Sacramento State suffered its fist home loss of the season with a 191.400-190.600 loss to Seattle Pacific on Feb. 15 at Hornet Gym. For the second time in five meets, five of six Hornet competitors fell on beam. The team’s score of 44.900 was the second-worst total of the season behind a 44.700 effort at the Maui Invitational on Jan. 4. The Hornets are currently ranked 51st in the nation.

Seattle Pacific (3-4) enters the contest ranked 54th nationally after finishing with the win at Hornet Gym. It was the highest score ever recorded by a Falcon team while competing in Sacramento, Calif. The previous high mark was 189.500.

Last season, the Hornets defeated the Falcons twice in three meetings. On Feb. 9, Sacramento State (191.375) won its tri-meet against Seattle Pacific (188.250) and UC Santa Barbara (187.750) at Hornet Gym. Sophomore Toni Petersen placed first on bars (9.850) and all-around (38.075) to lead the Hornets while Kristin Strid led the Falcons with a 37.550 all-around score. On Feb. 24, the Falcons returned the favor by recording their second-highest score in program history en route to a 192.475-192.075 win at Brougham Pavilion. Alison Siegel won vault (9.85), beam (9.825) and all-around (39.125) to lead Seattle Pacific. Senior Jami Scoville led all competitors with a 9.825 on floor while sophomore Jenny Ball recorded a career-high 9.825 on vault to lead the Hornets. In their final meeting on March 24, Sacramento State recorded a program record 195.275 to win its second-consecutive Western Independent Conference Championship against San Jose State (194.275), UC Davis (193.050), Seattle Pacific (189.675) and Alaska Anchorage (178.725) at Hornet Gym. The Hornets were led by career highs from freshman Binta Coleman (39.175, all-round) (9.875, beam) (9.8, floor) and seniors Elizabeth Lutz (9.875, beam) and Jolane Parr (9.925, bars). Seattle Pacific was led by Siegel’s first-place finish on vault (9.775) and Rachael Anderson’s team-high 9.8 on floor.

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 162-160-1, 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 SEATTLE PACIFIC FALCONS

Laurel Tindall is in her 26th season at the helm of the Seattle Pacific gymnastics program and has compiled a 323-294-1 overall record. Tindall originally competed for the Falcons then replaced her mentor, George Lewis, immediately following graduation. Under her guidance, Seattle Pacific has won a Div. II championship in 1986 and two USGF national championships in 1992 & ‘97. Tindall also earned National Coach of the Year Honors in 1986, ‘92 & ‘97.

In 2001, Tindall led Seattle Pacific to a 6-13 overall record and a third-place finish at the USA Gymnastics Nationals on April 12-14, at Recreation Hall in Davis, Calif. This season, the Falcons are led by senior all-arounder Alison Siegel-McAfee. A native of Oakland, Calif., Siegel-McAfee holds the program record for vault, balance beam and all-around. The other All-America returnees are senior Missy McLaughlin and junior Kristin Strid.

PREVIOUS MEET RECAP

Seattle Pacific’s Alison Siegel-McAfee finished first on vault, beam and all-around as the Falcons defeated the Sacramento State gymnastics team, 191.400-190.600, Feb. 15 at Hornet Gym.

The Hornets fell to 4-4 on the season while the Falcons raised their record to 3-4.

Sacramento State lead after two rotations (96.975-95.050) before the Hornets recorded a 44.700 on beam after five of six competitors fell off the apparatus. Seattle Pacific countered with a beam score of 47.750 in its final rotation to seal the meet.

The Hornets recorded a season-high 49.050 on bars after getting career highs from senior Lori Gillette (9.875), sophomore Binta Coleman (9.85) and freshman Meloney Greer (9.85). Freshman Jessica Hoffman (9.725) and junior Toni Petersen (9.75) rounded out the Hornets’ five scoring competitors, who each placed in the top-five overall for the event.

Petersen, a native of Fresno, Calif., placed second all-around with a score of 38.350 while also recording the second-best floor score with a 9.8. For Petersen, it was the third-consecutive meet in which she led the squad in all-around competition.

Junior Jenny Diamond led all competitors with a career-high 9.85 on floor and also placed third on vault with a 9.6. Freshman Nirvana Zaher finished second on vault with a 9.675 and Coleman finished third all-around with a 38.250 to round out the Hornets in the top three.

Also helping to pace the squad were freshmen Stefanie Aeder (9.725) and Hoffman (9.625) on floor.

Siegel-McAfee recorded a 9.75 on vault, a 9.725 on beam and a 38.800 all-around to lead all competitors. The Oakland, Calif., native also tied for second on floor with a 9.8 and recorded a 9.525 on bars. Siegel-McAfee has now recorded an all-around score of 38.500 or higher in every meet this season. Corrie McDaniel also finished with a 9.8 on floor to finish tied for second in the event.

Also placing well for the Falcons were Kristen Strid (9.7) and Jennifer Christman (9.7) on bars and Rachael Anderson (9.725) on floor.

RAZOR SHARP

Senior Lori Gillette has emerged from the Hornet roster as one of the most consistent performers in the 2002 campaign.

The Encinitas, Calif., native has settled into her new position as an event specialist on uneven bars and the results have been welcome sight to the Hornet coaching staff. Gillette was a member of the beam squad for three meets until she was removed due to the addition of senior Wendy Baisdon (injury) and freshman Nirvana Zaher (transcripts) to the roster.

Since being able to concentrate solely on bars, Gillette has registered consecutive scores of 9.875 against Boise State on Feb. 10 and Seattle Pacific on Feb. 15. The mark is a new career high for the senior and is 0.025 points from placing her in the top five all-time for the event.

Along with the program record book, Gillette is making her presence felt in the national and West Region rankings. Gillette is currently ranked 57th in the nation for the event and 10th regionally.

NEWS FROM THE INJURY FRONT

Senior Karen Sorensen, a three event specialist (bars, beam, floor), has sat out the past 11 weeks with a neck injury after falling off the uneven bars during a practice routine. Coaches say her return will be determined on a week-to-week basis.

Senior Melissa Prescott injured her right ankle on floor exercise while attempting to land her final pass at the Maui Invitational on Jan 4. The two-event specialist (beam, floor) attempted another exhibition beam routine against Seattle Pacific on Feb. 15 and completed the routine. The Elk Grove, Calif., native will be on a day-to-day basis.

HORNET NOTABLES

Fresh off her best performance as a Hornet against Boise State, junior Jenny Diamond recorded a career-high 9.850 on floor on Feb. 22...senior Wendy Baisdon scored a 9.45 bar exhibition, it was her first competition on the event since March of 2001.