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      • VIDEO: Stephanie Wagner

SEATTLE – Stephanie Wagner won two events on Friday night, and freshman Sydney Clark claimed the all-around championship, helping Seattle Pacific beat Wisconsin-La Crosse in the season-opening women's gymnastics dual meet at Brougham Pavilion.

SPU, an NCAA Division II competitor that finished fourth at the 2011 national championships, outscored the Eagles 188.425 - 183.275.

"It was a great opening score. It would have been nice to get a 190 to open, but this gives us somewhere to go," said Laurel Tindall, who began her 37th season as head coach of the Falcons.

"We saw a lot of good things and this gave us an opportunity to see what we need to work on."

The Falcons opening-night score was more than two points better than the 186.200 they scored in the initial contest of 2011. Along the way, they bettered last year's season-opening mark on the bars (47.25-47.20), and they were significantly better on the beam (47.875-45.475).

Wisconsin-La Crosse is a Division III power that is coming off of its fourth straight National Collegiate Gymnastics Association championship. The Eagles have won 10 of the last 11 NCGA crowns and 15 altogether.

Falcons junior Wagner (Estacada, Ore.) led a 1-2-3 Falcons finish on the balance beam with a 9.65. Clark (Eugene, Ore.) was second at 9.625, and senior Aditi Kulkarni (Lakewood, Colo.) tied with La Crosse's Jen Andersen for third at 9.60.

Seattle Pacific nailed all six of its beam routines with nary a fall, totaling 47.875 points. All five counting scores were at 9.475 or above. Not only that, but the Falcons depth was on display as freshman Shannon Escarra (Fayetteville, Ga.) outscored everybody with a 9.725 in a non-counting exhibition performance.

Then on the floor, Wagner led another 1-2-3 SPU effort, scoring 9.625. Kulkarni was second at 9.50, and senior Sherah Veron (Broken Arrow, Okla.) earned a 9.475, tying for third with Ali Berry of UWL. The Falcons totaled 46.9 points in that event to clinch the meet.

"Stephanie did really well. I'm the most happy with her hitting her bars routine because that's an event she hasn't done the last two years for us," Tindall said.



Senior Texie Gregory (Auburn, Calif.), Stephanie Cross (Arizona City, Ariz.) and Wagner all set career highs to spark SPU's solid performance on the uneven bars. Gregory won with a 9.675, beating her previous best of 9.65. Wagner, with a second-place score of 9.575, shattered her old mark of 8.55. Cross, who had only performed exhibition on the bars previously, scored 9.325, well ahead of her high of 8.9 from last season.

Clark finished with 36.400 all-around points, edging Jenna Swails of the Eagles, who had 36.125.

"Sydney was a late addition to the bars lineup," Tindall explained. "We took her from exhibition to bars. She didn't have a great bars routine, but she ended up with a good all-around score."

The Falcons hit the road next Friday, joining UC Davis in a three-way meet at San Jose State.


NCAA WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS
Friday, January 13, 2012
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.

Team Scores
1, Seattle Pacific 188.425
2, Wisconsin-La Crosse 183.275

All-Around
1, Sydney Clark (SPU) 36.400
2, Jenna Swails (WLC) 36.125
3, Christa Booman (WLC) 36.000

Vault
1, Katrina Schuch (WLC) 9.500
2, Ali Berry(WLC) 9.475
3, Jenna Swails (WLC) 9.450
Top SPU score – 4, Jenna Dudley 9.425

Uneven Bars
1, Texie Gregory (SPU) 9.675
2, Stephanie Wagner (SPU) 9.575
3, Christa Booman (WLC) 9.550

Balance Beam
1, Stephanie Wagner (SPU) 9.650
2, Sydney Clark (SPU) 9.625
3t, Aditi Kulkarni (SPU) 9.600
3t, Jen Andersen (WLC) 9.600

Floor Exercise
1, Stephanie Wagner (SPU) 9.625
2, Aditi Kulkarni (SPU) 9.500
3t, Sherah Veron (SPU) 9.475
3t, Ali Berry (WLC) 9.475


Next meet
Seattle Pacific at San Jose State (with UC Davis)
Friday, Jan. 20, 7:00 p.m.