Area digest 10/29/03

Southeast gymnasts earn academic honors

Five members of the 2002-2003 Southeast Missouri State University gymnastics team have been selected to the Academic All-American Scholastic Gymnastics Team.

Amy Cole, Talia Cover, Kelly Baldridge, Tiffany Hatfield and Amanda Grimes were honored.

Cole, who graduated last year with a near-perfect 3.99 grade-point average, is in the PhD program at Northern Arizona.

Cover, with a 3.72 GPA, transferred to Westchester (Pa.) to be closer to her family. Baldridge (3.9 GPA), Hatfield (3.77) and Grimes (3.55) are all sophomores on this year's team.

As a team, the Otahkians had a 3.0794 GPA to rank 32nd nationally.

"For our program to have five All-Americans is an outstanding accomplishment," said coach Tom Farden.

Scannell wins weekly OVC volleyball award

Southeast senior setter Emily Scannell is the Ohio Valley Conference volleyball player of the week.

Scannell led the Otahkians to wins over league-leading Murray State and Tennessee-Martin last week. She had 65 assists in the two matches, giving her 5,011 for her career and moving her into second place on the school's all-time list. She is also third all-time in OVC assists.

Southeast (8-16, 7-4 OVC) shoots for its fourth straight win Thursday when Eastern Illinois (7-18, 4-6) visits Houck Field House for a 7 p.m. match.

Scorpions fall to St. Louis Bombers

The Kohlfeld Scorpions saw their upset bid of the nationally-ranked St. Louis Bombers fall just short with a 30-24 loss on Saturday in the annual Missouri Rugby Union Championship.

Scoring for the Scorpions were Alan Kloss, Eric Hinson, Ian Barnhouse and T.J. Ebner.

The Scorpions will visit the St. Louis Hornets on Saturday.

-- From staff reports