This week...
Sat., Feb. 3, 8 p.m. -- GYMNASTICS v SAN JOSE STATE, Brougham Pavilion, Seattle, Wa.

Complete Women's Gymnastics Schedule

Homecoming at last...
After posting one of the best scores in school history, the Seattle Pacific University gymnastics team is coming home for its first homecoming meet in three years. The Falcons (2-2) will face San Jose State (1-3) Saturday night (Feb. 3) in their home opener before going on the road for the next two meets. It will be the third and final homecoming athletic event, following a basketball doubleheader earlier in the afternoon. SPU visits Sacramento State Feb. 9.

Ticket information...
General admission tickets for all home gymnastics meets are price $5, with students and senior citizens $3. Pavilion ticket windows open at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Unprecedented start...
Every indication is that Seattle Pacific is not only well down its path toward 19th straight trip to the national championships, but that the Falcons' rebuilding process may be ahead of schedule. Last week's score of 191.875 was the fourth-highest in school history, the best team total in 51 meets over five seasons and the top January score ever. Only once before, in 1997, when SPU won its last national title, did the team score above 190 points by the third meet of a season.

Still bigger scores...
If Coach Laurel Tindall (26th year) was surprised with the Falcons' season-opening performances in Alaska a week earlier, she was tickled pink across town at Washington last week. The team had posted the third-best opening score at Anchorage (186.175) and followed with a 187.525 in the second meet. Just one week later, SPU vaulted more emphatically, balanced the beam with greater vigor, swung the bars with a little more resolve and danced the floor better than Janet Jackson. The team totals on bars (47.975), beam (47.950) and floor (47.950) each surpassed the best scores from the 2000 season.

In good company...
It always helps to share the floor with capable teams, and No. 2-ranked Stanford and No. 16 Washington certainly fit that bill. The Cardinal won the three-way meet with 196.050 points, edging the Huskies, who had 195.925. Eight gymnasts scored 9.9 or higher in the meet, including a 9.975 bars routine by Washington's Stacy Wong.

Career-highs for many...
Several SPU gymnasts posted career-highs in the meet. Jennifer Christman (Fr., Fairfield, Ca./Benicia, Ca.) began the afternoon's vault competition with a 9.700, placing her a distant seventh overall, but earning the tall, graceful frosh a career-high nonetheless. Kim Carey (Sr., Everett, Wa./Mariner) had a solid day as well, dancing and twisting to a career-high 9.750 on floor exercise and swinging the bars for a 9.600. Kristin Strid (So., Kingsburg, Ca./Kingsburg Joint Union) tumbled across the floor for a 9.700 and put together an all-around total of 38.225‹both career-highs. Redshirt freshman Rachael Anderson (Fr., Yakima, Wa./West Valley) made her collegiate debut memorable with a 9.800 on floor, albeit in an exhibition.

Kawasaki just misses list...
Erin Kawasaki (Sr., Seattle, Wa./Kennedy), finally competing at full strength after a hip-flexor injury limited her availability the past three seasons, finished with the Falcons' top all-around score (38.375), just missing the school's all-time top 10 list. Kawasaki swung a 9.625 on bars and topped the team on balance beam, walking the plank for a 9.700. Kawasaki had a career-high on beam the previous week in Anchorage with a 9.800. Her 9.575 vault score was also a career-high.

Keep at it...
It was a meet where everyone contributed and some that were accustomed to the limelight took on support roles. Bothered by a rotator cuff injury for much of 2001, Alison Siegel (Jr., Oakland, Ca./Redwood) took it easy at Washington, competing only on vault, where she scored a 9.625. Siegel finished runner-up in the all-around and on beam two years ago at nationals. Cassie Althauser (Sr., Centralia, Wa.), despite taking on a very difficult bars routine, scored a 9.675. Althauser was third on the apparatus at nationals in 2000.

Breakin' into the lineups...
Courtney Stump (Jr., Poulsbo, Wa./Charles Wright) worked her way into the beam and floor exercise lineups. Stump hit a 9.625 on floor and scored a 9.050 on the balance beam. Freshman Ai Nakayama (Fr., Bellevue, Wa./Sammamish) debuted on the beam as well for SPU, pirouetting a 9.500. Courtney Amonsen (So., Redmond, Wa./Inglemoor) performed a pair of exhibitions for SPU and scored a 9.250 on the uneven bars and a 9.425 on beam.

Series, opponents notes...
The Falcons are tied at 9-9 with San Jose State. The Spartans return six letterwinners from last year's 4-13 squad, which finished sixth at the NIT. San Jose State is led by all-arounder Dani Albright, who won both the beam and all-around (39.025) in a dual with Cal State Fullerton last week. The Spartans scored 191.975 and 192.775 in their first two meets, both at home...The last SPU win over a Division I program was 1998 vs. San Jose State.

Gym shorts...
Anastasia Ahr (Fr., Chelan, Wa./Blessed Hope), an early prospect for all-around, is not likely to return to any event lineup until February. Ahr suffered a back injury earlier this month...The beam was touted by Tindall as the team's most improved event this season, and the score last week was the best since the 1998 season. It included five marks of 9.500 or higher...The early-season scores certainly compare favorably with the other top teams at the Division II level. Defending national champion Texas Woman's has scored 189.300 and 191.600 in its first two meets, runner-up Air Force a 191.775 and 1999 champion UC Davis which scored 184.400 and 190.175.

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 Chelan, Wa. Graduated from San Antonio's Blessed Hope
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. Career-high 9.800 exhibition floor routine at UW
Kim Carey Sr/3V Everett, Wa. All-America on vault and floor exercise as freshman
Jennifer Christman Fr/C1 Benicia, Ca. Won vault first two meets against Anchorage
Erin Kawasaki Sr/2V Seattle, Wa. Career-high in all-around at UW
Missy McLaughlin Jr/2V Federal Way, Wa. Regular in vault, uneven bars lineup
Ai Nakayama Fr/C1 Bellevue, Wa. Scored career-high on beam at UW.
Alison Siegel Jr/2V Oakland, Ca. Runner-up in all-around and on beam at regional meet
Kristin Strid So/1V Kingsburg, Ca. Won all-around in second meet against Anchorage
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

Women's Gymnastics Roster

2001 high scores...
Name Vault Bars Beam Floor All-Around
Anastasia Ahr dnc dnc dnc dnc dnc
Cassie Althauser dnc 9.675 9.600 9.525 dnc
Courtney Amonsen dnc dnc dnc dnc dnc
Rachael Anderson dnc dnc dnc 9.800e dnc
Kim Carey 9.575 9.625 dnc 9.750 dnc
Jennifer Christman 9.700 9.050 9.525 9.400 36.675
Erin Kawasaki 9.575 9.625 9.800 9.475 38.375
Missy McLaughlin 9.525 9.400 7.850 dnc dnc
Ai Nakayama dnc dnc 9.500 dnc dnc
Alison Siegel 9.625 dnc 9.800 9.675 dnc
Kristin Strid 9.250 9.600 9.625 9.700 38.225
Courtney Stump 9.225e dnc 9.050 9.625 dnc
Amber Weddell dnc dnc dnc dnc dnc
TEAM 48.000 47.975 47.950 47.950 191.875
Boldface indicates career-high
*School record (e exhibition)