Falcon Gymnasts Tie for Third at USAG Championships
April 15, 2005

ITHACA, N.Y. (Apr. 15)--Kari Kelly launched the No. 1 vault mark and Debra Huss danced the second best score of the night on floor exercise as Seattle Pacific University tied for third place with UC Davis in the USA Gymnastics National Championships women’s team competition, scoring a 191.500 Friday night in Ithaca, N.Y.

Rutgers took the USAG National title, scoring a 193.025 and Texas Woman’s rounded out the top four finishing in second place with 192.175. The Falcons’ bronze finish marked the 21st time in the last 22 seasons that SPU has finished among the USAG’s top four teams. Seattle Pacific narrowly missed team finals in 2004 and finished the meet seventh.

Kelly (Sr., Yakima), who is slated to vault in Saturday night’s Individual Finals, launched the top score on the event for the second night in a row with 9.700. Teammate Huss (So., Orangevale, Ca.) earned a 9.825 on floor from the judges, the second highest score on the mats. The sophomore was crowned National Champion Thursday night by virtue of her victory in the four event all-around competition.

As a team, Seattle Pacific’s best event score came on floor exercise during the second rotation, where it compiled a 48.450. The Falcons struggled a bit on the uneven bars and were forced to count a fall (47.450). SPU negotiated a 48.075 on balance beam and on vault, it ran off a 47.525.

Along with Kelly and Huss, Seattle Pacific's Corrie McDaniel (Sr., Lawrence, Ks.), Sarah Sullivan (So., Salem, Or.) and Jaynie Reynolds (Jr., White Rock, B.C.) qualified for Saturday night’s Individual Finals on beam, floor and bars. McDaniel will balance beam and along with Sullivan, will dance floor; Reynolds will swing bars. All five athletes boast All-America accolades from previous years.

Seattle Pacific won the NCAA crown in 1986 and garnered USAG titles in 1992 ans 1997.

USA GYMNASTICS WOMEN’S TEAM FINALS RESULTS:
1) Rutgers University 193.025; 2) Texas Woman’s University 192.175; 3) (tie) Seattle Pacific University, UC Davis 191.500.