SOUTHEAST GYMNASTS SIZZLE

Most collegiate sports teams that jump from NCAA Division II into the big-time athletic world of Division I find the transition difficult and painful. The normal price to pay: several lean years until the talent catches up with the competition.

For Southeast Missouri State University's gymnastics squad, however, the transition has been smooth and painless. The Otahkians, among the premier Division II gymnastics teams in the nation for a decade, have now become an NCAA Division I powerhouse.

"We're really happy with the way things have gone for us so far in Division I," said Southeast's veteran coach, Bill Hopkins. "The transition really started a couple of years before we actually went Division I. The thing that really got us going was when we made the NCAA regionals in 1990. And we could have actually made it a couple of years before that, but it coincided with the Division II nationals."

Last year, during the Otahkians' initial Division I season, they compiled a 19-10 record and qualified for their third straight NCAA Division I regional, finishing sixth.

This season, the Otahkians were off to a sizzling 12-2 start prior to Friday night's big Cap'n Crunch Invitational at the Show Me Center. Among the 12 opponents Southeast has defeated this season are Illinois and Nebraska, the latter ranked 10th in the nation when the Otahkians edged it Feb. 12 at Houck Field House.

"That was a huge win for us," said Hopkins. "Nebraska is the highest ranked Division I team we've ever beat. What really makes me happy is to see where we are in relation to the top teams in the country."

In the latest Division I national poll, the Otahkians were ranked 20th, ahead of numerous big-name schools. They stand a solid chance of again qualifying for the Division I regional.

"Making the regional again is very realistic for this team, with the type of scores we've been having," Hopkins said. "We're scoring on the road already like we were scoring at the end of last year. We have the potential to score real high."

One thing Hopkins particularly likes about this year's Otahkians is their experience; five seniors give the squad maturity. The seniors are returning All-Americans Aimee Bernier and Jill Prystalski, along with Heather Markle, Carrie Johnson and Amy Kovacs. Markle has been one of the team's top all-arounders this season, while Johnson is also having an exceptional year.

"We have a lot of maturity," said Hopkins. "We haven't had this many seniors since we won the national (Division II) title in 1987. Having those seniors makes a big difference. The seniors are very good leaders."

Said Markle, "It helps when you have an older team, because it gives you a lot of experience. I think the team is really looking strong and we've started out real well."

Johnson agreed, saying, "We've started out well and I think we're going to have a really good season."

Other All-Americans back from last season are juniors Traci Willis and Kim Carter. Willis and Markle have battled back and forth this season for the top all-around position on the team. Carter was a four-time All-American and a two-time national champion in 1991, but she had to miss all of last season with wrist problems.

"Heather and Traci have been going back and forth for top all-around so far," said Hopkins. "They've both really been looking good."

Others in the regular lineup and performing well have been sophomore Sarah Pack and two freshmen: Renae Parr and Alicia Thier. Thier has been so impressive, she set a school record earlier in the season.

The Otahkians are also bolstered by junior Kelly Miller, redshirt freshman Heather Sharp and several other talented freshmen from an outstanding recruiting class: Kim Cox, Diana Lattimore, Julie Thomas and Tammy Wyatt.

There have, however, been some injury problems. Lattimore will miss several more weeks with a dislocated elbow; Sharp is out for the season after knee surgery; and Thomas and Wyatt are also out indefinitely with problems.

"Those are all girls with a lot of potential who I know will help us in the future," Hopkins said.

It is Hopkins who built the Otahkians into a powerhouse. He took over the program in 1980 and has never had a losing season. Now in his 14th season at Southeast, Hopkins has compiled a 307-92-1 record and led the Otahks to national Division II championships in 1987 and 1991. Southeast also won eight straight Division II regional titles between 1982 and 1989.

"We've had some great kids over the years, going back to when I first came here," said Hopkins. "We've had some excellent gymnastics and they've all meant so much to our program.

"I've also had some very good assistant coaches, including Mark Sontag and Gail Hoffman (current assistants). They've meant a lot to what we've done."

Recruiting has gotten a lot easier for Hopkins over the years. He recalled with a laugh how much trouble it was to recruit when he first took over at Southeast.

"The first year, I sent out over 1,000 letters and got two responses. It was pretty depressing. But it's changed quite a bit."

How much? Said Hopkins, "Now, almost all of the recruiting is done by girls contacting me. Year after year after year of us being in the Division II nationals and Division I regionals, now we're a really known program throughout the country.

"We do have one advantage in that we're a relatively small school. Some of the parents of the gymnasts just don't want their kids going to a school of 40,000 people. They feel they'll get a better education here, with more individual attention. I try to sell that a lot in my recruiting."

Since Hopkins has fewer scholarships available than many of the nation's powerhouses, he tries to recruit gymnasts that can qualify for various academic scholarships.

"We count a lot on academic scholarships," he said. "Many other schools don't have to do that. But the plus side is we were fifth in the nation academically in Division I last year and sixth for all divisions. We had a 3.25 cumulative grade point average. If I can remember right, I've lost one girl to academics in 14 years."

One of the highlights of the season for the Otahkians was Friday night's second annual Cap'n Crunch Invitational.

Another highlight will be the United States Gymnastics Federation NIT of Women's Gymnastics that Southeast will host at the Show Me Center. The Otahkians will also host the NIT the following season.

Hopkins, as chairman of the NIT committee, began trying to secure the host position for that event as soon as he found out Southeast was making the move to Division I.

"That's one of the things that has allowed us to be able to recruit like we have," he said. "The NIT is the second biggest meet in the country, behind the national championships. Since it's not very realistic, with our budget, for us to go to Division I nationals, I knew getting this would be really important."