Ready to run. Their batteries having been recharged with a successful final home meet, the Seattle Pacific University gymnastics team appears to be on the mend and the upswing going into the final four regular season meets, all of which are on the road. The Falcons (3-7) begin that stretch Friday night (Mar. 3) at Washington in a three-way competition with the Huskies (4-11) and Oregon State (10-6). The meet will be taped by Fox Sports Northwest and aired Mar. 13 at 7 p.m. SPU will head to Alaska Anchorage for a pair of meets Mar. 10 and 11 before finishing out the regular season at Oregon State Mar. 17.

It could be close. Seattle Pacific has never gotten the better of Washington on the Dawgs’ home floor, but that’s a possibility this time around. Racked by injuries, the Huskies have scored below 190 points in their last two outings while SPU, after going shorthanded for much of February, is coming off its second-best total of the season. The Falcons are 0-27 at the UW, with their closest call being a difference of 0.350 points in 1992.

Glowing gold. What a way to go. Jaynie Reynolds (Sr., White Rock, BC/Marriot), the lone honoree on Senior Night, seemed to glow as she rocked her final home competition. Accumulating a career-best 38.800 points, Reynolds claimed the all-around crown and helped the Falcons earn a 191.025 to 177.275 victory over Air Force. Reynolds scored 9.725 on vault and 9.750 on floor to finish first on those events and added second-place finishes on bars (9.725) and beam (9.600). With the win, Seattle Pacific extended its streak of scoring in excess of 190 points to 13 home meets. The team total was the SPU’s second-highest score this season, and Reynolds’s four-event total was the highest this season for any all-arounder.

A clean sweep. Last week’s win was the most one-sided in four years and featured 1-2-3 sweeps in each of the four events. Ashley Domres (So., Scottsdale, Az./Scottsdale Christian) took top honors on bars (9.775) and Sarah Sullivan (Jr., Salem, Or./Sprague) did likewise on beam (9.700). Sullivan was on pace for one of her stronger all-around tabulations of the season before a fall on floor. She still managed 37.900 points to finish second overall. Danna Nelson (Fr., Maple Valley, Wa./Tahoma) debuted on floor exercise with a second-place finish (9.675) and was third on beam (9.525). Kristin Bryant (Jr., Anchorage, Ak./West Anchorage) got second on vault (9.625), while Brianna Schwartz (Fr., Bonney Lake, Wa./Sumner) tied for third with Sullivan (9.600) on that apparatus and was also third on floor (9.575). The Falcons continue to improve their team bar score with last week’s 48.200 a season-best.

Looking ahead. Coach Laurel Tindall knows better than to claim all is well with her squad. But considering the Falcons’ overall score and beam total improvements, her confidence should be boosted regarding the potential to win the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship. The future is beginning to look brighter for all-arounder Debra Huss (Jr., Orangevale, Ca./Bella Vista), who has been out of commission with an ankle injury since Feb. 3. Huss joined the bars lineup for the first time in three weeks. According to Tindall, she will at least begin training on beam this week, but her availability to compete at Washington is questionable.

The USAG rankings. Seattle Pacific dropped to No. 3 in the USA Gymnastics statistical rankings after holding after three weeks at No. 2. defending champion Rutgers, with a regional qualifying score of 190.640, continues to lead the division, followed by Texas Woman’s (1990.350) and SPU (190.010). The Falcons are No. 2 on beam and floor and third and fourth on vault and bars, respectively. Rutgers leads beam and floor, while UC Davis tops vault and bars. The Aggies appear to be the chief MPSF competition, ranking fifth nationally with an RQS of 188.815.

Gym shorts. The NCAA West Regional will be held in Stanford Apr. 8, with Sullivan and possibly Reynolds having a good chance of making the cut. Sullivan is currently third among prospective at-large all-arounders, and the top five are eligible to compete. Sullivan is ranked No. 1 on beam and in the all-around among USAG gymnasts with an RQS of 38.175. She also ranks sixth on bars. Reynolds is No. 4 nationally in the all-around (37.815) and beam and is eighth on floor, ninth on vault. Kristin Bryant continues to lead vault and is fifth on floor exercise...Huss swung a 9.525 in her return on bars...Schwartz had some inconsistent performances, scoring 8.300 on bars and 8.975 on beam to finish fourth in the all-around with 36.450 points...Bryant danced a 9.500 on floor...Sullivan had her second sub-9-point score on floor in as many weeks; a tumble out of bounds leaving her at 8.975...Domres scored 9.225 on beam...Amber Lundgren (Fr., Temecula, Ca./Temecula Valley) scored 9.475 on vault and 8.650 on bars...Melissa Daniels (Fr., Salinas, Ca./N. Monterey County) vaulted a 9.550...Shannon McConahey (Fr., San Jose, Ca./Willow Glen) scored 9.550 on bars...Brianna Piedmonte (So., Chandler, Az./Desert Vista) swung a 9.200 on bars.

SPU Coaches. Coach Laurel Tindall is synonymous with Seattle Pacific gymnastics, having either competed or coached each of the program’s 33 years. Under her guidance, SPU has won three national championships (1986, ‘92, ‘97) and, individually, her gymnasts have taken 19 titles. Now in her 31st year, Tindall has been honored as national coach of the year four times and last year she was the MPSF coach of the year. Originally, Tindall competed for the Falcons, winning a national crown on vault as a senior. She then succeeded George Lewis as head coach. Tindall is a charter member of the Falcon Legends Hall of Fame. Kathy Siwek returns for her sixth season as an assistant coach. Siwek was a two-time All-America and a member of the 1997 national championship team. Kristen Strid is back for her third year on the staff after having completing her career in 2003 as a three-time All-America and national champion on bars. Four-time all-American Corrie McDaniel joins the coaching staff this season.

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 calling 206-281-2085 in advance.

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. For updated gymnastics standings and statistics, see the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation web site, or the Collegiate Gymnastics Information Center.