Good vibrations. They've got a good thing going and this week gymnasts from Seattle Pacific University believe their positive late-season momentum will help them make a run at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship. The conference meet is Saturday (Mar. 29) in Sacramento and Seattle Pacific (6-11), a new MPSF member, will be competing there for the first time. Joining the Falcons will be favorite San Jose State, host Sacramento State, Air Force, UC Davis and Alaska Anchorage. The team will then prepare for the USA Gymnastics Collegiate Championships, April 17-19 in Denton, Texas.

Arriving in style. The Falcons will arrive in the California capital with lots of air under their wings. They have scored in excess of 190.600 points in each of their last five outings. Furthermore, they hit season-highs on both uneven bars (48.575) and vault (48.050) in their last visit to Hornet Gym just two weeks ago, when they totaled 192.325 in a rare road win over Sacramento State. Seattle Pacific will likely need to score at or above that level to upset San Jose State. Sacramento State won the inaugural MPSF title last year.

Nationals on horizon. Coach Laurel Tindall said a No. 3 seeding for nationals was well within reach, especially given the success of the team over the course of the last few meets. Well, it only took a week for Tindall's words to ring true. Seattle Pacific jumped two spots to No. 3 in this week's USAG statistical rankings following another couple solid scores: a 191.825 at Washington and a 191.775 to beat both Cal State Fullerton and Alaska Anchorage at home. Texas Woman's and defending champion Air Force are currently running 1-2 in the Division II rankings.

Senior leaves on high note. The Falcons' success on Senior Night was largely due to heady performances during floor exercise. Seattle Pacific has periodically struggled on floor and going into the final rotation it was neck and neck with Fullerton. Rachael Anderson (Sr., Yakima, Wa./West Valley), one of three outgoing seniors, capped off her final pavilion performance with a first-place score of 9.775, leading a 1-2-3 sweep. Earlier in the evening, Anderson launched a career-high vault with a 9.675 good for her highest finish ever on the apparatus, second place. The previous night at Washington she earned a career-high on beam (9.625). Anderson has scored a 9.700 or higher on floor in eight of nine meets this season.

Floor sweep. The Falcons' floor show total of 48.225 was the second-best of the season. Four gymnasts hit 9.675 or better, including Kari Kelly (Fr., Yakima, Wa./Eisenhower) and Annastasia Ahr (Jr., San Antonio, Tx.), who finished second and third, respectively. Kelly danced her way to a career-high 9.750 and Ahr was close on her heels with a 9.725. Kelly's previous high on floor was 9.600. Elisabeth Kingsley (So., Kennesaw, Ga./Harrison) was just 0.25 off her career-high and finished seventh (9.675).

Uncanny seconds and thirds. As if time spent at practice wasn't enough, one pair of Falcon gymnasts were very familiar with each other after the weekend meets. All season long, teammates Kristen Strid (Sr., Kingsburg, Ca./Kingsburg Joint Union) and Melissa Stanton (Jr., Rapid City, SD/Central-Hamline) have been top finishers on either balance beam or the uneven bars. At Washington, they scored seventh places, Strid on beam and Stanton on bars and Saturday night against Fullerton and Anchorage, the duo tied for second with the Titans' Melissa Parker on bars. If that weren't enough, Strid and Stanton also tied for third place on the balance beam. On beam and bars both, each earned a 9.700.

Gym shorts. Another win would give SPU seven for the season, it's best total in five years...Stanton is averaging 9.686 on bars with four scores of 9.775 or better in the last five meets. She also had a season-high 9.700 on beam in both meets last week. Nationally, Stanton is No. 3 on bars...SPU ranks No. 3 in USAG on vault and bars, No. 4 on beam and No. 8 on floor...Corrie McDaniel (So., Lawrence, Ks./Lawrence) followed up last week's all-around victory with a fifth-place tally at Washington (37.425) and second place one night later (37.600). McDaniel has the potential to win a national title, as evidenced by her 38.975 in Sacramento, but has been plagued by falls on bars and beam this season...Courtney Amonsen (Sr., Redmond, Wa./Inglemoor) negotiated a near-career-high 9.625 on balance beam on Senior Night and now has scored 9.550 or higher in her last three outings...Ahr hit a career-high 9.750 on vault at the UW...Kingsley has scored 9.600 or higher in her last three floor routines...Jennifer Christman (Jr., Fairfield, Ca./Benicia) vaulted a 9.425 at home but was out of the lineup vs. the Huskies...Cindy Reed (Fr., Antioch, Ca./Deer Valley) hit season-highs on vault (9.575) and beam (9.650) at Washington... Jaynie Reynolds (Fr., White Rock, BC/South Delta) launched a 9.575 vault at Washington and danced a season-high 9.600 on floor as well...Kelly vaulted a 9.625 at Bank of America Arena and swung a 9.525 bar routine...Kristyn Bence (Fr., Federal Way, Wa./Decatur), competing exhibition, scored a season-high 9.425 on floor at home.

Tickets, please. General admission tickets for all SPU home gymnastics meets are priced $5 with students, youth and senior citizens $3 with proper identification. Teams or groups can qualify for discount rates by call (206) 281-2085 in advance.

SPU Coaches. Coach Laurel Tindall is a veteran of the sport and is synonymous with the university. Originally, she competed for the Falcons, then replaced her mentor, George Lewis, immediately following graduation. Subsequently, she has served in her position for 27 years. Under her guidance, SPU has won three national championships and, individually, her gymnasts have taken 15 titles. Three times Tindall has been honored as national coach of the year. Kathy Siwek returns for her third season as an assistant coach. Siwek was a two-time All-America and a member of the 1997 national championship team. Alison Siegel-McAfee joins the staff after having completed her career in 2002 as a four-time All-America and school record-holder in vault, beam and all-around.

Missing links. For the latest and best information on Seattle Pacific University athletics, stay where you're at -- on The Falcons Online. For updated standings and statistics, see the Great Northwest Athletic Conference web site.