• Complete Release (pdf)    |    • VIDEO: Coach Laurel  Tindall

FRIDAY, JANUARY 13 –
(#9) Oregon State at Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m. PST
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
• Webcast: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/spu/
• Live Scoring: http://www.spufalcons.com/custompages/gym/2016/LiveStats.htm?path=gym
 
Seattle Pacific vaults into the 2017 women's gymnastics season at home this week against a formidable foe. The Falcons host ninth-ranked and perennial national contender Oregon State on Friday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. in Brougham Pavilion. The Beavers are one of 12 NCAA Division I opponents on the schedule for Division II SPU. This is the 44th season of intercollegiate gymnastics competition at Seattle Pacific and the 42nd with Coach Laurel Tindall at the helm. Friday marks the first of three regular-season home meets for the Falcons, who entertain Hamline University on Jan. 27 and Air Force on Feb. 4. SPU serves as the host for the three-day 2017 USAG Collegiate Championships that will take place April 7-9 at Brougham Pavilion.
 
Get Your Tickets
Tickets to attend Seattle Pacific gymnastics events are available at Brougham Pavilion on meet nights and are priced at $6 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens. Groups of 10 or more may qualify for special general admission rates by calling (206) 281-2085 in advance. SPU students and staff are admitted free with valid i.d.
 
Live Webcast
If you can't get to Brougham Pavilion, watch the meet live on the internet at: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/spu/   Commentary for the webcast will be provided by 2008 Oregon State All-America vaulter Yuki (Lamb) Igarashi.


 
Friday's Field
Oregon State visits Brougham Pavilion for the first time since 2005. The Beavers are ranked No. 9 nationally after winning 195.575 to 195.275 at then eighth-ranked Auburn in their season opener last Friday. All-American Kaytianna McMillan won the all-around with a 39.125. OSU's top event score was a winning 9.90 beam routine turned in by Madeline Gardiner. The Beavers placed third in its regional, but did not advance to the 2016 NCAA Division I championships last year while SPU was placed third nationally in the Division II ranks.
 
Gym Shorts
Five Falcons earned All-America acclaim in 13 categories at the 2016 USAG championships, including returnees Ariana Harger (AA, V, BB, FX), Lauren Glover (V, FX), Kristi Hayashida (BB) and Breanne Beltran (UB) ... Harger tied for top national honors on the floor exercise with a score of 9.90 ... Graduated senior Maria Hundley completed her career with a school-record seven national championships, including the all-around and vault in 2016. She matched the all-time Division II mark for career gold medals.
 
2016 Recap
The Falcons forged one of the finest seasons in school history in 2016. They placed third at nationals as a team and collected 13 All-America certificates at the USAG Collegiate Championships. Maria Hundley won national titles in the all-around and vault, giving her a record seven career championships. Ariana Harger tied for the floor title while Krisit Hayahida brought home a silver medal on the balance beam and Lauren Glover was a floor exercise bronze medalist. In the USAG team finals, the Falcons compiled a school-record total of 194.875 points to secure a third-place showing. SPU finished fourth at the MPSF Championships with a mark of 193.000.
 
Proud History
From the very first meet way back in 1974 to a run of 20 consecutive top-four finishes at nationals, including championships in 1986, 1992 and 1997, Seattle Pacific has made the kind of lasting impression that few programs anywhere can match. The Falcons earned invitations to 34 of the last 35 championship meets (1982-2008, 2010-2016). They narrowly missed a qualifying berth in 2009. SPU gymnasts have won 30 national individual crowns and collected 200 All-America awards.
 
2017 Preview
The Falcons want to be home when they collect their fourth national championship. Seattle Pacific, winner of titles in 1986, 1992 and 1997, plays host to the USA Gymnastics Collegiate Championships in April. They parlayed the home gym advantage into the top spot on the victory platform in 1997. "Definitely it's great to have the kids competing in their home gym. The home crowd and not having to travel is a good advantage for us," said Coach Laurel Tindall, in her 42nd season at SPU. "We tend to have a good meet when we host." The 2017 pursuit to the podium features a large cast of returning Falcons and impressive list of newcomers. Back are 10 letterwinners, including defending floor exercise national champion, junior Ariana Harger. Also returning are balance beam silver medalist Kristi Hayashida and Lauren Glover, who earned bronze on the floor exercise. Breanne Beltran finished eighth on the uneven bars. They seek to offset the departure of Maria Hundley, who won a school-record seven national titles during the last four years. SPU takes on an ambitious schedule that includes 12 NCAA Division I opponents. The Division II Falcons seek to improve upon the third-place national result they accomplished at the 2014, 2015 and 2016 USAG meets. Five Falcons garnered All-America awards last year and four of them return in 2017. Heading that list is Harger, the floor champion who also placed sixth in the all-around at nationals. Beam runner-up Hayashida was third on that apparatus at the 2015 championships. "Some of our seniors will be providing some good experience in our lineup," Tindall projected. "Kristi will still be a great anchor on beam. She's been third, and second (at nationals). We're hoping that top spot is waiting for her there on beam this year. Lauren is looking great and Breanne Beltran is looking great on bars and vault." A stellar group of six newcomers will find places to make their presence felt. "We have some really great freshmen. In our sport we recruit for them to contribute right away. Both Darian (Burns) and Lena (Wirth) are strong gymnasts in several events and will contribute a lot along with Miyuki (Matsune)." SPU is in pursuit of its 35th championship meet berth in the last 36 years. Tindall and her staff of Sarah Jean Marshall and Carly Dockendorf intend to extend that streak by staying home for the championships.
 
Coach Tindall
Laurel Tindall (Anderson) was there the very first time a group of Seattle Pacific gymnasts marched onto the competition floor in 1974. Now, four decades later, she still is an integral part of a program that she helped nurture and lead to a prominent spot on the national scene since taking the coaching reigns in 1976. Whether as an athlete, coach or international-level judge, Tindall has spent a lot of time at the top of the gymnastics world. As she enters her 42nd year as head coach, Tindall's SPU teams have won three national championships (1997, 1992, 1986). Falcon athletes garnered 30 national crowns, one of which she earned on the vault in 1975. Tindall has been named the national Coach of the Year four times, most recently in 2003. And, in a tribute to all of her accomplishments in the SPU gym, Tindall was a charter member of the Falcon Legends Hall of Fame. She also operates the Falcon Gymnastics Center for local youth.
 
Home Sweet Brougham
The Falcons host three regular-season home meets at Brougham Pavilion on the Seattle Pacific campus. The arena is located at the corner of Third Avenue West and Nickerson Street (3414 Third Ave. W, Seattle, WA, 98119). Brougham has hosted the national championship meet three times, most recently in 2007 when the Falcons finished second. The USAG Collegiate Championships return to Brougham on April 7-9, 2017. Along with the Jan. 13 home opener against Oregon State, SPU hosts Hamline University on Jan. 27 and Air Force on Feb. 4.
 
Next Week
The Falcons face Oregon State again, visiting Gill Coliseum in Corvallis for a Jan. 21 tri-meet that also includes Northern Illinois.