After a week off, Hornet gymnastics will travel to Santa Barbara, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m. to face the Gauchos of UC Santa Barbara and the Tigers of Towson University. The Hornets opened the 2002 season with a fourth-place finish at the Maui Invitational in Wailuku, Maui, on Jan. 4.

Last season, Sacramento State defeated UC Santa Barbara in both meetings between the two schools. Since moving to Div. I in 1992, the Hornets are 8-9-1 against the Gauchos.

On Feb. 9 of last year, Sacramento State recorded a 191.375 to defeat Seattle Pacific (188.250) and UC Santa Barbara (187.750) in Hornet Gym. Senior Jolane Parr recorded a 9.9 on floor while sophomore Toni Petersen scored a 38.075 all-around to lead the Hornets. Freshman Leslie Ross led the Gauchos with a 9.675 on beam. On March 9, the Hornets swept all events on the evening as Sacramento State defeated UC Santa Barbara, 191.300-187.325, at Robertson Gym.

The Hornets will be facing Towson for the first time in the Div. I era.

HEAD COACH KIM HUGHES

After 19 years, head coach Kim Hughes has built a program from the ground up and has solidified Sacramento State as a contender in the NCAA West Region.

With a career record of 158-156-1, Hughes has led the Hornets to consecutive Western Independent Conference championships in 2000 and 2001. He will now lead his program into the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in 2002.

Hughes also guided Sacramento State to a second-place finish at the National Invitational Tournament in 2000 and gave the program its first Regional bid in 1999 while also being named NCAA Region 1 Coach of the Year.

THE UC SANTA BARBARA GAUCHOS

Alanna Trimble enters her first season at the helm of the UC Santa Barbara gymnastics program after competing with the Gauchos from 1996-2000 and serving as an assistant for former head coach Megan Fenton last season. Trimble replaces Mari-Rae Sopper, who was appointed head coach on Aug. 31, but was aboard the Sept. 11 American Airlines flight that was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon.

Last season, Fenton led the Gauchos to a school-record 194.850 and a fourth-place finish at the Big West Championships in the final meet of the season. Leading the way for UC Santa Barbara in 2002 will be freshman Brittany Gard. A native of Laguna Niguel, Calif., Gard led the Gauchos with a team-high 9.650 on floor exercise.

THE TOWSON TIGERS

Dick Filbert enters his 19th season at the helm of the Towson gymnastics program and has tallied a 324-78-2 record with the Tigers. Towson has qualified for 13 NCAA Regionals while tallying 20-consecutive winning seasons. Last year, Filbert led his squad to a 14-9 overall record and a third-place finish at the East Atlantic Gymnastics League Championships.

Leading the way for the Tigers in 2002 will be junior all-arounder Kristen Persutti. A native of Toms River, N.J., Persutti was named first team all-EAGL while leading Towson with team highs on vault (9.9), bars (9.9), floor (9.925) and all-around (39.325).

PREVIOUS MEET RECAP

Senior Lori Gillette finished with a team-high 9.85 on uneven bars as the Hornets competed in the seventh-annual Maui Invitational, Jan. 4 at War Memorial Gymnasium.

Arizona finished with a score of 194.575 to barely edge Oklahoma (194.425) for the top spot while Michigan (193.625) and Sacramento State (187.400) rounded out the rest of the field.

In the Hornets'' first rotation, five of six competitors fell on the balance beam as the squad recorded a meet-low 44.7. On floor exercise, the Hornets recorded a 47.625 but lost senior Melissa Prescott when she sprained her ankle trying to land her final pass.

After a 46.375 on vault, the squad finished with a meet-high 48.7 on bars. Coleman tied her career high on the event with a 9.775 while freshmen Jessica Hoffman (9.75) and Dana Raeber (9.525) also paced the Hornets. The team''s bar score was the second-best total of the meet.

NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT

Sacramento State landed in unfamiliar territory in Maui as the Hornets’ 187.400 ended its consecutive-meet streak with a score of 190 or higher while also scoring its lowest team total in two seasons.

The 19-meet streak began on Feb. 19, 2000, at Seattle Pacific and also included the entire 2001 season, which had never been accomplished before by the program. The team total was the lowest since a score of 187.125 on Jan. 22, 1999, at Utah State.

HANGIN'' (IN THE TOP) 10

Even with a score under 190, several Hornets made their way into the top 10 in Maui. Among the team leaders were two returners and two freshmen who were competing for the first time at the Div. I level.

Leading the way was Encinitas, Calif., native Lori Gillette who finished tied for third in the meet on bars. The 9.85 mark also tied her career high for the event.

Also finishing in the top ten for the Hornets were sophomore Binta Coleman and freshmen Stefanie Aeder and Meloney Greer.

Coleman, a native of Elk Grove, Calif., finished 10th in the meet on balance beam with a 9.55. Aeder, a native of Portland, Ore., placed tied for eighth in the meet on floor exercise with a team-high 9.8. Greer, a native of Couer d''Alene, Idaho, finished seventh in the meet on bars with a 9.8.

HORNETS FIND A NEW NESTING PLACE

After spending the past six seasons in the Western Independent Conference, Sacramento State will now call the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation home. The MPSF recently added women’s gymnastics as its eighth sport along with men’s soccer, men’s and women’s water polo, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, men’s gymnastics and men’s volleyball.

The Hornets will be joined by Air Force, San Jose State, UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara in the inaugural season. The Spartans and Aggies make their way from the disbanded Western Independent Conference, the Gauchos leave the Big West Conference while Air Force drops its independent status. The first conference championship will be held on Saturday, March 23, at U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.

NEWS FROM THE INJURY FRONT

Senior Wendy Baisdon, the program’s bar champion with a 9.950, will not return to the squad until midseason after having ACL surgery performed during the off-season.

Senior Karen Sorensen, a three event specialist (bars, beam, floor), has sat out the past six weeks with a neck injury after falling off of the uneven bars during a practice routine. She will look to make her return against Boise State on Feb. 10 at Hornet Gym.

Senior Lara Goold, a vault specialist, is making great progress from her ACL surgery during the off-season and will look to compete this weekend against UC Santa Barbara/Towson.

Senior Melissa Prescott injured her right ankle on her floor exercise while attempting to land her final pass at the Maui Invitational. The sprain will keep the Elk Grove, Calif., native out of competition for at least 2-3 weeks.

THE NEWEST HORNET ADDITIONS

Sacramento State announced the signing of Sharee Burgess, Kimiye Narasaki and Nicole Terry in the early signing period.

Burgess, a native of Stockton, Calif., was a USA Gymnastics level 9 national qualifier in 1999 and a level 10 USAG regional qualifier in 2000 and 2001 as a member of Champion Gymnastics Club in Stockton, Calif.

Narasaki was a USAG regional and national qualifier during the 2001 season as a member of Golden Bear Gymnastics in Berkeley, Calif. She finished second at the USAG regionals on balance beam.

Terry finished second in all-around as a USAG level 9 regional qualifier and first in all-around as a USAG level 9 national qualifier in 2000. A native of Simi Valley, Calif., Terry also competed as a level 10 regional qualifier in 2001 as a member of Charter Oak Gliders Gymnastics Club.

HORNET NOTABLES

Since the Div. I era (1992-pres.), Sacramento State’s highest team total increase from a previous meet was 9.0 when the Hornets recorded a 167.400-176.400 in 1992.