This week...
Sat., Feb. 17, 6 p.m. PST -- GYMNASTICS at BOISE STATE with CAL STATE FULLERTON, UC SANTA BARBARA, Boise State Pavilion, Boise, Id.

Complete Women's Gymnastics Schedule

To Idaho they go...
Planning to prove that last week's dip of three points was only a fluke, the Seattle Pacific University gymnastics team heads to the Idaho capital Saturday (Feb. 17) to face the likes of Boise State (2-3), Cal State Fullerton (5-6) and UC Santa Barbara (1-7). The Falcons (3-5), who split a tri-meet in California last weekend, return home to host Sacramento State and begin a three-meet homestand Feb. 24.

Still on track...
Seattle Pacific is coming off a score of 188.250--its lowest total in three meets--at Sacramento. However, some of that could be attributable to a lengthy delay prior to their floor exercise performances and some adjustments to different equipment. Through five meets the Falcons are averaging 189.060 points, more than two full points higher than at the same point a year ago. Currently ranked No. 3 among USA Gymnastics teams, they appear well on their way to clinching a national meet invitation for the 18th consecutive year and a trip to Davis, Ca., Apr. 12. Last season Seattle Pacific finished fourth nationally.

Still bigger scores...
Coach Laurel Tindall (26th year) saw her team take its fair share of falls at Sacramento. Yet there were still eight scores of 9.500 or higher. Despite a 20-minute wait for the music system to become workable, the Falcons scored 47.575 on floor exercise, with all six athletes scoring a 9.350 or better. The weak events were the bars and beam, where SPU posted its lowest scores since the first meet of the season. For the night, Sacramento State was a runaway winner (191.375) while USAG regional rival UC Santa Barbara finished third with 187.750.

Siegel back at it...
If there was a high point to the meet for Seattle Pacific, it may have come during the vault. Alison Siegel (Jr., Oakland, Ca./Redwood) blitzed down the runway and hit a 9.675. It was sufficient to tie Sac State's Lara Gould for first place. While it wasn't her best score of the year in that event, it was Siegel's best score of the meet. Also encouraging was the fact that Siegel competed all-around for the first time, scoring 37.175. She had been held out of the uneven bars for the first four meets by a preseason shoulder injury. Just a week earlier, Siegel set a school record mark on the balance beam with a 9.925.

Strid comes through...
Taking the bronze in the all-around was another Californian, Kristen Strid (So., Kingsburg, Ca./Kingsburg Joint Union). Strid's best score of the night was a 9.550 on floor and her four-event total was a 37.550. Sacramento State's Toni Peterson won the all-around competition with a 38.075 and also won the uneven bars with a 9.850.

Carey-ing herself well...
Although Siegel received the team's highest score of the night, Kim Carey (Sr., Everett, Wa./Mariner) was just 0.05 points off the pace on floor exercise. Carey danced her way to a team-high 9.625 to lead the Falcons. Hornet Jolanne Parr won the floor exercise with a 9.900. Carey also swung a 9.500 on the uneven bars and vaulted a 9.450.

If not for the vault...
Erin Kawasaki (Sr., Seattle, Wa./Kennedy) was well her way to a second-place finish in all-around until crashing on vault. Kawasaki was the team leader on bars (9.575) and beam (9.525) and had hit a season-high on floor (9.525). She added floor and vault to her repertoire this season after performing exclusively on bars her first three seasons due to a hip flexor injury. Kawasaki was All-America on bars last season and has an all-around season-best of 38.375.

Other encouraging signs...
In just her second week in the floor exercise lineup, Rachael Anderson (Fr., Yakima, Wa./West Valley) tumbled off a solid routine for a 9.450. Jennifer Christman (Fr., Fairfield, Ca./Benicia, Ca.) vaulted a 9.500, her third performance over a 9.500 on the year, and had a season-best score of 9.350 on bars. Cassie Althauser (Sr., Centralia, Wa.) slipped to a 9.125 on bars but her 9.275 on beam was second only to Kawasaki.

Series, opponents notes...
Boise State a lopsided owns a commanding 33-13 lead in the series, with the Falcons' last win coming in 1992. The Broncos are led by all-arounder Jessica Berry, who has a season-high total of 38.925. Boise State is averaging 192.765 with a high score of 194.525...Cal State Fullerton is averaging 193.633 with a best score of 194.750. The Titans, who will also cross paths with SPU Mar. 17 at Oregon State, lead the series 4-0...UC Santa Barbara is 0-11 vs. the Falcons, including last week's meet. The Gauchos' high score of 187.750 was from that meet.

National rankings...
Seattle Pacific remains No. 3 in the USAG rankings, behind Air Force (average score of 191.92) and defending champion Texas Woman's (191.02). Centenary (188.17) is No. 4 and national meet host UC Davis (187.94) fifth... Individually, Siegel still owns the nation's highest score on beam (9.925) and ranks No. 5 in vault average (9.535). Kawasaki is No. 6 in bars average (9.650) and Strid is No. 7 in all-around (37.705).

Gym shorts...
Ai Nakayama (Fr., Bellevue, Wa./Sammamish) was again in the beam lineup and scored 9.125...Courtney Stump (Jr., Poulsbo, Wa./Charles Wright) scored a solid 9.425 on floor exercise at Sac State...Missy McLaughlin (Jr., Federal Way, Wa.) launched a 9.325 on vault.

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. Career high on balance beam vs. San Jose
Courtney Amonsen So/1V Redmond, Wa. Performed exhibition routines in last two meets
Rachael Anderson Fr/RS Yakima, Wa. Career-high 9.675 on floor vs. San Jose
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 on bars against San Jose.
Missy McLaughlin Jr/2V Federal Way, Wa. Career high vault and bars scores vs. San Jose
Ai Nakayama Fr/C1 Bellevue, Wa. Scored career-high on beam against San Jose
Alison Siegel Jr/2V Oakland, Ca. School record owner on balance beam (9.925)
Kristen Strid So/1V Kingsburg, Ca. Tied No. 5 all-time mark in all-around vs. San Jose
Courtney Stump Jr/2V Poulsbo, Wa. Career high on floor against San Jose
Amber Weddell Fr/C1 Stockton, Ca. Graduated from Lincoln High School
Coach: Laurel Tindall (25 years, SPU record 316-277-1)

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 9.775 9.525 dnc
Courtney Amonsen dnc dnc dnc dnc dnc
Rachael Anderson dnc dnc dnc 9.675 dnc
Kim Carey 9.575 9.675 dnc 9.750 dnc
Jennifer Christman 9.700 9.350 9.525 9.400 36.675
Erin Kawasaki 9.575 9.825 9.800 9.525 38.375
Missy McLaughlin 9.500 9.400 7.850 dnc dnc
Ai Nakayama dnc dnc 9.550 dnc dnc
Alison Siegel 9.800 8.950 *9.925 9.675 37.175
Kristen Strid 9.350 9.725 9.800 9.800 38.675
Courtney Stump 9.225e dnc 9.050 9.750 dnc
Amber Weddell dnc dnc dnc dnc dnc
TEAM 48.000 48.100 48.075 48.000 191.875