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Apr. 6-Aug. 2 -- NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT SIGNING PERIOD

Complete Women's Gymnastics Schedule

Surpassing expectations...
When the season began three months ago, even the coach questioned whether her team was capable of climbing into the nation's top four yet again. But the Seattle Pacific University gymnasts not only qualified for the finals but improved upon the previous year's finish and shattered several school records along the way in 2001. The Falcons, who completed the season Apr. 14 by placing third at the USA Gymnastics Collegiate Championships, posted a new record team score and, altogether, had eight scores of 191 points or higher and finished among the nation's top four teams for the 18th consecutive year.

The national story...
Although SPU enjoyed a strong season, the athletes needed to summon a great deal of inner strength at nationals. Coach Laurel Tindall (26th year) was particularly impressed with the team's character after it began woefully on beam and found itself in last place following the first rotation of the preliminary round. Eventually they clawed their way back into contention and eventually secured one of the four berths in the finals. There, in one of the closest four-way races in national meet history, Air Force claimed its first title with 192.825 points. The three other finalists all finished within 1.1 points. Host UC Davis (192.400) was runner-up, followed by Seattle Pacific (192.050) and defending champion Texas Woman's (191.750).

Siegel flies high...
After missing the cut for individual finals in 2000, team standout Alison Siegel (Jr., Oakland, Ca./Redwood Christian) was much stronger this time around, first leading the SPU comeback in prelims and finishing fourth in the all-around, and later taking fourth on vault. She will now enter her final season as a four-time All-America and the owner of three school records. Earlier in the season, Siegel set new marks in the all-around (39.425), vault (9.850) and balance beam (9.925). She ranks No. 2 on the floor exercise.

Carey, McLaughlin shine...
Besides Siegel, two other gymnasts earned All-America honors by virtue of finishing among the top performers in their respective events. Kim Carey (Sr., Everett, Wa./Mariner) punctuated her career with a seventh-place finish on the uneven bars (9.525) to become a three-time All-America. Carey finished in the nation's top ten on vault and floor exercise as a freshman. Missy McLaughlin (Jr., Federal Way, Wa.) vaulted an eighth-place finish on vault to earn her first such All-America accolade.

Seniors to be missed...
Tindall's graduating senior class will leave a void in several lineups. Carey was a fixture on vault, bars and floor during her career, while Erin Kawasaki (Sr., Seattle, Wa./Kennedy) and Cassie Althauser (Sr., Centralia, Wa) were both All-America as juniors. Kawasaki shrugged off two injury-plagued seasons to make nationals finals and finish seventh on bars in 2000. She competed all-around in six meets, including both rounds at nationals. As a senior Althauser qualified for the NCAA West Regional on beam and was also All-America on bars as a junior.

Letter of intent...
Tindall has already begun the process of rebuilding her team for 2002, signing her first recruit last week. Corrie McDaniel is a Level 10 gymnast from Lawrence, Kansas. McDaniel competed for Kansas Gymnastics Dance & Cheer and finished 10th in the 2000 Western Nationals and was second regionally on floor exercise. Tindall expects as many as six newcomers when fall practice sessions commence.

Changes in store...
There's a strong possibility that Seattle Pacific and the other Western Independents members will move to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in 2002. A decision will be made next month about whether the Falcons, Alaska Anchorage, UC Davis, Sacramento State and San Jose State will join MPSF holdovers Air Force and UC Santa Barbara. Tindall has offered to host the MPSF postseason meet if the move occurs. Other home dual meets are scheduled with California, UC Davis, Sacramento State and San Jose State. Road meets include stops at Stanford and Oregon State.

Record book re-write...
This year's team re-wrote more than its share of school records, with six of the 10 team and individual marks falling and 17 other individual scores moving into the all-time top 10. In addition to Siegel's three records, the Falcons shattered standards for team score (193.700), vault (48.525) and beam (48.650). In fact, six of the top 10 meet scores were posted this season. The only event all-time top 10 left intact was the bars.

Potential to shine...
Along with Siegel and McLaughlin there's a strong returning nucleus. Kristen Strid (So., Kingsburg, Ca./Kingsburg Joint Union) has been a regular all-arounder in each of her first two seasons. Courtney Stump (Jr., Poulsbo, Wa./Charles Wright) was a consistent contributor on floor and beam while Courtney Amonsen (So., Redmond, Wa./Inglemoor) was also a regular on beam. Floor specialist Rachael Anderson (Fr., Yakima, Wa./West Valley) averaged a score of 9.685 and Jennifer Christman (Fr., Fairfield, Ca./Benicia, Ca.) proved a formidable vaulter and a regular in the bars and floor lineups. Annastasia Ahr (Fr., Chelan, Wa./Blessed Hope), following a late start due to injury, made the beam and floor selection.

Gym shorts...
The Falcons have scored 191 or higher just three times at nationals, including this year's third-place finish. SPU won the '97 crown with a then-school record score of 192.250 and took second with a 191.625 in '98...The last individual event champion from SPU was Deni Boswell, who won the all-around and bars titles in 1998. This year's national meet event winners were UC Davis' Ericka Ruelas on bars and floor, Patty Walbert of Texas Women's on vault, Beth Stott of Air Force on balance beam, and Davis' Flora Bare in the all-around...This year's national meet was the closest four-way team competition since 1996, when only 0.850 points separated the finalists...Siegel will begin her final season with 16 marks which rank among the top 10 all-time. Ten of those marks came this season. Boswell has the next highest total with 15 top-10 scores.

S-P-U on the W-E-B...
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Personnel notes...
Name Yr/Exp. Hometown Notes
Annastasia Ahr Fr/C1 Chelan, Wa. Frosh competed on floor and beam at national meet
Cassie Althauser Sr/3V Centralia, Wa. All-American on bars in 2000
Courtney Amonsen So/1V Redmond, Wa. Competed on beam at national meet
Rachael Anderson Fr/RS Yakima, Wa. Career-high 9.800 on floor at W. Independents meet
Kim Carey Sr/3V Everett, Wa. Ends career as three-time All-American
Jennifer Christman Fr/C1 Benicia, Ca. Competed on vault and bars at USAG meet
Erin Kawasaki Sr/2V Seattle, Wa. All-American on bars in 2000
Missy McLaughlin Jr/2V Federal Way, Wa. All-American on vault in 2001
Ai Nakayama Fr/C1 Bellevue, Wa. Scored career-high on beam against San Jose
Alison Siegel Jr/2V Oakland, Ca. Four-time All-American, twice in all-around
Kristen Strid So/1V Kingsburg, Ca. Tied No. 5 all-time mark in all-around vs. San Jose
Courtney Stump Jr/2V Poulsbo, Wa. Competed on floor and vault at national meet
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 *39.125
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)