CORVALLIS, Ore. (Mar. 17) -- Despite amassing the highest away score in school history, the Seattle Pacific University gymnastics team placed fourth among a strong field at the Shanico Invitational meet Saturday night at Gill Coliseum.

The Falcons (6-13) scored a school-record 48.650 on the balance beam and finished with the fourth-highest meet score, 192.575. Oregon State, the No. 15 team in the NCAA, won with 197.625. Washington was next with 195.775, followed by Cal State Fullerton at 194.175.

By virtue of its score, SPU's regional qualifying score should move closer to that of Air Force, the current leader among teams eligible for the USA Gymnastics Collegiate Championships. The Falcons were second last week by 0.680 points.

The Huskies' Lanna Apisukh won the vault with a perfect score of 10.000.

Each of the four winning individual event scores were 9.925 or higher.

Seattle Pacific's highest individual placement was 11th by Alison Siegel (Jr., Oakland, Ca.) in the vault (9.800) and by both Annastasia Ahr (Fr., Chelan, Wa.) and Cassie Althauser (Sr., Centralia, Wa.) in the beam (9.775). Siegel leads all USA Gymnastics members in season vault average while Althauser is No. 3 on beam.

Kim Carey (Sr., Everett, Wa.) posted a career-high on vault while Courtney Stump (Jr., Poulsbo, Wa.) improved her PR on beam to 9.625. All six SPU competitors on beam scored 9.600 or higher.

The previous record score for an SPU road meet was 192.125 set in 1997. The old beam team record was 48.600, set in 1998.

Next Saturday the Falcons compete at the Western Independents Championships in Sacramento.

Team Scores
1, Oregon State 197.625; 2, Washington 195.775; 3, Cal State Fullerton 194.175; 4, Seattle Pacific 192.575.

Vault
1, Lanna Apisukh, UW, 10.000; 2, Lara Degenhardt, OSU, 9.950; 5-way tie for third at 9.900; 11, Alison Siegel, SPU, 9.800

Uneven Bars
1, Jamie Moody, CSF, and Joanna Hughes, CSF, 9.925; 3, Elizabeth Jillson, OSU, 9.900; 13, Erin Kawasaki, SPU, 9.725

Balance Beam
1, Marissa Bruch, OSU, and Stacy Wong, UW, 9.950; 3-way tie for third at 9.925; 11, Annastasia Ahr, SPU, and Cassie Althauser, SPU, 9.775

Floor Exercise
1, Lara Degenhardt, OSU, 9.975; 2, Katrina Severin, OSU, 9.950; 3, Annie Campbell, OSU and Mandi Klug, UW, 9.925; 14, Rachael Anderson, SPU, 9.725

All-Around
1, Annie Campbell, OSU, 39.625; 2, Lanna Apisukh, UW, 39.550; 3, Stacy Wong, UW, 39.350