Both Falcon Teams Successful at USAG Championships

4/12/2011 12:00:00 AM

April 12, 2011

AIR FORCE senior MPSF Gymnast of the Year Brittany Dutton became the first USA Gymnastics Uneven Bars National Champion in Academy history, scoring a 9.80 this past Sunday in Colorado Springs. She is the sixth Falcon total to win a national title, though the first on bars. Dutton added eighth place results on both vault (9.712) and balance beam (9.425) during individual finals. Freshman Jessica Hanner was sixth on beam (9.60), becoming the second gymnast at Air Force since 2004 to place in the top-six. Other top-10 outcomes for the Academy belonged to freshmen Emily Bucher on beam (9th/9.20) and Jen Larsen on vault (10th/9.425). In team competition last Saturday, Air Force tallied a 191.975 for third. In closing the season, Air Force received three USAG Awards, as Dutton was named the Outstanding Senior Gymnast, Lumi Garcy the Assistant Coach of the Year, and Doug Day the Ken Anderson Coach of the Year.

SEATTLE PACIFIC competed in the four-team event finals at the 2011 USA Gymnastics National Championships this past weekend at Air Force, first accumulating a score of 191.050 in Friday's semifinals, followed by a 190.950 in Saturday's finals. Senior Anissa Madrid hit a career-high on balance beam (9.85) during the team finals, while two other Falcons placed in the top-three in senior Bri Steigauf's career-best floor (9.85) as well as junior Samantha Taylor's uneven bars routine (9.75). The SPU Falcons received a silver medal from Madrid during individuals on Sunday, with a 9.775 on beam. Corrine Wise tied for third on that apparatus (9.70). Taylor and Steigauf also turned in top-six individual finishes, with the former taking fifth on bars (9.725) and the latter tying for sixth on floor (9.725).

UC DAVIS was represented by senior Marcy Miller and freshman Anna Shumaker at the NCAA Regional in Corvallis, OR, on April 2, marking the fourth time in the last five years the Aggies have sent multiple qualifiers to this event. Miller accumulated an all-around score of 38.775 to finish sixth in the elite field, one that featured a pair of top-10 teams as well as Pac-10 Champion Oregon State. Miller turned in top-30 event scores on vault (9.65, 30th), bars (9.65, 29th), beam (9.725, 20th), and floor (9.75, 29th). Shumaker scored a 9.75 on vault for 17th.

ALASKA-ANCHORAGE accumulated a team score of 190.475 at the MPSF Championships, Mar. 19. The Seawolves were led by Kelsey Fullerton's floor title (9.825) and Shakea Sanders' runner-up vault effort (9.775). The vault was a strong apparatus for Alaska in the meet, placing three in the top-seven. Kaelei Spoor was sixth on beam (9.725). Finally, Maria Puricelli wrapped up her career with a fourth-place uneven bars display (9.725), finishing amongst the top-three season averages all-time at UAA in that event.