Crosstown trip. Riding the wave of momentum created by a couple of all-time top scores plus a big dual victory, the Seattle Pacific University gymnastics team travels across town to perform in its last regular season meet this week. The Falcons (5-12), ranked No. 3 among USA Gymnastics teams, visit Bank of America Arena for a three-way bout with Washington (9-5-1), ranked 12th in Division I, and Boise State Friday night (Mar. 12). It serves as the final tune-up for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships in San Jose Mar. 20. The USA Gymnastics Collegiate Championships are Apr. 8-10 in Denton, Tx.

Super Scores. It’s almost as if Coach Laurel Tindall has her mild mannered gymnasts changing in phone booths as of late. The score of 192.900 over the weekend at the Salbasgeon Invitational obliterated the previous season high set a week earlier at Fullerton (192.175). In Corvallis, Seattle Pacific finished sixth behind several Division I elites, but its total tied for third-best on the school’s all-time charts. The top mark of 193.700 was set at nationals in 2000. One meet and three days later, SPU came from behind in the final rotation to upset Washington at home with a 192.875. The total at OSU pushed Seattle Pacific’s regional qualifying score (RQS) to 191.780 and solidified its grasp on third in the USAG rankings behind two-time defending champion Texas Woman’s (192.725) and Centenary of Louisiana (192.445). Air Force is No. 4 (191.140) and Cornell fifth (191.005), while Temple, UC Davis and Alaska Anchorage round out the top eight. The Falcons have finished in the top four nationally each of the last 20 years.

School record for Kelly. It was a heckuva long weekend for Kari Kelly (Jr., Yakima, Wa./Eisenhower). In the midst of heavy competition, Kelly vaulted her way into the school annals at Oregon State, launching a 9.875 career best and SPU school record. The vault also earned Kelly MPSF Gymnast of the Week honors. Former record-holder Alison Siegel-McAfee (9.850) was in attendance at OSU and, along with Kelly’s teammates, responded with resounding applause. Siegel-McAfee still holds the SPU record in the all-around and balance beam. Kelly, who launched a 9.800 tie for first with UW’s Carly Dockendorf Monday night, is a returning All-America and ranks sixth among USAG vaulters. She has posted top-three finishes seven different times on three events this season.

Competition intensifies. With the conference meet and final exams on the horizon, SPU has little time to rest. The MPSF meet promises to be a hotly contested meet. Host San Jose State will likely be the favorite, but Sacramento State, SPU and Alaska Anchorage are close behind in the conference rankings. At last glance, the Falcons were 10th in the West Region, behind the Spartans and Hornets at Nos. 7 and 8. Incidentally, Friday night’s opponents, Washington and Boise State were rated third and sixth, respectively.

Atop the podium. All-arounder Corrie McDaniel (Jr., Lawrence, Ks./Lawrence) notched a win in the all-around against Washington, totaling 38.500 over her four events. McDaniel is already a two-time USAG All-America as an all-arounder. She garnered a pair of bronzes with scores of 9.800 on beam and bars. Debra Huss (Fr., Orangevale, Ca./Bella Vista) tied for second on floor with Washington’s Molly Seaman to round out the top finishers.

Gym shorts. Nationally speaking, Huss rates fourth on floor and McDaniel is 10th in the all-around.In other USAG individual rankings, Stanton was seventh on bars and Ahr was 14th on beam...As a team, Seattle Pacific rated second on beam, fifth on bars and floor and third on vault....Melissa Stanton (Sr., Rapid City, SD/Central-Hamline) swung a 9.800 on bars at the Salbasgeon while team captain Annastasia Ahr (Sr., San Antonio, Tx.) scored SPU’s top finish on beam with 9.750. Ahr followed her OSU beam performance with a 9.775 Monday night along with teammate Jaynie Reynolds (So., White Rock. B.C./South Delta). Reynolds vaulted 9.550 against the Huskies...Elisabeth Kingsley (Jr., Kennesaw, Ga./Harrison) danced a 9.725 on floor Monday and 9.650 Friday...Sarah Sullivan (Fr., Salem, Or./Sprague) swung bars Monday night to the tune of 9.700 and scored 9.650 on floor and Kristin Bryant (Fr., Anchorage, Ak./West Anchorage) hit a 9.600 to help push SPU from three-tenths down, past the Huskies during the final rotation...Cindy Reed (So., Antioch, Ca./Deer Valley) is out indefinitely due to illness.

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 28 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 fourth season as an assistant coach. Siwek was a two-time All-America and a memberof the 1997 national championship team. Kristen Strid joins the staff after having completed her career in 2003 as a three-time All-America and national champion on bars.

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 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation web site at www.mpsports.org, or the Collegiate Gymnastics Information Center at www.troester.com/gym. .