The Hornets dropped a 191.300-187.275 road contest to San Jose State on Jan. 10 to open the season before losing their home opener to Cal (192.950-190.175) on Jan. 12 at the Hornet Nest.

It will be the first meeting between the two schools since each program was a member of the Western Independent Conference in 2001. Now in 2003, the Seawolves will compete in their inaugural season as a member of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. For Alaska Anchorage, it is the first NCAA sanctioned conference in the program’s 19-year history.

Last season, the Seawolves finished with a 7-9 overall record including a school-record score of 188.175 against UC Davis on Feb. 8, 2002.

HEAD COACH KIM HUGHES

In his 21st year 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 173-164-1, Hughes led the Hornets to a first-place finish at the 2002 MPSF Championships 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 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) last season. In 2002, Sacramento State also recorded program highs with 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.

LAST WEEK''S MEETS

Sacramento State could not survive a shaky start as the Hornets fell to San Jose State, 191.300-187.275, in their 2003 season opener on Jan. 10 in Spartan Gym.

Sacramento State managed to defeat the Spartans on vault with a mark of 48.250-47.750 but were outscored by San Jose State in every other event for the rest of the evening.

Senior Jenny Diamond (9.625), junior Binta Coleman (9.675), sophomore Jessica Hoffman (9.675), and freshmen Trista Condren (9.625) and Kimiye Narasaki (9.65) led the Hornets on vault while sophomore Stefanie Aeder (9.775, floor) rounded out the Hornets’ top scorers.

Condren, a native Atwater, Calif., also placed first on beam with a score of 9.65 while freshman Carrie Kinghorn led all Hornets with a score of 9.425 on bars.

On Sunday, junior Stephanie Kim finished with a meet-high 38.8 all-around to lead Cal to a 192.950-190.175 win over the Sacramento State gymnastics team in the Hornet Nest.

Cal led throughout the meet by outscoring the Hornets on vault (48.0-47.575), bars (47.9-47.275) and beam (48.2-46.375). The Hornets outlasted the Golden Bears on floor with a mark of 48.950 to 48.850.

On floor, Aeder finished first with a personal-best score of 9.875 to lead the Hornets. Diamond and Coleman finished tied for third with a score of 9.8 while Condren (9.775) also contributed for the squad.

On bars, Hoffman finished third with a mark of 9.725 and Kinghorn placed fourth with a score of 9.65 to lead the Hornets.

Other Hornets to lead the squad in their respective events were sophomore Nirvana Zaher (9.575, third) on vault, Coleman (37.775) all-around and Condren (9.55) on beam.

THE ALASKA ANCHORAGE SEAWOLVES

Paul Stoklos begins his 19th season as the Seawolves’ head coach after compiling a 7-9 record last season. Stoklos has been in charge of the program since its inception in 1984-85 and will lead Alaska Anchorage into the Div. I level at the beginning of the 2004 season.

The Seawolves will be led by junior all-arounder Mandi Burdick in the 2003 season. The Stacy, Minn., native led Alaska Anchorage in all-around (38.2), vault (9.65), beam (9.7) and floor (9.8) during the 2002 campaign.

In 2001, the Hornets finished 2-0 against the Seawolves including the Western Independent Championships on March 24.

HORNETS INK THREE DURING THE EARLY SIGNING PERIOD

The Sacramento State gymnastics team announced the signing of Tiffany Bass, Alexis Tsurumoto and Cynthia Gonzales on Dec. 12. All three athletes will enroll at Sacramento State as freshmen in the fall of 2002.

Bass, a native of Stratford, Calif., finished first on floor, second on vault, sixth on bars and sixth all-around at the 2001 State Games as a member of United Gymnastics Academy. Bass also placed second on vault, fourth on floor and sixth all-around as a level 10 competitor at the USAG Regionals in 2001. She is currently a senior at Lemoore High School in Lemoore, Calif.

Gonzales was a USAIGC regional and national champion on vault and all-around competition in 1999 as a member of USA Elite Gymnastics. The Modesto, Calif., native is a third year level 10 competitor and was a top five USAIGC National Championship finisher in 2000. She is currently a senior at Beyer High School in Modesto, Calif.

Tsurumoto was a two-time level 10 USAG regional qualifier on bars in 2000 and 2002 as a member of Golden Gate and Golden Bear club teams. The Concord, Calif., native also placed in the top three on bars in five meets from 2000-2002 including a first-place finish at the Maui Invitational in 2000. Tsurumoto was also a state and regional qualifier in all-around competition in 2000 and 2001. She is currently a senior at Clayton Valley High School in Clayton, Calif.

THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

Hughes will enter the 2003 season with 16 underclassmen on his 21 roster squad, including 10 freshmen.

Corinne Allen, Rachel Anderson, Sharee Burgess, Trista Condren, Jamie Donkin, Julie Hutzenbiler, Carrie Kinghorn, Kimiye Narasaki, Courtney Purdy and Susan Williams will enter their first year of collegiate competition for the program.

Sophomores Stefanie Aeder, Meloney Greer, Jessica Hoffman, Kelly Turner and Nirvana Zaher round out the remaining underclassmen.

HORNET NOTABLES

The Hornets are now 2-18 in season openers since the Div. I era...sophomore Stefanie Aeder has finished with the squad’s highest score in each of the first two meets.