Sacramento State, who won the inaugural title last season in Colorado, will look to earn its second-consecutive MPSF title and the program’s fourth-consecutive conference title (two Western Independent crowns in 2000 and 2001).

San Jose State is currently ranked first in the conference with a Regional Qualifying Score of 193.830. Air Force (192.900) and Sacramento State (192.115) make up the top three while Seattle Pacific (191.265), UC Davis (191.090), and Alaska Anchorage (186.055) round out the rest of the field.

Individually, San Jose State’s Dani Albright leads the conference on vault (9.815), floor (9.895) and all-around competition (39.010). The Spartans’ Shirla Choy leads the MPSF on bars (9.915) while Air Force’s Laura Frank leads all competitors on beam (9.800).

Sophomore Nirvana Zaher (second on vault, 9.770), sophomore Meloney Greer (tied for seventh on bars, 9.765), senior Jenny Diamond (seventh on floor, 9.805), and freshman Trista Condren (13th on beam, 9.665) are the highest ranking Hornets in their respective events.

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 176-166-1, 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 successive 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.

A LOOK AT THE LATEST ACTION

Five members of the Sacramento State gymnastics team set career-high marks as the Hornets defeated Air Force and UC Davis in their final regular-season meet Saturday evening at the Hornets Nest. Sacramento State won the event with a score of 192.350 while the Falcons (191.725) and Aggies (191.075) rounded out the rest of the field.

Air Force (96.800) held the early lead over the Hornets (95.600) and UC Davis (95.475) after two events but could not hold on after beam and floor rotations. Sacramento State outscored the Falcons (96.750-94.925) to record the come-from-behind victory.

Senior Jenny Diamond, sophomore Nirvana Zaher and UC Davis’ Lynn Schwaebe placed first on vault with a score of 9.750. The Hornets also received career-high marks from sophomore Jessica Hoffman (9.675) and sophomore Meloney Greer (9.625).

Greer also led all competitors with a personal-best mark of 9.875 on bars. Freshman Julie Hutzenbiler also tallied a career-best 9.625 on beam to also contribute for the squad.

On floor, Sacramento State tallied five career high’s en route to a program-best 49.350. Diamond and freshman Trista Condren placed first on the event with personal-best scores of 9.900. Sophomore Stefanie Aeder finished tied for third after matching her career mark of 9.875. Sophomore Nirvana Zaher (9.850) and Hutzenbiler (9.825) also finished with personal-best marks.

Seniors Brooke Crowell, Sarina Williams and Diamond competed in the final regular-season meet of their Hornet careers.

FLOOR GETS NEW MARKS

Sacramento State’s score of 49.350 not only set new standards for the program but eclipsed a team mark that had not been broken for two seasons. The Hornets mark moved past the previous score of 49.200 which was set on two occasions during the 2001 season (1/26, 3/24).

Individually, Trista Condren and Jenny Diamond not only recorded career highs (9.900) but also moved themselves into the program record book for the event. The duo are now tied for third all-time and are the first Hornets to post the mark other than Toni Petersen since the 2001 season (Jolane Parr and Jami Scoville).

Sophomore Stefanie Aeder (9.875) tied her personal-best mark on the event for the third time in her career. The Portland, Ore., native sat out six meets this season due to a torn ligament in her wrist and a bone chip in her elbow. The injuries, both on her left arm, have forced her to tumble with a closed fist to lessen the blow and allow her to compete solely on floor. Aeder decided to forego her injury redshirt season this year because her surgery was not scheduled until the second week in April, after the season is over.

INJURIES ABOUND

Sacramento State will be competing in the 2003 MPSF Championships without their top all-arounders from a year ago, Toni Petersen and Binta Coleman.

Petersen, who recovered from a stress fracture on her foot before the season began, dislocated and broke the index finger of her right hand during a bar routine on Jan. 18 and may require surgery. The Fresno, Calif., native currently holds the program record for all-around with a score of 39.325. In 2002, Petersen captured the all-around, vault and floor titles at the inaugural MPSF Championships on March 23.

Coleman has missed five meets due to a high left ankle sprain. The Elk Grove, Calif., native was second on the squad in 2002 with a season-high mark of 39.100 in all-around competition. She currently holds the team high of 38.950 this season while competing in only four meets as an all-arounder. Coleman, who has been primarily a bars specialist in the past three meets, will only compete on bars this weekend.

YEARLY COMPARISONS

Last season, the Hornets finished with a program best 194.070 Regional Qualifying Score and narrowly missed the NCAA West Regionals by .07 points.

This season, the squad has relied on a youth movement due to injuries and the growing pains have shown. The Hornets are currently sit with a 192.115 RQS and have registered a team-high score of 193.000. If that mark stands, it will be the lowest team score by a Hornet team since 1999.

In the past, Sacramento State has saved its best performance for the final meet of the season. The Hornets have tallied their season-high mark during the last meet in each of the past two seasons.