Nov. 21, 2006

DAVIS, Calif. - First-year UC Davis women's gymnastics head coach John Lavallee signed prospective student-athletes Stacey Nicolini and Jessica Rea to national letters of intent (NLI) during the November 2006 signing period. Each prospect is a senior in high school, and expected to enroll at UC Davis for the fall quarter of 2007.

Nicolini, a native of Novato, Calif. and a senior at San Marin High School, has competed at Level 10 for Rohnert Park Gymnastics for four seasons. She won three of the past four vault titles at the Level 10 State Championships, then placed third at the Region 1 meet in 2006. Last year advanced to the Junior Olympics Nationals, where she finished seventh on balance beam and 24th in the all-around. Nicolini also finished second as an all-arounder in the NorCal meet in 2005, then fourth at that meet in 2006.

Rea hails from Haddonfield, N.J., which will make her the first East Coast resident in the Aggie gymnastics program since Mara McDermott of Bethesda, Md., who redshirted in 2000. A senior at Haddonfield Memorial High School and a veteran of Cherry Hill Gymnastics Academy, She enters her third season as a team captain at Level 10. She placed second in the all-around at the New Jersey state meet in 2005 and 2006, after earning a state title and setting a club record at the Level 9 state meet in 2004. Rea also finished second on uneven bars, 3rd on beam and fifth on vault at the 2006 states, following up a second on vault, third on bars, fourth on floor exercise and fifth on beam the previous year. She also was a state champion and record-holder on bars and floor at the 2004 Level 9 State meet, and a floor champ at the 2004 Level 9 Region meet.

UC Davis placed second at the 2006 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships then posted a similar finish at the USAG Collegiate Nationals last April. The Aggies open at home against former MPSF foe San Jose State on January 12.