With the win, Sacramento State earned a program-best three-consecutive conference championships including two-consecutive Western Independent Championships in 2000 and 2001.

Sacramento State fell short in its quest for an NCAA West Regional bid as the Hornets finished with a program-best Regional Qualifying Score of 194.07 compared to Boise State’s 194.14 RQS for the sixth and final spot. The Broncos recorded a 194.900 at the Western Gymnastics Championships in Logan, Utah, earlier in the evening to squeak past the Hornets.

Junior Toni Petersen (all-around), senior Lori Gillette (bars) and freshman Nirvana Zaher (vault) will represent Sacramento State as event specialists at the 2002 West Regionals on Saturday, April 6, at 6 p.m. in Corvallis, Ore.

The trio marks the most individual qualifiers for the program since Lisa Schindler (all-around), Natalie Cadondon (all-around) and Rebecca Seebirt (all-around) represented the Hornets during the 1995 season. Petersen becomes the first all-arounder to represent Sacramento State since Kim Mattis in 1998.

MPSF COACH OF THE YEAR KIM HUGHES

After 20 years at the helm of the Hornet gymnastics program, 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 and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

With a career record of 174-162-1, Hughes led the Hornets to a first-place finish at the inaugural MPSF championship with the squad’s second-highest score in program history (194.900), including event champions on vault, beam, floor and all-around. Hughes also led the Hornets to a program-best Regional Qualifying Score of 194.070, the highest national ranking (40th) to end a season and the most NCAA West Regional qualifiers (three) since 1995.

He has now directed Sacramento State to three-consecutive conference titles including two-consecutive Western Independent Championships in 2000 and 2001, and the squad’s first Div. I sanctioned title in school history (MPSF). Sacramento State also recorded program highs in consecutive meets above 193 (four), most scores over the 194-plateau (four) and most scores over the 193-mark (eight) in a season. Among his other accomplishments, Hughes 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.

Hughes earned his first Coach of the Year Honors in 1984 when the Hornets were a member of the Div. II Northern California Athletic Conference. A graduate of Chico State in 1976, Hughes joined the Sacramento State women’s gymnastics program in 1977 and was named head coach in 1981. During his tenure, Hughes also guided the Hornets to Div. I status in 1992.

MEET RECAP

Sacramento State recorded its second-highest mark in program history with a 194.900 as the Hornet gymnastics team won the inaugural Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship on March 23 at Cadet Stadium’s West Gym. Host Air Force took second with a score of 194.650 while San Jose State (193.375), UC Davis (192.200) and UC Santa Barbara (189.525) rounded out the rest of the field. The Hornets have now won a program-best three-consecutive conference championships including two-consecutive Western Independent Championships in 2001 and 2000.

Junior Toni Petersen earned the all-around title with a career and program-best 39.325. She also tied for first on floor with a score of 9.9 and won the vault crown with a personal-best 9.850. Petersen also placed third on bars with a 9.825 and tied for fifth on beam with a 9.75. She has now led the Hornets in all-around competition in nine of 12 meets this season.

Freshman Nirvana Zaher tied for first on beam with a score of 9.875. In her first season with the program, the 16-year old set the program record for the event with a score of 9.925 while competing at Seattle Pacific on Feb. 22. The Cairo, Egypt, native also tied for second on vault with a personal-best 9.8.

Junior Jenny Diamond (9.775, fourth), senior Lara Goold (9.75, tied for fifth), Coleman (9.75, tied for fifth), Zaher and Petersen also helped lead the Hornets to a program-record 48.925 on vault.

Rounding out the Hornets in the top five was senior Lori Gillette (9.8, fifth) on bars. Gillette also tied for fifth on beam with a season-high 9.75.

Freshman Jessica Hoffman tied her career-high on bars with a 9.775. Freshman Stefanie Aeder (9.825, floor) and junior Brooke Crowell (9.7, vault) also contributed for the Hornets.

TONI PETERSEN (ALL-AROUND)

Junior Toni Petersen will represent Sacramento State as an all-arounder following a career-best year with the program. After returning from the offseason in the best shape of her career, Petersen led the Hornets in all-around competition in nine of 12 meets including a career-high 39.325 at the MPSF Championships on March 23. Petersen’s mark shattered the program’s previous record of 39.125 set by Binta Coleman on March 24, 2001.

Petersen never tallied a score under 38.0 during the year after recording scores of 37.625 and 37.050 in the first two meets of the season. The junior registered scores of 38.5 or higher in six contests and finished with a season average of 38.425. The Fresno, Calif., native also placed first overall in five of 11 meets. On March 8, Petersen did not compete all-around due to a head injury suffered from a fall on bars but did manage to compete on bars and floor for the Hornets to help contribute to a score of 194.100 against Cal State Fullerton and San Jose State.

Petersen currently ranks 75th nationally, 13th in the West Region and third in the MPSF with an RQS of 38.830.

LORI GILLETTE (BARS)

Senior Lori Gillette established herself as one of Sacramento State’s top bar performers of all time after finishing her Hornet career with four of the top 10 marks in program history.

The Encinitas, Calif., native recorded a career and program-best 9.95 on March 10 against San Jose State at Hornet Gym. The mark ties her with fellow senior Wendy Baisdon, who set the record as a freshman on March 14, 1999. Gillette also led the Hornets on bars in nine of 12 meets this season with scores of at least 9.8 or higher.

The senior currently ranks 37th nationally, 10th in the West Region and second in the MPSF with an RQS of 9.865.

NIRVANA ZAHER (VAULT)

Freshman Nirvana Zaher made an impact for the Hornets after her arrival from Cairo, Egypt. The 16-year old was a late addition to the squad as travel arrangements, student visa’s and transcript clearance delayed her Sacramento State debut until Feb. 1 at UC Davis.

A three event specialist, Zaher shattered the program record on beam with a 9.925 on Feb. 22 at Seattle Pacific. She also recorded season highs of 9.8 on vault and 9.825 on floor in her first season with the squad.

On vault, Zaher recorded a score of 9.8 on three occasions and a score of 9.65 or higher in seven of 10 meets. She currently ranks 151st nationally, 23rd in the West Region and second in the MPSF with an RQS of 9.745.

HORNET NOTABLES

In six of the last 11 seasons, Sacramento State has recorded its season-high score in the squad’s final meet of the year.