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First road test. The Bay Area is the first travel destination for the Seattle Pacific University gymnastics team in 2007. In the second meet of the season the Falcons (0-1) meet some formidable opposition in a four-way meet at San Jose State (1-2) Friday night (Jan. 26). Boise State (0-2) and Utah State (1-3) complete the quadrangular field. Boise State was No. 25 in the Division I preseason poll, and both Utah State and San Jose State received votes. SPU visits Colorado Springs Feb. 2 to face Air Force in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation dual.

Not bad, for openers. The Falcons’ season began exactly where it will wind up–at home. There were encouraging signs that, in the three months until the USA Gymnastics Collegiate Championships, Seattle Pacific will become a contender for national prizes, both for team and individuals. Although Coach Laurel Tindall’s squad did not come close to their record opening-night score of a year ago (191.850), their healthy frontline people were looking good. Despite some thin lineups, SPU scored 189.225 against UC Davis. The highest event score came on the first rotation, a 48.200 vault composite. SPU hit a 47.300 on bars, a wobbly 46.575 on beam and finished with a 47.150 on floor exercise. Brougham Pavilion will be the site of the USAG Championships, presented by Leisure Care, April 19-21.

Rank order. In the initial USAG rankings, Seattle Pacific posted the nation’s No. 3 score. Maryland’s Towson and ‘05 national champion Rutgers are 1-2. Texas Woman's, last year’s winner, was No. 4. Now in her 32nd year, Tindall has taken SPU to either the NCAA or USAG meet 26 times, finishing among the top four teams 21 of the last 23 years. As host team, the Falcons have automatically qualified for this spring’s national meet. They took eighth last season, and won their third (and most recent) crown when Brougham last hosted the USAG, in 1997.

All-around frontliners. Cheered on by a supportive home crowd, Seattle Pacific claimed seven top-three finishes in the first meet, highlighted by the successful return from injury by school all-around record-holder Debra Huss (Sr., Orangevale, Ca./Bella Vista). Participating in a competitive meet for the first time in 10 months, Huss won the all-around title plus floor exercise. A winner of three national crowns in 2005, she missed the latter portion of last season with an ankle injury. Huss totaled 38.725 totaled over four events, with her high score of 9.850 coming on floor. She was named the MPSF gymnast of the week. Huss' scores ranked her at the top of the USAG in both all-around and floor.

Good is gold. And Huss wasn’t the only winner. Brianna Schwartz (So., Bonney Lake, Wa./Sumner) won the uneven bars with a 9.725 and was fourth in the all-around (37.200). Schwartz is No. 1 in USAG on bars. With All-American Sarah Sullivan (Sr., Salem, Or./Sprague) still recovering from a hand injury, several Falcons stepped up to the plate to fill holes across the board. Winning the balance beam was Danna Nelson (So., Maple Valley, Wa./Tahoma) with a 9.675. It was Nelson’s first collegiate victory. She is tied for the top beam ranking in the USAG. Finishing runner-up on bars with a 9.700 was the dependable Ashley Domres (Jr., Scottsdale, Az./Scottsdale Christian). Kristin Bryant (Sr., Anchorage, Ak./West Anchorage) landed a 9.775 vault for third place and No. 3 in the national rankings.

Gym shorts. Sullivan was limited to beam in the first meet. Tindall may have her back in the vault soon. Floor duty will likely come next month, and finally bars toward the end of the season. Sullivan had finished third nationally in the all-around and vault last season. Her availability and the midweek knee injury sustained by Aubrie Stavig (Jr., Albuquerque, NM/ Sandia) left Tindall with only the minimum of five competitors on bars. Despite that fact, it was the only event which SPU outscored the Aggies. Stavig is out for the remainder of the season...Amber Lundgren (So., Temecula, Ca./Temecula Valley) scored 9.550 and was sixth on floor. Melissa Daniels (So., Salinas, Ca./N. Monterey Cty.) launched a 9.600 vault and Christie Chinaka (Jr., Honolulu, Hi.) swung 9.550 on the bars...Beam was a sore spot, with only Nelson and Huss (9.625) scoring above 9.200...Stavig’s injury is the latest in a rash which began well before Christmas. Top recruit Kelli Bates (Fr., Port Orchard, Wa./South Kitsap), an 11-time All-American at YMCA nationals, and Katelyn Degner (Fr., Hillsboro, Or./Glencoe) were ruled out for the season in December...Schwartz and Daniels are eighth and tenth, respectively, among USAG vaulters. Domres is No. 2 on bars to Schwartz. Huss is fourth on bars and fifth on beam. Lundgren is No. 7 on floor and Schwartz 10th among all-arounders...Seattle Pacific has scored 190 or higher in five of its last six visits to San Jose, including a 19.2150 in 2004. Huss should have family and friends in attendance Friday. Her hometown of Orangevale is about two hours away by car, on the outskirts of Sacramento.

Tickets, please. Ticket prices for all SPU regular season meets are $5 for general admission, with students and senior citizens $3. Group and team rates are available by phoning (206) 281-2085 in advance.

SPU Coaches. Laurel Tindall is synonymous with Seattle Pacific gymnastics, having either competed or coached each of the program’s 34 years. Under her guidance, SPU has won three national championships (1986, ‘92, ‘97) and, individually, her gymnasts have taken 19 titles. Now in her 32nd year, Tindall has been honored as national coach of the year four times and two years ago, 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 seventh season as an assistant coach. Siwek was a two-time All-America and a member of the 1997 national championship team. Anna Leiferman is in her first year on the staff. She was a member of the team in 2003 and ‘04.

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 Collegiate Gymnastics Information Center or Mountain Pacific Sports FederationWebsites.