the nation on bars as a freshman.

Fly like a Siegel...
The team's most valuable performer of the past two seasons is back and likely to command a top spot in each of the four events. Alison Siegel (Jr., Oakland, Ca./Redwood Christian), the national runner-up in all-around as a freshman, barely missed making national finals in both the vault and balance beam last season. Siegel swung to the team's top bars score (9.800) and momentarily held the school record on floor (9.875). In 1999, she was All-America both in the all-around and beam.

Deja vu for Carey?...
Kim Carey (Sr., Everett, Wa./Mariner), who along with Kawasaki and Althauser comprise the senior class, hopes to finish her career where she started, as an All-America on floor and vault. Carey was a regular on vault and floor last season. She may also see action on bars, where she was a fixture as a sophomore.

Solid marks...
Among the other returnees who posted solid marks last season were Courtney Stump (Jr., Poulsbo, Wa./Charles Wright Academy), Courtney Amonsen (So., Redmond, Wa./Inglemoor) and Missy McLaughlin (Jr., Federal Way, Wa./Decatur). All three made the trip to nationals. Amonsen competed in all four events, often seeing action in all-around near the start of last season. Stump, primarily a beam and floor performer, was a regular in the lineup all season but was hampered by a sore wrist. McLaughlin frequented the vault lineup.

Who's new at SPU...
Of the incoming freshmen, Anastasia Ahr (Fr., San Antonio, Tx./Blessed Hope) and Jennifer Christman (Fr., Fairfield, Ca./Benicia, Ca.) are candidates for spots in all four events. Ai Nakayama (Fr., Bellevue, Wa./Sammamish) and Amber Weddell (Fr., Stockton, Ca./Lincoln) are listed as prospects in all but the vault. Nakayama was the state champion on balance beam as a sophomore and senior in high school and finished first in the all-around competition as a senior. Ahr was the Texas champion on the balance beam as a freshman and senior.

Series, opponents notes...
The Falcons are a perfect 26-0 in past meetings with Alaska Anchorage but are searching for their first season-opening win since 1998. This is the first time the Seawolves have hosted SPU since 1994. Among the four UAA returnees are all-arounders Rachel Glover and Melinda Merritt.

Gym shorts...
After such as slow start the past two years, Tindall hopes for better scoring in Anchorage. Last season the Falcons began with a total of 183.575 and the year before was 180.300. The best season-opening score was 188.300 in 1992...The Jan. 28 tri-meet at Washington with Stanford has been moved up to a 12 noon start...Kathy Siwek, a member of the 1997 national championship team and two-time All-America on vault and floor, joins the coaching staff as an assistant...Three of the Falcons' four home meets occur during a seven-day span in late February and early March.

S-P-U on the W-E-B...
You can follow Seattle Pacific via the world wide web. The Falcons Online features weekly release, rosters, schedules, updated results, histories and coaching profiles for all 12 varsity sports. You're already here!

Personnel notes...
Name Yr/Exp. Hometown Notes
Anastasia Ahr Fr/C1 San Antonio, Tx. Graduated from Blessed Hope Academy
Cassie Althauser Sr/3V Centralia, Wa. 3rd place on bars at USAG Nationals, All-American
Courtney Amonsen So/1V Redmond, Wa. Key performer on beam and bars in '00
Rachael Anderson Fr/RS Yakima, Wa. Back after reconstructive knee surgery
Kim Carey Sr/3V Everett, Wa. All-America on vault and floor exercise as freshman
Jennifer Christman Fr/C1 Benicia, Ca. Graduated from Benicia High School
Erin Kawasaki Jr/2V Seattle, Wa. 7th place on bars at USAG Nationals, All-American
Missy McLaughlin Jr/2V Federal Way, Wa. Regular in vault lineup in 2000
Ai Nakayama Fr/C1 Bellevue, Wa. Graduated from Sammamish High School
Alison Siegel Jr/2V Oakland, Ca. Runner-up in all-around and on beam at regional meet
Kristin Strid So/1V Kingsburg, Ca. 8th place on bars at USAG Nationals, All-American
Courtney Stump Jr/2V Poulsbo, Wa. Key performer on beam and floor in '01
Amber Weddell Fr/C1 Stockton, Ca. Graduated from Lincoln High School
Coach: Laurel Tindall (25 years, SPU record 312-272-1)

Women's Gymnastics Roster

2000 high scores...
Name Vault Bars Beam Floor All-Around
Cassie Althauser dnc 9.750 9.675 9.325e dnc
Courtney Amonsen 9.600 9.425 9.675 9.475 37.600
Rachael Anderson dnc dnc dnc dnc dnc
Kim Carey 9.625 9.075e dnc 9.775 dnc
Callie Field 9.725 9.400e 9.650 9.950' dnc
Stephanie Gundel dnc dnc dnc dnc dnc
Erin Kawasaki dnc 9.625 dnc dnc dnc
Tara Lemm dnc 9.400 dnc dnc dnc
Tina Lemm 9.500 9.650 9.675 dnc dnc
Missy McLaughlin 9.400 dnc dnc dnc dnc
Emma Nevins dnc dnc dnc dnc dnc
Alison Siegel 9.675 9.800 9.775 9.875 38.500
Kristin Strid 9.575 9.700 9.525 9.550 37.775
Courtney Stump 9.225e dnc 9.525 9.575 dnc
Christin Tercek 9.025e dnc 9.500 9.400e dnc
TEAM 48.025 47.500 47.775 47.925 190.150
*School record (e exhibition)