Going for a title. Full of momentum, including a near-school record performance just two weeks ago, the Seattle Pacific University gymnastics team possesses the potential to put together a big score as it seeks the Falcons’ fourth national title when it arrives in Denton, Tx., for the USA Gymnastics Collegiate Championships. Competition begins next Thursday (Apr. 8) and continues through Saturday (Apr. 10). The Falcons (6-18) are seeded No. 4 and feature several gymnasts capable of winning individual titles during the meet, which serves as the Division II championship. Rounding out the eight-team field are Centenary (La.), defending champion and host Texas Woman’s, Air Force, UC Davis, Temple (Pa.) and Alaska Anchorage.

One step at a time. The formula for success at nationals is to take each event and each day one step at a time. Day One determines the four teams which advance to Friday’s finals. In addition to the individual all-around title, the berths for Saturday’s individual event finals (top eight, plus ties) are also decided. Day Two is all about the team championship. The meet concludes on Day Three with event finals for both women and men, who hold their championship in conjunction. The Falcons drew an opening-night rotation of bars, beam, floor and vault, and will unfortunately be at a disadvantage to open competition as they will be without the services of all-arounder Corrie McDaniel (Jr., Lawrence, Ks./Lawrence). A two-time All-America, McDaniel dislocated her right elbow during practices earlier this week and is unable to finish the season.

Champion bloodlines. With McDaniel sidelined, Coach Laurel Tindall will have to bolster her lineups if she hopes to keep alive her program’s string of 20 consecutive top 20 finishes, let alone bring home the national title. SPU has produced 17 individual champions. The most recent was Kristin Strid, now an assistant coach, who shared bars crown last year. In 2003, the Falcons finished third behind Texas Woman’s and Air Force. Only Texas Woman’s, with six national titles in the last decade, can claim more championships than the Birds.

Steady now. SPU’s dipped a bit at last week’s Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships, finishing a disappointing fifth among conference competitors. However, it has consistently scored above the 192 points the latter half of the season, including a near-school record team score (193.500) Mar. 12. At the MPSF meet, the Falcons wobbled on balance beam, scoring a season-low 46.875, but literally scorched the mats on floor exercise, tying the school record for a floor event score at 49.175. Seattle Pacific finished behind host San Jose State (195.525), Sacramento (195.400), Davis (194.350) and Alaska Anchorage (193.750). Air Force was sixth with 192.525.

First-Team All-MPSF Gymnasts
Seven SPU gymnasts were featured on the all-MPSF team, including four on the first team. Earning that distinction were Kari Kelly (upper left) on vault, Melissa Stanton (upper right) on bars, Debra Huss (lower left) on beam and floor and Corrie McDaniel (lower right) in the all-around competition.

Contenders. Individually, the Falcons feature at least three title contenders. Kari Kelly (Jr., Yakima, Wa./Eisenhower) vaulted All-America honors at last year’s meet and has averaged 9.690 for the season. Kelly hit a school-record 9.875 Mar. 5. Debra Huss (Fr., Orangevale, Ca./Bella Vista) has flirted with the school mark on floor exercise, dancing a 9.900 on several occasions, including the conference meet. Huss and Sarah Sullivan (Fr., Salem, Or./Sprague) will likely compete all-around to help compensate for the absence of McDaniel. Melissa Stanton (Sr., Rapid City, SD/Central-Hamline), a Division III level champion at Hamline, figures to be among the top contenders on bars.

All-conference accolades. Seven SPU gymnasts were featured on the all-MPSF team. Earning that distinction were Kelly on vault, Stanton on bars, Huss on beam and floor and McDaniel in the all-around competition. She was also second team on vault. Team captain Annastasia Ahr (Sr., San Antonio, Tx.) made the MPSF second team on beam, Jaynie Reynolds (So., White Rock. B.C./South Delta) on bars and Elisabeth Kingsley (Jr., Kennesaw, Ga./Harrison) on floor.

Gym shorts. A key event for Seattle Pacific will be their first: bars. It ranks No. 5 nationally, while being No. 3 in vault, beam and floor...Individually, three gymnasts rate among the national leaders. Huss is No. 3 on floor and No. 6 on beam; Kelly is No. 5 on vault. McDaniel was No. 6 among all-arounders...Kristin Bryant (Fr., Anchorage, Ak./West Anchorage) danced a career-high 9.800 on floor in the conference meet as all six gymnasts in the rotation scored 9.7 or better...Top finishers on each event for SPU were Kelly on vault (9.825/5th) and bars (9.825/8th), McDaniel fifth on beam with a 9.775 and Huss’ eighth-place floor exercise (9.900). San Jose’s Jennifer Greene scored the meet’s only perfect ‘10’ on floor to win the event. McDaniel was eighth in the all-around...Filling McDaniel’s lineup spots will likely be Huss (vault), Huss (bars), Kingsley (beam) and Kelly (floor)...The last time SPU hit a season-high score at nationals was 1997, when they earned their most recent title. They also won the USAG in 1992 and the last NCAA Div. II trophy in 1986...Top seed Centenary has averaged 192.373 this season with a high score of 195.375. Texas Woman’s (194.600) and Air Force (195.675) have each scored over 194 also. Just one individual championship will be defended this week: that of UC Davis’ Tiffany Chan on floor exercise. Air Force’s top all-arounder, Jessica Liegl, rates among the USAG leaders on all four events and is the all-arounder to beat.

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. .