This week...
Fri., Mar. 9, 7:30 p.m. -- GYMNASTICS at SAN JOSE STATE, Spartan Gym, San Jose, Ca.
Sat., Mar. 10, 7 p.m. -- GYMNASTICS at UC DAVIS/CALIFORNIA, Recreation Hall, Davis, Ca.

Complete Women's Gymnastics Schedule

Back-to-back meets...
After obliterating the school team score record by over a full point, the No. 3-ranked Seattle Pacific University gymnastics team visits Northern California for back-to-back meets. Friday night (Mar. 9) the Falcons (6-7) face San Jose State (6-5) and Saturday (Mar. 10) is second meeting with No. 4-ranked UC Davis (2-8) in eight days. California (12-9), ranked No. 19 among Division I teams, complete the three-team meet. The regular season concludes Mar. 17 at the Shanico Invitational in Corvallis.

We'll be back...
Seattle Pacific can take care of a couple business tasks while visiting the Aggies Saturday. First, they would like to prove they can score 192 or better on the road, thereby improving their regional qualifying score in the process. Secondly, the meet will serve as a dress rehearsal of sorts for the USA Gymnastics Collegiate Championships, which will be hosted by Davis on Easter weekend. SPU is already assured a trip to the national championships for the 19th year in a row. The Falcons were fourth the last two years in a row and won national titles in 1986, '92 and '97 under Coach Laurel Tindall (26th year).

They feel right at home...
The top two SPU all-arounders and a most promising freshman will likely be performing before family and friends this weekend. Alison Siegel (Jr., Oakland, Ca./Redwood) is the school record-holder on balance beam and in the all-around, having established both marks this season. Kristen Strid (So., Kingsburg, Ca./Kingsburg Joint Union) ranks second nationally in all-around scoring average. Another Bay Area product, Jennifer Christman (Fr., Fairfield, Ca./Benicia, Ca.) has been a fixture on vault, beam and floor.

The earth moved...
The first sounds to come out of Seattle on Feb. 28 were those of buildings and roads crumbling under the stress of a major earthquake. A few hours later, the SPU scoring record gave way. The Falcons surpassed their previous high team score with a total of 193.700 in a dual loss to Western Michigan. Although several WMU athletes and their coach were caught at the top of 605-foot Space Needle when the 6.8 magnitude temblor struck, the Broncos settled down later on and scored 194.025. Two nights later against UC Davis, SPU managed a 192.675, downing the Aggies (191.450) by more than a full point. It was the Falcons' sixth score in excess of 191 points in the last seven meets. While they gained ground, they still trail Air Force and Texas Woman's in the national rankings this week.

Not shaky at all...
There was nothing shaky about the Falcons last week. Against Western Michigan they stayed dead even after two events and got solid scores out of Siegel‹who won both the floor exercise and the all-around competition‹and Cassie Althauser (Sr., Centralia, Wa.). Siegel was all smiles in the final routine of the night. No wonder; her score of 9.875 was not only a career-high, but No. 2 in school history. She was also third on vault (9.725). Althauser, considered the team's top performer on bars, won the balance beam with a personal-best score of 9.850 and was third on bars (9.775).

Don't forget Davis...
Some of the highlights in the Davis meet were every bit as impressive as the record score against Western Michigan two days earlier. Seniors Althauser, Erin Kawasaki (Sr., Seattle, Wa./Kennedy) and Kim Carey (Sr., Everett, Wa./Mariner) delighted the crowd in their final home meet. Carey scored a 9.575 on vault and a third-place 9.775 on floor exercise. Kawasaki swung a 9.650 on bars.

National rankings...
The Falcons score vs. Western Michigan was the second-highest score posted by a USAG team this season. Air Force owns the top score with a 194.010. Siegel still claims the nation's highest score on beam (9.925) and the nation's top score in the all-around (39.425). She ranks No. 2 in vault average (9.610). Kawasaki is No. 2 in bars average (9.68), Strid is No. 2 in all-around (37.582), Carey is No. 4 on bars (9.582) and third on floor exercise (9.705), Althauser is sixth on beam (9.500) and Christman is No. 5 on vault (9.511). In raw average, Air Force leads with 191.854, followed by Texas Woman's (190.919) and SPU (190.622). Less than 0.600 separates the three in regional qualifying scores.

Gym shorts...
In the Western Michigan meet, six Birds scored above a 9.700. Besides Althauser, Kawasaki had beam score of 9.800. Against Davis, Althauser scored silver on bars (9.750) and beam (9.875) again and notched her second career-high in as many nights on the balance beam...Anastasia Ahr (Fr., Chelan, Wa./Blessed Hope) won bronze against Davis on beam, flipping a career-high 9.800...Rachael Anderson (Fr., Yakima, Wa./West Valley) earned a fourth place 9.750 on floor exercise for a PR as well...Missy McLaughlin (Jr., Federal Way, Wa./Decatur) swung a career-high 9.700 on bars vs. the Aggies...Last week vs. UC Davis, Christman finished third on vault with a 9.675 and danced her way to a career-high on floor exercise with a 9.700...Strid finished second in the all-around Wednesday night (38.375) and third in the win over Davis (37.950)...All but one Falcon scored a 9.5 or higher on vault against the Mustangs...Courtney Stump (Jr., Poulsbo, Wa./Charles Wright) scored a 9.750 on floor against Davis just two weeks after returning from a heel injury...Courtney Amonsen (So., Redmond, Wa./Inglemoor) negotiated the beam for a 9.575 against Western Michigan.

Series, opponents notes...
San Jose State defeated the Falcons in Seattle Feb. 3 by a margin of nearly two points. The Spartans, who lead the series 10-9, scored a season-high 194.300 in their last home meet...SPU now leads the series with Davis 19- 15. The Aggies have yet to score above 192 and averaging 189.920...California has not scored under 194 points and is coming off a total of 197.700 vs. UCLA last week. The Bears lead the series 14-1.

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. Third place on vault against Sac State
Cassie Althauser Sr/3V Centralia, Wa. Career high on balance beam vs. Western Michigan
Courtney Amonsen So/1V Redmond, Wa. Made beam line-up against Davis
Rachael Anderson Fr/RS Yakima, Wa. Career-high 9.750 on floor vs. Davis
Kim Carey Sr/3V Everett, Wa. Career high on floor at Boise
Jennifer Christman Fr/C1 Benicia, Ca. Career high 9.700 on bars vs. Davis
Erin Kawasaki Sr/2V Seattle, Wa. Second in nation in bars average
Missy McLaughlin Jr/2V Federal Way, Wa. Career high bars score against Davis
Ai Nakayama Fr/C1 Bellevue, Wa. Scored career-high on beam against San Jose
Alison Siegel Jr/2V Oakland, Ca. Record owner on beam (9.925) and all-around (39.425)
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. Competed three bar exhibitions so far in 2001
Coach: Laurel Tindall (25 years, SPU record 319-280-1)

Women's Gymnastics Roster

2001 high scores...
Name Vault Bars Beam Floor All-Around
Anastasia Ahr dnc dnc 9.800 9.375 dnc
Cassie Althauser dnc 9.775 9.875 9.525 dnc
Courtney Amonsen dnc dnc 9.575 dnc dnc
Rachael Anderson dnc dnc dnc 9.750 dnc
Kim Carey 9.700 9.700 dnc 9.800 dnc
Jennifer Christman 9.700 9.700 9.525 9.700 36.675
Erin Kawasaki 9.650 9.825 9.800 9.525 38.375
Missy McLaughlin 9.675 9.700 7.850 dnc dnc
Ai Nakayama dnc dnc 9.550 dnc dnc
Alison Siegel 9.850 9.700 *9.925 9.875 *39.425
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 9.025e dnc dnc dnc
TEAM *48.525 48.400 48.425 48.850 *193.700
Boldface indicates career-high *School record (e exhibition)