Alison Siegel
Although 2001 was supposed to be a rebuilding year for gymnastics, Seattle Pacific University rated as one of the favorites for the national championships, which were held April 12-14 in Davis, California. Alison Siegel led by example, setting school records in the all-around, vault and balance beam, and the team, unshaken by the earthquake of February 28, smashed the school scoring record in a home meet later that evening.
At the national meet, the Falcons posted their eighth-best all-time score to finish in third place. Air Force Academy took home top honors. Representing SPU in the individual finals, Siegel finished fourth on vault, and Missy McLaughlin and Kim Carey hit their vault and bars routines for eighth and seventh place, respectively.
Gyongyver "Gus" Balogh, voted Pacific West Conference player of the year, led the SPU women's basketball team to the league championship. The team won 24 games and came within a few seconds of advancing to the Elite Eight. Eventual NCAA champion Cal Poly Pomona, scoring the decisive basket with one second remaining, edged Seattle Pacific 63-62 in the regional title game. Coach Gordy Presnell loses Balogh and three other seniors, yet already has signed seven recruits, including state 4A player of the year Emily Faurholt of Kennewick, Washington, and transfer Kelley Berglund, Washington State's starting center.
The men's basketball program, which lost four starters from its Final Four team of 2000, bounced right back to win 21 of 27 games. Pitted against longtime rival Central Washington in the first round of the West Regional in Bellingham, the Falcons went to overtime before falling 101-95. Among the returnees next season will be all-conference selections Brannon Stone and Nick Johnson.
Undeterred by the loss of two All-America athletes this season, the Seattle Pacific University women's track and field team seems well-equipped to retain its PacWest championship. Despite the loss of both hurdler Jennifer Pyeatt and multi-event standout Laura Widman, there were 10 national provisional qualifying marks posted during the first eight weeks of outdoor meets.
Middle-distance star Rachel Ross, who ran very strong during the fall cross country campaign, won eight of her first 10 races and posted the nation's fastest 1500-meter time. She was No. 2 in the 800.
The Ken Foreman Invitational meet is scheduled for May 12, with the majority of events held at Husky Stadium. Due to ongoing stadium renovations, throwing events have been moved to Chief Sealth High School in West Seattle.
Summer is just around the corner and — whether it's basketball, soccer, volleyball, running or gymnastics — Seattle Pacific University offers boys and girls plenty of opportunities to learn and participate in their favorite sports.
Falcon Basketball Camps for both boys and girls will be held in Brougham Pavilion on the SPU campus. Gymnastics classes, also held in the Pavilion, are conducted year-round. New this summer is a volleyball clinic for boys and girls in grades 5-9.
Cliff McCrath's Northwest Soccer Camp holds day camps around the Puget Sound region and resident camps at Casey Conference Center on Whidbey Island from June-August. Doris Heritage holds a weeklong running camp at Casey.
For more information, click here or call 206/281-2085 for a brochure.
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