This week...
Sat., Mar. 24, 7 p.m. -- GYMNASTICS at WESTERN INDEPENDENTS CHAMPIONSHIPS, Hornet Gym, Sacramento, Ca.

Complete Women's Gymnastics Schedule

Redemption sought...
In its final outing prior to nationals, the No. 2-ranked Seattle Pacific University gymnastics team heads to Sacramento Saturday (Mar. 24) for the Western Independents Championships with the objective of bringing back the Falcons' first conference title in three years. SPU (6-13) is pitted against San Jose State, UC Davis, Alaska Anchorage and host Sacramento State. Seattle Pacific returns to Northern California April 12-14 for the USA Gymnastics Collegiate Championships at Davis.

It's about time...
The Falcons are anxious to redeem themselves after fourth-place finishes the past two seasons at the Western Independents. They had won the conference in 1997 and '98. Sacramento State is the defending champion. San Jose State, which won in 1999, owns the highest regional qualifying score (RQS) among the field, with a 193.650, followed by Sac State (192.965) and SPU.

The national rankings...
Seattle Pacific remains at No. 2 in the national USAG rankings this week. Air Force leads with an RQS of 193.720, followed by the Falcons (192.210), defending champion Texas Woman's (191.955) and UC Davis (191.325). Centenary, UC Santa Barbara, Southern Connecticut and Cornell round out the top eight. Coach Laurel Tindall (26th year) has guided the team to national titles in 1986, '92 and '97, and the Falcons have been to nationals the last 18 years in a row. In 2000, SPU finished fourth nationally.

Road records...
Although they finished fourth at the prestigious Shanico Invitational in Corvallis, Or., last week, the Falcons hit their best-ever road and beam scores. The total of 192.575 was the fourth-highest ever and included a score of 48.650 on beam. The previous records had been 192.125 and 48.600, set in 1997 and '98, respectively. Oregon State, the No. 15 team in Division I, established its own school record in winning the meet with 197.575. Washington was next with 195.775, followed by Cal State Fullerton with 194.175. Fox Sports Northwest will air the Shanico Invitational on a tape-delay basis Tuesday night (Mar. 20) at 8 p.m.

A Siegel can fly...
Alison Siegel (Jr., Oakland, Ca./Redwood) will be bidding for her third straight all-conference finish this weekend, but it's not likely to be in all-around. Siegel, still smarting from a sore back following a fall a couple weeks ago, entered only the vault at Corvallis. She stuck a 9.800 to finish 11th, equaling the best placement by any Falcon. Siegel is the USAG leader on vault. Earlier this season she broke school records in both beam and all-around.

Other top finishers...
As a team, SPU not only avoided any falls on beam but all six entries scored 9.600 or higher. And on vault they nearly matched the school record set earlier this season with a score of 48.400. All five counting scores were also 9.600 or higher. Besides Siegel, Kim Carey (Sr., Everett, Wa./Mariner) sprang to a career-best 9.725 and Jennifer Christman (Fr., Fairfield, Ca./Benicia, Ca.) followed with a 9.650. Lanna Apisukh of Washington won the event with a perfect 10.000.

Beam 'em up...
Leading the team on beam were Cassie Althauser (Sr., Centralia, Wa.) and Annastasia Ahr (Fr., Chelan, Wa./Blessed Hope), both finishing 11th with scores of 9.775. Althauser ranks second nationally on beam while Ahr has become a fixture on the event since joining the lineup last month. Erin Kawasaki (Sr., Seattle, Wa./Kennedy) scored a 9.725, and also swung the best finish by an SPU athlete on bars, dismounting for a 9.725. Kawasaki ranks sixth nationally on bars and Althauser eighth. The bars, a traditional team strength, were the weakest link last week, scoring 46.750 (nearly two full points below the season-best).

Gym shorts...
Kristen Strid (So., Kingsburg, Ca./Kingsburg Joint Union) ranks seventh nationally in all-around (38.010).. She competed only on bars and floor last week...Christman is No. 6 in vault and Carey's No. 12 on floor...Rachael Anderson (Fr., Yakima, Wa./West Valley) led the way on floor exercise at OSU, dancing her way to a 9.725. Courtney Stump (Jr., Poulsbo, Wa./Charles Wright) followed with a personal-best 9.625 and Christman flipped a 9.600...Missy McLaughlin (Jr., Federal Way, Wa./Decatur) swung a 9.225 on the bars and hit her vault for a 9.625...In its existence, Seattle Pacific has scored 192 or above seven times, with four of those marks coming this season.

Series, opponents notes...
Seattle Pacific has faced all four Western Independents opponents in this season. The only team the Falcons have yet to beat is San Jose State. SPU split with both Sacramento State and UC Davis, and swept Alaska Anchorage two nights in a row to open season in Anchorage...The series record with San Jose State sits at a 11-9 Spartan advantage and the Falcons lead the tally with Sac State 23-12, UC Davis 19-16 and UAA 27-0...Sacramento State and SPU are the conference meet's only two-time champions.

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
Annastasia 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 319-286-1)

Women's Gymnastics Roster

2001 high scores...
Name Vault Bars Beam Floor All-Around
Annastasia Ahr 9.100 dnc 9.800 9.625 dnc
Cassie Althauser dnc 9.775 9.875 9.525 dnc
Courtney Amonsen dnc dnc 9.600 dnc dnc
Rachael Anderson dnc dnc dnc 9.750 dnc
Kim Carey 9.725 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 9.625 9.750 dnc
Amber Weddell dnc 9.025e dnc dnc dnc
TEAM *48.525 48.400 *48.650 48.850 *193.700
Boldface indicates career-high *School record (e exhibition)