This week...
Sat., Apr. 7, 6 p.m. -- GYMNASTICS at NCAA WEST REGIONAL, Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, Ca.

Complete Women's Gymnastics Schedule

Just the two of us...
By virtue of their regional individual event rankings, Seattle Pacific University's Alison Siegel (Jr., Oakland, Ca./Redwood) and Cassie Althauser (Sr., Centralia, Wa.) received invitations to the NCAA West Region gymnastics championships Saturday (Apr. 7) in Los Angeles. Siegel will compete on vault, where she leads the the USA Gymnastics division with a regional qualifying score (RQS) of 9.780. Althauser will perform on the balance beam, an apparatus on which she ranks No. 2 nationally in USAG. The balance of the SPU squad will remain in Seattle, preparing for the USAG Collegiate Championships, to be held Apr. 12-14 in Davis, Ca.

A prized pair...
Siegel is definitely the Falcons' brightest star this season, having broken three school records, including the vault mark with a 9.850. She also set new standards for the beam and all-around, but has been primarily competing on vault since suffering a back injury on a fall last month. Althauser, an All-America on bars last season, has averaged a 9.644 on beam, with six scores of 9.775 or higher this season. The last time SPU sent an individual to the regional was Deni Boswell in 1998. The Falcons' only team qualification for a Division I regional was in 1988.

Elite teams involved...
The West Regional will feature the NCAA's top-ranked team, plus two other national powers. Defending NCAA champion and No. 1-rated UCLA will host five teams: 11th-ranked Brigham Young, No. 13 Oregon State, California, Boise State and Cal State Fullerton at Pauley Pavilion. In addition to SPU, Sacramento State, UC Davis and San Jose State are also sending individuals. The top two teams will advance from the regional to the NCAA Championships along with the top two all-arounders from non-qualifying teams. Event winners from non-qualifying teams will advance if their scores are 9.800 or higher.

Rollin' with the big bears...
Althauser and Siegel have their work cut out amongst the Division I elites. Top ranked UCLA boasts a 197.640 RQS and on the Bruins' roster are four Olympians including Americans Kristin Maloney, Jamie Dantzscher and Alyssa Beckerman. However, the Siegel and Althauser will be amongst a few familiar faces. Sacramento State's Jami Scoville and Toni Peterson, San Jose State's Dani Albright, Shirla Choy and Kimmy Cianci, and Flora Bare and Erica Ruelas from UC Davis will also compete.

The USAG rankings...
Seattle Pacific will arrive at the USAG nationals with the division's No. 2 ranking despite finishing fourth and scoring just 189.675 at the Western Independents Championships Mar. 24. The Falcons finished behind champion Sacramento State (195.275), San Jose State (195.275) and UC Davis (193.050). Air Force leads the USAG with an RQS of 194.165, followed by the Falcons (192.210), defending champion Texas Woman's (192.000) and UC Davis (191.805). Centenary, UC Santa Barbara, Southern Connecticut and Cornell round out the top eight. Air Force, incidentally, is the only USAG team to qualify for an NCAA regional, earning a berth in the North Central meet at Salt Lake City. Coach Laurel Tindall (26th year) has guided SPU team to national titles in 1986, '92 and '97, and the Falcons have been to nationals the last 18 consecutive years. In 2000, SPU finished fourth nationally.

Last time out...
The Western Independents meet resulted in Seattle Pacific's lowest team total in the last eight meets. Althauser and Siegel earned two of the Falcons' highest finishes at the Western Independents meet last week. Siegel tied for first on vault with San Jose's Albright with a 9.775. Althauser finished with a 9.625 in a four-way tie for 10th place overall on beam. Rachael Anderson (Fr., Yakima, Wa./West Valley) broke her career-high by half of a point on floor exercise, finishing in 10th place with a 9.800 and Courtney Stump (Jr., Poulsbo, Wa./Charles Wright) danced a 9.750 to tie a career high as well on the same rotation.

Gym shorts...
Vault was by bar the Falcons' best event at Sacramento as all five scored athletes hit a 9.525 or better. Siegel led the rotation with a 9.775, followed by Missy McLaughlin (Jr., Federal Way, Wa./Decatur) with a 9.600. Jennifer Christman (Fr., Fairfield, Ca./Benicia, Ca.) stuck her landing for a 9.575...Kim Carey (Sr., Everett, Wa./Mariner) cracked a 9.525 on vault and scored a 9.475 on floor. Teammate Annastasia Ahr (Fr., Chelan, Wa./Blessed Hope) danced floor, earning a 9.625 and Erin Kawasaki (Sr., Seattle, Wa./Kennedy) swung an unusually low 9.400 on the bars, but hit her vault and beam routines for a 9.550 and a 9.525, respectively. All-arounder Kristen Strid (So., Kingsburg, Ca./Kingsburg Joint Union) competed only on bars and beam, scoring a 9.525 on both.

Series, opponents notes...
The Falcons competed at Boise on Feb. 17, and at Oregon State on Mar. 17. The overall series record with the Broncos is a 34-13 Boise advantage. Oregon State has beaten the Falcons 22 out of 24 meetings. Fullerton leads vs. SPU 4-0, Brigham Young 3-7, Cal 1-14 and host UCLA 2-0.

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 9.800 on floor at conference meet
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. Western Independents vault champion
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 320-290-1)

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 9.800 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)